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A review by luffy79
La Momie Qui Chuchotait by Alfred Hitchcock
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
La Momie Qui Chuchotait was a blast from the past. I saw my more bilingually inclined classmates read this series. I kept myself to English books. I read Wodehouse, Sidney Sheldon, H.G. Wells and lots of assorted authors that I got by virtue of them being just there in the rather small and unvariegated school library.
But now, after 30 years of reading anything but them, I took the initiative to read this series that was ghostwritten for the benefit of 'Alfred Hitchcock'. The book is the 3rd in the series. It was more adventurous, and had more pace than Enid Blyton mysteries. I couldn't solve the identity of the criminal here.
If I had read these books prior to joining Goodreads, I might have given this book a higher score. But I want to rescind the benefit of the doubt. This book does not deserve 2 stars, but I have my own network of scales and judgement in my mind. I have become both more impatient and also I take more risks and venture in uncharted areas.
I do recommend this series, especially if you would be reading them in French. The translation was the work of Vladimir Volkoff, a writer in his own right. This series originated from the end of the 60s. It retained its appeal and was still of relevance in the 90s, where many people from my childhood read it.
There were two aspects of the book that made me have some respect for the book. First of all was the location of the lair where the culprits hid the Mummy. It was in Los Angeles and I lacked the knowledge to pinpoint the circuitous landscape of that city. Secondly I failed to know the culprit's identity. I thought the Butler did it. But everything else was within my grasp. And indeed, there were several thoughts in the book that were unworthy of a professional writer.
I am going to read the predecessor of this 'tome', named Le Perroquet Qui Begayait. I cherish this series. The road is ahead of me, and I need to journey towards the end of my life reading within the sphere of my meagre intellectual capacities. I would never have taken up this book if I was a teenager in 1968 and had to go back in time and find this antique of a book, in 1990. But I'm not a Summer of Love child. I have the internet at the tip of my fingers. So, two stars it is, and I'll continue my reading journey with the sun of the equator beating on the windows of my room.
But now, after 30 years of reading anything but them, I took the initiative to read this series that was ghostwritten for the benefit of 'Alfred Hitchcock'. The book is the 3rd in the series. It was more adventurous, and had more pace than Enid Blyton mysteries. I couldn't solve the identity of the criminal here.
If I had read these books prior to joining Goodreads, I might have given this book a higher score. But I want to rescind the benefit of the doubt. This book does not deserve 2 stars, but I have my own network of scales and judgement in my mind. I have become both more impatient and also I take more risks and venture in uncharted areas.
I do recommend this series, especially if you would be reading them in French. The translation was the work of Vladimir Volkoff, a writer in his own right. This series originated from the end of the 60s. It retained its appeal and was still of relevance in the 90s, where many people from my childhood read it.
There were two aspects of the book that made me have some respect for the book. First of all was the location of the lair where the culprits hid the Mummy. It was in Los Angeles and I lacked the knowledge to pinpoint the circuitous landscape of that city. Secondly I failed to know the culprit's identity. I thought the Butler did it. But everything else was within my grasp. And indeed, there were several thoughts in the book that were unworthy of a professional writer.
I am going to read the predecessor of this 'tome', named Le Perroquet Qui Begayait. I cherish this series. The road is ahead of me, and I need to journey towards the end of my life reading within the sphere of my meagre intellectual capacities. I would never have taken up this book if I was a teenager in 1968 and had to go back in time and find this antique of a book, in 1990. But I'm not a Summer of Love child. I have the internet at the tip of my fingers. So, two stars it is, and I'll continue my reading journey with the sun of the equator beating on the windows of my room.