Tag: dorothy l sayers

Episode 12: STRONG POISON, part 3

~ Sharon

In this third of four episodes on STRONG POISON, we start discussing the second half of the book. We talk about the very uncomfortable Christmas Peter spends at Dukes Denver. We also consider detective fiction as “the purest literature we have” and how STRONG POISON marks a turn in Sayers’ style. Sharon finally learns how to pronounce Norman Urquhart’s name, the book catches us up on several characters’ love lives, and we see how a Cattery operative works. Also: more plot!

Download the episode 12 transcript!

Shownotes:

  • We talk about contemporary mystery writer Tana French as an inheritor of Sayers’ style of character portraiture.
  • THE SECRET HISTORY is by Donna Tartt, and we both highly recommend it.
  • Charis paraphrases JRR Tolkien’s comments on Sayers from a 1944 letter to his son, in which he actually wrote “I could not stand Gaudy Night. I followed P. Wimsey from his attractive beginnings so far, by which time I conceived a loathing of him (and his creatrix) not surpassed by any other character in literature known to me, unless by his Harriet.” [Letter 71 from THE LETTERS OF JRR TOLKIEN, ed. by Humphrey Carpenter]
  • We reference the Bechdel test in our discussion of JRR Tolkien’s criticism of Sayers’ mysteries.
  • “I served seven years for Rachel”; this is a story from the Hebrew Bible that Freddie Arbuthnot cites to Lady Levy.
  • “The Adventurous Exploit of the Cave of Ali Baba” is from the short story collection LORD PETER VIEWS THE BODY, first published in 1928. In it, Peter fakes his own death in order to infiltrate a gang of criminals.

Episode 11: STRONG POISON, part 2

~ Sharon

In this episode, Charis and Sharon talk about the real-life inspiration for Philip Boyes and what was happening in Sayers’ life around the time she wrote STRONG POISON. We also see more of Marjorie Phelps, learn about Harriet’s circle of friends, and reflect on Peter’s gender performance and privilege in a world of double standards.

This is the second of our episodes on the first half of STRONG POISON. We talk about events up through chapter 11 and do not give away the whodunnit. Here’s our previous episode with part one of our discussion.

*Audio note: There is a slight high-pitched buzz in the background of this episode on Charis’ side of the audio that we could not quite edit out and do apologize for!

*Content note: We bring up the topic of narcissists and abusive relationships at two points in this episode. While we do not go into detail, if this is a topic you would rather not hear about, those discussions take place between minutes 23:40 and 25:04, and again between minutes 47:48 and 50:00.

Download the transcript for episode 11!

Shownotes:

Episode 10: STRONG POISON, part 1

~ Sharon

In which Charis and Sharon finally (finally!) start discussing STRONG POISON, the fifth Lord Peter Wimsey mystery. We talk about the dramatic introduction of Harriet Vane, our love for the novel’s first few chapters, and the theme of the detective’s intuition. We also cover Parker’s promotion, Sayers’ desire to “Reichenbach” Peter, and the many callbacks this book has to previous mysteries in the series.

This will be the first of two episodes on the first half of STRONG POISON. We do not give away the whodunnit.

Download the episode transcript. (Prepared by Nia Greene)

Shownotes:

  • “Guinness is good for you” – Sayers penned the jingle for this famous advertisement. Learn more about the Guinness zoo ad campaign here.
  • ‘Gaudy Night‘ by Dorothy L. Sayers – this essay was collected in Howard Haycraft’s THE ART OF THE MYSTERY STORY (1946), and can be found online here
  • “Reichenbaching” is a reference to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘The Final Problem’
  • If you or someone you know experiences suicidal thoughts, as Peter Wimsey does, you are not alone–in the US, you can speak to someone at suicidepreventionlifeline.org by calling 1-800-273-8255, or you can reach out via text to www.crisistextline.org by texting ‘home’ to 85258 in the UK, or 686868 in Canada.

Episode 9: THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB, part 3

~ Sharon

In which Charis and Sharon wrap up the discussion of THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB. We finally meet a key suspect and reveal the culprit. We also talk about whether or not art always reflects something about the artist’s psyche. And we cover the unequal care given to traumatized members of different economic classes, Peter “starting to see women as people,” Parker as sidekick vs. policeman, and why Peter turns certain criminals in to the law and offers others a different ending. We also talk about all our many favorite lines from THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB!

This episode gives away the whodunnit.

Download the episode transcript (prepared by Melanie Sliker)

Shownotes:

  • We have a long digression about Vladimir Nabokov’s LOLITA in our discussion of Ann Dorland’s portraiture.
  • Peter makes a joke about the circles of hell that he and Parker might inhabit, riffing on Dante’s DIVINE COMEDY.
  • “I’m just trying to be a minor government official”–we find the allusion to Pontius Pilate quite amusing.

Episode 8: THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB, part 2

~ Sharon

In this second of three episodes on THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB, Charis and Sharon run through the events of chapters 8 through 16. We continue to explore the similarities between this book and the themes we talked about in our two earlier episodes on UNNATURAL DEATH. We also discuss our glimpse into Parker at work, alternative sidekicks for Peter, and the introduction of Marjorie Phelps.

This episode does not give away the whodunnit. For our first episode on THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB, listen here.

Download the episode transcript (prepared by Melanie Sliker)

Shownotes:

  • “So as long as you’re familiar with Mr. Dickens’ massive canon,” you too would note the copy of OLIVER TWIST in the Club’s library.
  • For more on the Armistice Day poppy, see this article.

Episode 7: THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB, part 1

~ Sharon

In which Charis and Sharon dive in to the first third of THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB, the fourth Lord Peter Wimsey mystery! Join us as we talk about the book’s portrayal of generational reactions to World War I, the effect of the war on different temperaments, and unhappy marriages in the wake of the war. We also cover the many similarities between this book and UNNATURAL DEATH, insights into how Peter organizes his cases, and how Chris Evans wears really excellent sweaters in Rian Johnson’s KNIVES OUT.

This episode covers up through chapter 7 and does not spoil the whodunnit.

Download the episode transcript (prepared by Melanie Sliker)

Shownotes:

  • “This is a one-sided rivalry.” Charis sent Sharon a truly wonderful holiday card:
    A picture of Charis's holiday card, which features Charis in four panel pictures embracing balloon letters that spell out "Noel" in various poses
  • Sharon doesn’t mean to keep referencing BLEAK HOUSE, but she can’t help but think of its Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce subplot whenever she comes across an inheritance plot.
  • Sharon also brings up Paul Fussell’s THE GREAT WAR AND MODERN MEMORY again to describe the ways that World War I informed the literary Modernist movement.
  • We mention L.M. Montgomery’s RILLA OF INGLESIDE in our discussion about how the novel portrays different dispositions reacting differently to WWI.
  • Read this Buzzfeed article for more about the #ThanksforTyping meme.
  • The anecdote about Queen Elizabeth II’s dresser breaking in her shoes comes from THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN by Angela Kelly.
  • Thanks to @epaulettes on Twitter for reminding us about Rian Johnson’s KNIVES OUT as a Golden Age-esque mystery with 21st century sensibilities on race and class! (After we struggled to name one in our listener Q&A episode.)
  • Here is Sharon’s funny cover of THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB, with the note about Mobil Oil Corporation sponsoring the Masterpiece Theatre presentation:
    A cover version of The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club with Sir Ian Carmichael on the cover and the note that the Masterpiece Theatre Presentation is sponsored by the Mobil Oil Corp

Episode 6.5: “The Locked Room” and Listener Q+A

~ Sharon

In this holiday episode, Charis and Sharon discuss “The Locked Room,” a Lord Peter short story that was just published for the first time in 2019. It appeared in BODIES FROM THE LIBRARY 2, edited by Tony Medawar. Special thanks to Tony Medawar and to Laura Schmidt, archivist at the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, for speaking with us about the background for anthology collection and the story manuscript respectively!

We also wrap up loose ends from our conversations about UNNATURAL DEATH by revisiting our talk about the racism in the book, quoting our favorite lines, and talking about the novel’s original US title. And we ring out the year by answering some questions submitted by our listeners!

Note: If you would like to remain completely unspoiled for “The Locked Room,” our discussion of the story starts at minute 19 and ends at 49:13.

Download the episode 6.5 transcript (prepared by Melanie Sliker)

The podcast logo of Sharon and Charis holding books, with Santa hats on their heads and the words "Happy Holidays!" below
(Thank you, Gabi Vicioso, for our special holiday logo!)

Shownotes:

  • This is Sharon’s “very lurid 1960s cover” of UNNATURAL DEATH:
    Picture of a very bright green cover of UNNATURAL DEATH with a dead female body and a small dog on the cover
  • The “lovely new covers” that Charis and Sharon are both slowly collecting are from Hodder & Stoughton.
  • Artist Cathie Bleck illustrated the mass market paperback covers for HarperTorch’s Lord Peter series in the early 2000s. This is her cover for UNNATURAL DEATH:
  • “That doesn’t make sense!” We are still very puzzled by this particular cover:
    A cover of UNNATURAL DEATH with a figure on a bed and blood surrounding her head on the pillow
    (We will also be posting more UNNATURAL DEATH covers on our Instagram!)
  • Here’s the transcript of Charis’s conversation w/ Tony Medawar.
  • We both adore A.S. Byatt’s POSSESSION, wherein the plot is kicked off by a researcher finding an uncatalogued letter in a library archive.
  • Charis brings up the following Sayers’ quote from ARE WOMEN HUMAN? in our discussion: “A man once asked me… how I managed in my books to write such natural conversation between men when they were by themselves. Was I, by any chance, a member of a large, mixed family with a lot of male friends? I replied that, on the contrary, I was an only child and had practically never seen or spoken to any men of my own age till I was about twenty-five. ‘Well,’ said the man, ‘I shouldn’t have expected a woman (meaning me) to have been able to make it so convincing.’ I replied that I had coped with this difficult problem by making my men talk, as far as possible, like ordinary human beings. This aspect of the matter seemed to surprise the other speaker; he said no more, but took it away to chew it over. One of these days it may quite likely occur to him that women, as well as men, when left to themselves, talk very much like human beings also.”
  • In “The Locked Room,” Peter compares Mrs. Deerhurst in his mind to Amelia Sedley from Thackeray’s VANITY FAIR and Cleopatra.
  • In response to a listener question about mysteries that replicate the feel of Christie and Sayers with fewer problematic bits, Sharon and Charis were both a bit stumped. But Sharon does recommend TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG by Connie Willis. We also bring up Garth Nix’s SABRIEL in response to a reader question.

Episode 6: UNNATURAL DEATH, part 2

~ Sharon

In which Charis and Sharon discuss the second half of UNNATURAL DEATH. We reveal the whoddunnit right away and chat about how difficult it is to talk around the culprit when it comes to this book. This episode revisits our conversations on spinsters, lesbianism, and the detective’s moral responsibility in light of later revelations in the book. We also boggle at the over-abundance of murders in this novel and have a lengthy discussion on how to deal with casual racism in the literature we love.

*Content note: UNNATURAL DEATH contains several instances of a racial slur. We do not use the word ourselves in our discussion, but we do talk about its appearance and context in this episode.

Download the episode 6 transcript.

Shownotes:

  • “He for God only, she for God in him”; Miss Climpson’s priest is referencing the unequal relationship between Adam and Eve in Milton’s PARADISE LOST (Book 4, line 297).
  • Charis’s robot vacuum Bunter is adorable and most helpful!
The robot vacuum (labeled "Bunter") that Charis mentions in this episode about UNNATURAL DEATH

Episode 5: UNNATURAL DEATH, part 1

~ Sharon

In which Charis and Sharon discuss UNNATURAL DEATH, the third Lord Peter Wimsey mystery. We talk about how Lord Peter learns of this “crime of crimes,” where a murder doesn’t seem to have been committed at all. We also cover the issue of “surplus women” in the early 20th century, the prominence of spinsters in the book, the introduction of a favorite character, the novel’s portrayal of lesbians, and what happens when the detective’s actions cause an innocent person’s death. We also give a much-needed update about #justiceforBunter!

This episode covers up through chapter 10 of UNNATURAL DEATH and does not reveal the whodunnit.

Download the episode 5 transcript.

Shownotes:

  • To learn more about the public discourse around “surplus women” in the wake of WWI, listen to this excellent SHEDUNNIT podcast episode.
  • Biographical details about Sayers’ life and marriage are taken from DOROTHY L. SAYERS: HER LIFE AND SOUL (Barbara Reynolds)
  • More about Gilbert Frankau, whom Charis suspects DLS and UNNATURAL DEATH of jabbing at in chapter 3.
  • “That greatest of literary spinsters, Miss Bates.” Sharon is referring to a chatty spinster character from Jane Austen’s EMMA. This excellent article describes Miss Bates’ patterns of speech and lays out the narrative purpose her dialogue serves.
  • Correction: An astute listener wrote in to inform us that Miss Climpson is not, in fact, Roman Catholic, but rather Anglo-Catholic, from the branch of Anglicanism that emphasizes the denomination’s Catholic roots rather than its Protestant ones. We apologize for misspeaking!
  • Agatha Christie’s spinster detective, Miss Marple, first appears in “The Tuesday Night Club,” a short story published in 1927.
  • “They’re lesbians, Harold”; we actually slightly misspoke in referring to this meme. (It’s actually “Harold, they’re lesbians.”)
  • This is the Wikipedia article about REGIMENT OF WOMEN, the 1917 novel by Clemence Dane that Miss Climpson mentions in her letter and that Charis brings up in this episode.
  • Charis’ brother mentions “La Carmagnole,” a song associated with the French Revolution, in his reaction to WHOSE BODY? and its depiction of Lord Peter.
  • The comically clumsy sketch of the room set up for the will signing from Sharon’s book:
A very rough sketch of a room with a person in a bed, a mirror, and a screen hiding two witnesses from the eyeline of the person in the bed

Episode 4: CLOUDS OF WITNESS, part 2

~ Sharon

In which Charis and Sharon catch up after several life disruptions to discuss the second half of CLOUDS OF WITNESS. We cover the idea of mysteries as “convalescent literature,” the novel’s treatment of national stereotypes, power imbalances in romantic relationships, and the detective’s family life. We also talk about why you should never go out onto the moors without your hat.

This episode reveals the whodunnit of CLOUDS OF WITNESS.

(An alert for our listeners: this episode contains the sound effect of a rifle firing. If you wish to avoid hearing it, skip past minute :50.)

Download the episode 4 transcript.

Shownotes:

  • In our conversation about cozy mysteries as “convalescent literature,” Charis references SHEDUNNIT, a podcast on Golden Age mysteries by Caroline Crampton, and this episode from THE ALLUSIONIST podcast about novels of convalescence.
  • “I guess MANON LESCAUT was a very popular opera during this period.” If you, like Sharon, were baffled by this reference, you also can find out everything there is to know about it in this article.
  • “There’s a bit of George Wickham in [Cathcart]”; Sharon is referring, of course, to that great Jane Austen villain from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
  • We talk at great length in this episode about THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (Arthur Conan Doyle) as both a precursor text and an inspiration for several plot points in CLOUDS OF WITNESS. And yes, Charis and Sharon remembered correctly that a character does in fact die on the moors in that novel.
  • For more on the song “On Ilkla Moor Baht’at,” see this Wikipedia article and give this recording a listen.
  • At minute 49, Charis paraphrases this quote from the Sayers short story “The Haunted Policeman”: “True to his class and training, he [Lord Peter] turned naturally in moments of emotion to the company of the common man. Indeed, when the recent domestic crisis had threatened to destroy his nerve, he had headed for the butler’s pantry with the swift instinct of the homing pigeon. There, they had treated him with great humanity, and allowed him to clean the silver.”
  • Sharon owes a great deal of the postcolonial theory she uses in the analysis about the description of Mrs. Grimethorpe to Edward Said’s masterful ORIENTALISM. In referring to the Victorian tradition of a love triangle that involves an Englishman choosing between an Englishwoman and a Jewish woman, Sharon is thinking specifically of IVANHOE. Walter Pater’s description of the Mona Lisa comes from his STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF THE RENAISSANCE.
  • Hugh Kenner describes the phenomenon of the narrative voice shifting to mimic a specific character’s vocabulary and diction in JOYCE’S VOICES.
  • Sharon brings up THE NOVEL AND THE POLICE (D.A. Miller) in our discussion about how much we learn about Peter’s family in this book. THE NOVEL AND THE POLICE analyzes Victorian novels through a Foucauldian lens and theorizes that the professional detective always enters the novel as a public intrusion on private domestic space.
  • When we recorded this podcast episode, Charis was also reading THE MOONSTONE (Wilkie Collins), as assigned to her by Sharon in our first CLOUDS OF WITNESS episode. (Sharon has not yet completed her homework from that episode.) We also mention THE WOMAN IN WHITE (also by Collins) and Charles Dickens’ BLEAK HOUSE and A CHRISTMAS CAROL in our tangent about why Charis doesn’t like Dickens.
  • Sharon had recently read THICK: AND OTHER ESSAYS (Tressie McMillan Cottom) when we recorded this episode. She’s delighted that THICK has since been named a National Book Award finalist for 2019 and thinks everyone should read it.