Victory Song - A Reader Writes

Sherlock in Love

I loved Sena Jeter Naslund's Ahab's Wife and so eagerly picked up her novel, Sherlock in Love. She does the same thing in each novel - takes a small, one time reference in the master work and builds a whole story around it.  For example, for Ahab's Wife, there is a mention by Melville in Moby Dick of Ahab having left a wife behind.  For Sherlock in Love, she builds on a reference in Doyle's stories about Sherlock's Stradivarius violin being of particular value to him, because of the passion he felt for the person who left it to him.

The Sherlock novel is quite adventurous and compelling. Some of the style is stilted, as no one could replicate Doyle's fabulous style and wit.  But Naslund does a compassionate portrait of Dr. Watson, now older, but no less an elegant gentleman and ladies-man as ever.  Post-humunous Holmes still insults him, and he takes it with his usual good humor and respect for the man's genius.  So in that sense, the joy of a great Sherlock Holmes novel is somewhat retained. There is certainly many a fog-covered evening in London to help set the stage for a mystery.

But what Naslund adds to the canvas is no less wonderful. She gives a new eloquence and understanding to the human side of both Watson and the remembered Holmes, who lives through his diary and Watson's notes from their past adventures.  As the title suggests, it's a love story, but as befits a classic Holmes story, it's convoluted and multi-dimensional and includes layers of mystery and intrigue.  I had my suspicions about "who dun it" - and was right - but that in no way impeded my enjoyment of watching the story unfold at rapid speed.

I recommend Sherlock in Love to any Holmes fan, or any fan of a great twist in the tale.

My Maiden Voyage with the Dame of Mysteries

I spooked myself this week reading Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.  

Have you ever read her novels? I have not.  I saw it in the used book store on last Sunday and thought I would treat myself.  Not much of a mystery reader, I thought simply that it would be a nice diversion from the usual fare. Oh, foolish me!

I was pleasantly surprised!  I loved it.  It was engaging and fast paced and totally provocative – and a bit spooky. I almost had trouble falling asleep on Tuesday – thinking about a dead man stabbed 12 times on a train.  Every bonk and boop of the radiator gave me a stir! 

That is what I call a good mystery, eh? It stays with you. Heart thumping, mind racing, and ego deflating when you find out that I totally didn’t get all the clues…. What a story!

I found myself re-reading the last section three times – you know the part, where the detective stands up, clears his throat, wraps up the solution neatly and grabs the wrist of the killer before he/she can escape.  It took me three readings to really get it –he was highlighting things that I had forgotten as I read along, rapt in the story and missing clues right and left.  I was even aware of this as I read – telling myself, Pay attention to details here, Missy.  You will be able to suspect the right person!  But of course, I didn’t get it right at all.  It was a real twist in the tale.  And a unique kind of justice that I liked very much.  Good job, Agatha.

Always the glutton  when it comes to new authors I discover, after a bit of a search through the used mysteries (funny, there are no Christie's to be found, people must like to keep them!) I found Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective this weekend at my favorite (and, sadly, the last independent one on the Upper West Side!) bookstore.    It was one of the best $4 I ever spent, even though the binding is falling apart.  It's a collection of short stories of a gentleman who is quite banal and bland, but after having spent a long career compiling statistics for the government, he claims he can diagnose and cure most common human ills.   In fact, he's less a detective than a nice man who wants to help people with their problems.  He advertises in a national publication for anyone who is unhappy to visit him.

Isn't that a wonderful premise!  Dame Christie is brilliant.

So a wife finds out that a secret to marital bliss is to hold the memory of passion, even if there was no passion itself.  And two young people fall in love over the exploration of a mysterious and exciting "treasure."  And of course, there are a few murders to be solved and diamond thieves to be ensnared. Throughout,Mr. Parker Pyneis quite wonderful.  Most of his "clients" find interesting things happening to them, but don't always connect them back to Mr. Parker Pyne.  Although I'm just starting to get into Christie's voluminous works, I believe that Mr. Parker Pyne was an early character and some of his staff turn up in later novels, sometimes as more important players.

I'm excited to keep this journey going!  What Christie novels do you recommend for this beginner?

44 Scotland Street - a Series

The art of the Dicken- and Austin-inspired serial novel - where an installation appears each week in some worhty publication - has been reinvigorated by Alexander McCall Smith in the Daily Scotsman of Edinburgh over the past five years.  I am so delighted!

The result is the 44 Scotland Street Series - now in four volumes.  The title series is the first book, then Espresso Tales, Love over Scotland and the latest, The World According to Bertie.

My friend Deb and I have been sharing these books since the first volume was published in book form. I love them.  Because they appear in the newspaper each week, every chapter is written in 500 words or so, and has to contain its own mini-plot, in addition to being part of the whole. The result is that things move pretty slowly, but that is sometimes a nice pace. These books are like having conversations with a friend - sometimes funny, sometimes thought provoking, sometimes brilliant, often banal.  But they are comforting, and the characters are likable (or if not, wonderfully distasteful!) and real.  Oh, to be a neighbor at 44 Scotland Street~  To laugh and love and think big thoughts along with the cast of these books.

I saw McCall Smith speak at the Cooper Union here in New York last year and he really did show up in a kilt.  He's totally charming and funny.  Writing serial novels is hard, and yet, it's all he does.  He is masterful at character creation and development. Many times we finish a novel and wonder, what happens next?  Especially when the character lives with me for a few days or weeks.  With McCall Smith's work, the novels are written to be continued.  So he takes his sweet time exploring tangents and building side stories - all of which contribute to the overall breadth and depth of the tale.

I devoured The World According to Bertie. If you've read any of these novels, don't you think it's funny that Bertie has miraculously stayed six years old while others around him celebrate year after year?  And in the end, poor Bertie remains stuck in the prison of his mother's making.  That woman is so arrogant and dis-illusionsed she makes my skin crawl - but at the same time she's so annoyingly hilarious that you hope she stays in the stories forever!  Poor Bertie!

I'm sending this down to Deb and look forward to laughing over some of the scenes with her when she's had a chance to read it.  These books make great plane reading, too. I was finishing it on my way to Charlotte this week and laughed out loud so often that the flight attendant asked me for the title so she could get it, too!  Good job.

Thank you thank you Alexander McCall Smith!  His website is here, and you can buy the book here.  Start at the beginning with 44 Scotland Street if you can.

Impressions of Impressionism

I saw Impressionism on Broadway last night with my friend Toni.  It has all the makings of a fabulous new dramatic sensation:  big stars (Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen), cool technical staging and a multi-layered plot.

Makings are not enough, of course. It got panned harshlyby the critics.  The NY Post and NY Times both hated it.  Apparently, so many people were walking out at intermission, that they had to cut the play in half, eliminate the break and keep it to 90 minutes.  We saw this shorter version.

Toni thought it was weak.  She was bored, didn't get it and thought the plot plodding.

I liked it.  I know that it was stupid to portray seemingly intelligentManhattan dwellers as confused wanderers, bereft of sense.  I know that Allen's character is a lousy businessperson. (I had to smile later when Toni, a professional and uber-talented salesperson, ranted on about how offended she was.  No one could ever keep a gallery in business if she tried to sell the way this woman sells.)

But, I loved that you had to wait until the whole thing was over before understanding the characters. Just like a great novel, they weaved a story over time, didn't hit you over the head with it.

I loved the love story. I loved the charm and easy banter.  I loved the good advice and well composed secondary characters.  I especially thought the use of Impressionist paintings to serve as metaphor of the lovers' struggle to overcome their pain and engage fully in the world.   The technology was cool - they projected the paintings on a series of screens positioned at the front of the stage. One, full size, served as background, and four others were "picture sized."  The screens also diffused the actors behind them, giving a magical appearance and showing how art imitates life, and life imitates art and the beauty of art is the memory -- or impression -- we assign to it.

The story is ambitious.  No shortage of big questions here.  What is love?  Can love last?  Is life real or impression?  Can we forgive our parents?  Do small habits give us joy or prevent us from experiencing other opportunities?  When we give away what we love, does that multiply our joy?

I can see the critics' point. The story drags a bit, get a little preachy and the action is slow paced.  Toni felt that Irons and Allen were underutilized.  I felt that they were demonstrating their fine abilities - it's harder to keep the story going if you have limited props and movement. We were invited into their personal, troubled worlds.   Where what you don't say is often more poignant than what you do say. Life is often twisted and troubling.  And so great actors make it look easy.

Toni's advice:  skip it.

My recommendation, see if if you can (especially with a discount ticket, which are now readily available thanks to the critics).  And open yourself up to seeing the love story, despite the distractions.

And yes, we did laugh on the subway home as I defended the play and my enjoyment... "Did we see the same show just now?"   She's a good friend and let me wax on, even though she was having none of it.

Let me know what you think!