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Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

The discussion for the tagged book in the #goldenageofcrime is up and running. This is open to anyone interested - see @mitch to join discussion

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Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

And finally…… anything left unsaid in previous discussions that you‘d like to finish on?

#goldenagecrimeclub

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Mitch I‘d like to say a big thank you to everyone for joining in. This is a new genre for me really and it‘s fab to tackle new things critically and in the company of friends ❤️ 2y

Cuilin Thanks for hosting @Mitch I‘m enjoying the reading and discussions. I‘m traveling for March but still hope to read the book and participate in the discussion. 🤞 2y

jlhammar @Mitch Thanks so much for hosting. I‘m really enjoying our exploration of golden age crime so far! 2y

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Mitch @Cuilin yeah. I really appreciate your thoughts. 👍🏼 2y

Mitch @jlhammar it‘s been great thinking about the themes and emerging thoughts together 👏🏼 2y

batsy Thank you for hosting! And I've greatly enjoyed the discussions. Eagerly anticipating your pick for April 😁 2y

Ruthiella Thanks a million for making this happen! 😃 I think I might read a few more Sayer‘s novels now and see how they compare with this debut and my memories. I‘ve read Golden Age Crime before, but mostly uncritically. Its fascinating to revisit and also discover new authors, like next month‘s pick. 2y

Mitch @batsy I‘ll post sometime next week April, May and June - trying to find some with lots to themes to talk about! 2y

Mitch @Ruthiella thanks ! My feelings too. I‘m going to read a few more Wimsey books and see what happens and next months is also a brand ‘new to me‘ author - loving discovering with you 2y

rabbitprincess I want to go back to the Sayers I‘ve already read and revisit them, then perhaps try the rest. I look forward to seeing what is up next! 2y

CarolynM Thank you for hosting. Interesting perspectives on this one. I‘ve intended to read Sayers for a long time, so I‘m grateful for the push to actually do it. I‘d like to read more, but my TBR is already overflowing. 2y

Chrissyreadit Great questions! 2y

kwmg40 I'd read some of the later books in this series recently, and I'd forgotten the large role that Parker played in this first book. I like Parker, but he often gets forgotten among the more charismatic supporting characters. @Mitch Thank you for hosting and initiating discussion with these great questions! (edited) 2y

Mitch @kwmg40 Parker was interesting wasnt he. I like the contrast in circumstances he gave the book 2y

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TheAromaofBooks

Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

#BookReport - Another week of doing a good job reading a terrible job reviewing 😂 Finished the Chesapeake Shores series (finally!). Read Girls Made of Snow & Glass for #LMPBC (so-so; I found the characters annoying). Tagged book was fun but a little disjointed - I'm still going to read the next one in the series, though! Not the Witch You Wed was a #TrappedonanIsland pick and was just the fluffy, silly read I needed. Just started The Girls at ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) the Kingfisher Club this morning - a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses for the #FairyTaleReadingChallenge. Nothing life-changing this week, but steadily plowing through the piles with some interesting reads. I can't believe my next windowsill picture is going to include March books...!!!!

@Cinfhen 2y

Cinfhen Excellent progress😄I know…I keep reminding myself February only has 28 days 😉 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

I‘ve not read any P G Wodehouse but it‘s been said he has some Bertie Wooster vibes. Sayers described Bunter as part Wooster part Fred Astaire! Are you on TEAM BUNTER??
#goldenagecrimeclub

Cuilin I saw Peter Wimsey as more like Wooster and Bunter as Jeeves. This relationship was the most redeeming aspect of the novel for me. 2y

AmyG I liked Bunter the best of all. The man has the patience of a saint!!! 2y

jlhammar I‘ve not read Wodehouse either, but yes, definitely a Bunter fan. 2y

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Read-y_Picker Yes! In fact once I was done with this one I sought out and am currently enjoying

My Man Jeeves

Read-y_Picker Favourite takeaway was the reenactment of the (maid‘s?) testimony in court. That was hilarious. Was anyone else bothered by the confession taking up about a full fifth of the novel? 2y

jlhammar @Read-y_Picker I quoted the maid's testimony in my review! That whole court scene was my favorite part. Yeah, I didn't love the confession either. 2y

Mitch Agreed Bunter has the patience of a saint ! Especially has he gets paid in a year less than Wimsey spends on one antique book! 2y

batsy Definitely #TeamBunter! Love how he talks Wimsey down when he has an anxiety attack while trying to solve the murder and he recognises that there's PTSD with war flashbacks. We all need a Bunter in our lives. 2y

batsy @Read-y_Picker Yes, the pacing of the novel wasn't the best re: how it was resolved & the confession. 2y

DGRachel I should have read all the questions before commenting. I haven‘t read Wodehouse, but I definitely got strong Fry & Laurie version of Jeeves & Wooster. #TeamBunter all the way! 2y

Ruthiella Love Bunter! Totally agree with the Wodehouse vibes. They are a team and for sure Wimsey would not be such a good detective without him. I do think that Wimsey appreciates Bunter as an equal, even though he is his employee. Same with Parker, who is of a lower class than Lord Peter. He‘s not condescending at all. He sees these men as his peers. 2y

rabbitprincess Ian Carmichael, who played Wimsey in a TV adaptation, also played Bertie Wooster in a different Jeeves adaptation, so I definitely got Wooster vibes from Wimsey here. 2y

CarolynM I think it‘s a very different vibe from Jeeves and Wooster. For all his foppishness, Lord Peter is not an airhead like Bertie Wooster and Bunter, much as I liked him, has nothing on Jeeves. 2y

Chrissyreadit I have not read any Jeeves books yet. I really liked their relationship and agree that he seems to be better about seeing the value of others (especially compared to his brother) 2y

kwmg40 I do like Bunter as a character. I can see some parallels with the Wooster and Jeeves relationship, but I find the comparison with Campion/Lug in Margery Allingham's Golden Age novels more interesting. In Whose Body, I loved Bunter's description of his meeting with Cummings and his commentary on his employer's wine cellar! 2y

Larkken The Bunter-lord Peter relationship was my favorite part! I know DLS wasn‘t explicitly making this book into satire, but that‘s how I read it. It read very much like a first novel, so I could see how the farce element might get downgraded and the mystery more developed in later books… I‘d like the latter, but will miss the former 😂 very interesting to read the first in such an est series! 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

I struggled at first with Lord Peter Wimsey - his class and language just didn‘t sit well with me! What did you make of him and how he begun to develop?

#goldenagecrimeclub

Cuilin He seemed more of a caricature than a real person it was difficult to place confidence in anything he said. It was a first novel, so it will be interesting to compare him in later novels. 2y

AmyG Yes, he does seem a bit of a caricature. Also a bit entitled. And he talks way too much. But, he is smart and was able to fit all the pieces together to figure out the crime….very clever, smart and witty…..but long-winded. 2y

jlhammar Wasn‘t overly charmed by Lord Peter at first, but he did grow on me, especially after Sayers shows his history and vulnerability a bit with the PTSD episode. 2y

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Mitch @AmyG @Cuilin @jlhammar I agree with you all! I thought the PTSD moment was the first that I thought ok - she‘s taking him somewhere. We‘re acknowledging mental health, we‘re acknowledging the legacy of the war and perhaps I‘d started off being to harsh on him! 2y

batsy In the later books there's a more developed Peter imo, but it's true that in this one he does come off like a caricature. I do get the feeling Sayers kind of started writing his character in an ironic sense and then grew to like him! I agree the PTSD moment was the turning point in how the reader sees him. 2y

Ruthiella Yes to all the above. I came at this book with a lot of hope and fond memories of previous books and was surprised to see how much Lord Peter annoyed me at the start. I‘m not sure if he got better or if I just got used to him but by the end, I liked him more. 2y

Mitch @batsy I read that she gave him everything as a working woman, living in a very small bed sit, that she didn‘t have - posh address, a library, meals out in town! Everything she wished she had! 2y

rabbitprincess Wimsey‘s habit of droppin‘ his g‘s always reads rather weird for me. Roderick Alleyn (from Ngaio Marsh‘s books) does it too. 2y

CarolynM Yes he‘s annoying, but probably accurate for a youngish aristocrat of the time. 2y

Chrissyreadit I was not really bothered by him. I was curious about his relationship with his Valet. And to be honest that‘s why I thought he couldn‘t be too bad. And his relationship with his mom. 2y

kwmg40 I like the Wimsey books but never cared for the man himself. I do like a lot of Sayers's other characters, such as Bunter, Parker and Vane (introduced in a later book), and Wimsey's interactions with them affect his development throughout the series. 2y

Mitch @Chrissyreadit I agree! I wanted to write him off as a bad caricature of a 2 dimensional toff! But whilst he may have started out like that I think Sayers has put a lot more depth on him and I warmed to him after a while! 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

Sayers has written some truly awful antisemitic La gauge and stereotypes- what did you make of this? How do we read the past from the present ?

#goldenagecrimeclub

Square Haunting: Five Lives in London Between the Wars

Cuilin This was difficult, I‘m interested to see what others say on this because while it‘s unfair to judge the past with present morals, how do we communicate to a contemporary audience that racism is just not OK. Warnings on new editions doesn‘t seem enough. 🤷‍♀️ or maybe it‘s just reading them and having discussions like this!! 2y

AmyG The anti-semitic and racist talk (someone was compared to a tarbaby?) reminded me of an incident wih Camilla King Charles‘s wife) and how she made racist comments about a black woman. I wondered about royalty and is there racism in the older generation? 2y

jlhammar Definitely found this off-putting as a modern reader. I was really surprised that it wasn‘t addressed at all in some sort of intro or preface (there was nothing in my edition). I feel like that was needed. 2y

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jlhammar And, I can‘t say for sure, but the sense that I got was that Sayers was trying to shine a light on/make fun of the ridiculousness of the prevalent antisemitic and classist attitudes. Doesn‘t make it any more palatable though and certainly complicated and questionable. Sayers is a fascinating woman and I enjoyed learning some about her life in this fantastic work of nonfiction

Mitch I agree with you all - without something addressing this in the intro it was alarming. And more alarming that it went unchallenged. 2y

Mitch There‘s a really interesting essay here that tries to grapple with Sayers and her Jewish characters https://momentmag.com/curious-case-dorothy-l-sayers-jew-wasnt/ 2y

batsy Yes, I was really uncomfortable. And it's clear that the operative framework was that antisemitism was kind of taken as the norm, and Sayers was doing her best to try to present a counterpoint, but I think being of that time and era her own (unconscious?) prejudice also appears. I appreciated the article @jlhammar shared; it provided some fascinating insight into Sayers. 2y

DGRachel @AmyG I‘d forgotten this was the tarbaby book. 😳 The racism and antisemitism is hard to stomach in any of the crime novels I‘ve read over the past few years. I find it rather shocking (though perhaps I shouldn‘t be surprised) that books with such hateful speech are still so widely read and popular. 2y

Ruthiella I agree that the racism was blatant and yet, I also feel that Sayers was trying to be fair, showing how Lord Peter didn‘t care one way or a other. The article provided by @jlhammar was interesting is showing where Sayers was possibly influenced. But yeah, it is always startling when I encounter these attitudes in literature. 😠 2y

rabbitprincess Lord Peter‘s mum‘s full-page monologue about Jewish stereotypes was super uncomfortable to read and I almost bailed right there 😬 2y

Chrissyreadit I struggled- and appreciate the article @Mitch . My thoughts reading this and that article also point to why it was so many people overlooked what was happening to Jewish people in Germany and Russia. And even with all we know now- places like Fox News are allowed to support and give voice to people who espouse racist and prejudice stereotypes. So I find it easy to see how tv and literature influence negative stereotypes. 2y

Chrissyreadit I also had another thought based on the article and Jewish stereotypes. There are jobs that are/were traditionally held by Jewish men- I believe because so many jobs were refused to them. I remember reading about Hollywood. I know money lending and jewelry probably have some history as well and I‘m sure at some point I will look. I also think it‘s interesting that circumcision has taken the turn it has. I do think this is a good book to read for 2y

Chrissyreadit Sociology for nuanced discussion about embedded racism. (I feel the same way about Little House books and chose not to read them with@my children because they needed to be able to understand and recognize problematic stereotypes) 2y

Mitch @Chrissyreadit I agree Chrissy. Whilst this wasn‘t a book full of enjoyment for me - I did like the close reading of it and the thoughts it has spurned! 2y

Larkken I actually found the typological view to be in line with the current thoughts of the era (in anthropology and medicine) and found the book to be subversive to them. I mean, the educated, upper class doctor as the killer subverts many themes about criminology and the brains of criminals which that doctor supported, too. I found the language off putting as well, but again, in line with the archaic language used throughout… agree on a better intro! 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

Naked body in a bath tub wearing nothing but Pince - nez! How did you like the opening ? Sayers originally wrote the body in the tub as a woman‘s - how would this have changed the book do you think?

#goldenagecrimeclub

Cuilin Great idea but not sure it was executed well. It should have been gripping but it fell flat. I read 40% of the book before it felt interesting. 2y

AmyG I agree with @Cuilin. It fell flatfor me, too. And then the anti-semitic talk really turned me off. So I was a bit mad at the beginning which continued through the book. 2y

Read-y_Picker @AmyG it was sooo off putting! I had to go back to see when it was originally published because I originally thought it was thrown in to emphasize how far society has come in their acceptance but it turns out that‘s probably just what was socially acceptable back then… (edited) 2y

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jlhammar My favorite part about the opening was the Dowager alerting Lord Peter. I found their exchanges and relationship amusing. Gosh, I think a woman in the tub instead of a man would have had a very different vibe. Darker maybe? Perhaps because women are more often victims of violence and sexual assault? Not sure, but interesting to think about. 2y

Mitch @Read-y_Picker @amyg I felt the same and tried to do a little research - even when published there was an attempt to change one characters nationality and make him French to tone down the antisemitism. So even in its day I think it was alarming. I also read that Sayers had just been jilted by her lover who was Jewish on the grounds of his family not accepting her. 2y

Mitch @jlhammar I agree - I think the idea of a naked woman changes it all! And I did like the Dowager too - she was probably my favourite character. 2y

AmyG @Mitch Very interesting. A woman scorned. And I get the family not accepting her as that was the view for that generation. I am guessing more so following the Holocaust. (edited) 2y

DGRachel The jilted lover thing makes a lot of sense (although still wrong) - less antisemitism and more woman scorned. Not an excuse, but a different perspective. I loved the interplay at the beginning between the duchess and Lord Peter. There was a strong Fry & Laurie/Jeeves & Wooster vibe that I found entertaining and I kept picturing Fry & Laurie in my head for Lord Peter & his butler 2y

batsy I thought it was an arresting start but like @AmyG said the turn towards antisemitic physiognomy observations were a big yikes. I'm trying to imagine how it would have been if it was a woman. The idea makes me nervous—Sayers is clearly feminist in some ways but perhaps wouldn't have been very kind in her depiction of a Jewish or foreign woman? Or a working class woman. 2y

Cuilin @DGRachel yep it was Fry and Laurie all the way. Lol. 2y

Ruthiella @DGRachel @Cuilin I also thought of Jeeves and Wooster! When he mentioned his plum colored socks, I thought Jeeves would NOT approve! 😂 Also, Freddie Arbonaght(sp?) could easily be in a Wodehouse book. 2y

Ruthiella A woman victim would have changed the tone considerably. 🤯 2y

Mitch @DGRachel there were moments that had a very Black Adder vibe! 2y

rabbitprincess If the victim had been a woman, it would have read as a standard episode of CSI and I would have either bailed or not picked it up ? It would have seemed salacious and done for shock value. With the victim being a man, the overriding thought was « huh weird ». 2y

CarolynM Given the solution to the mystery, a woman‘s body would have had to be a completely different story. 2y

Chrissyreadit I love the Duchess and appreciated her role in the story. Am glad you found she was a woman scorned that explains a bit, and it‘s seems it was a good choice to go with a male victim. Though from watching how PM is done it seems the mystery could have been examined more closely with the coroners office 😆 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

#goldenagecrimeclub
Welcome everyone to our second #buddyread! And this one was hugely more problematic for me that the first ( more on that in later discussion prompts!) But let‘s kick off with your journey to finding Sayer, relationship with the books and their relevance 100 years on.

AmyG This book pissed me off. 2y

Read-y_Picker @AmyG 🤭🙌 2y

Mitch I love that @AmyG ! Such a succinct and passionate and accurate description! It‘s funny I‘d never read any Sayers before and she has a very broad and loyal following ( from people I admire) so I was curious to dip my toe in the water and see for myself! 2y

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Mitch I wonder if they get less annoying as the characters develop and her ideals change?? 2y

jlhammar I‘d consider reading another Sayers someday (especially since others have said some of the later Wimsey books are better), but I‘m not going to be in any rush to do so. I adored Marple (and prefer Christie‘s writing) and can‘t wait to read the next in that series so this was a very different experience from last month. You can‘t do golden age without Sayers though so glad to have read it. 2y

DGRachel I haven‘t finished it and am only at the 40% mark. This is my first Sayers, but my mom read a ton of golden age crime and the family bookshelves were packed with Christie (she owned them all), Sayers, Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. I‘m interested to see if I feel the same way as you all so by the end. So far, it hasn‘t really seemed much worse than some of Christie‘s to me with the racism, but I also can‘t remember much of it already. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2y

batsy I remember loving the Sayers books I read (the ones involving Harriet Vane and the others like The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club and Murder Must Advertise) but I did read them long ago and wonder how I would feel about them now. I can totally understand someone being put off by Sayers and Wimsey if this was their introductory book. 2y

Ruthiella I‘d not read this one before but like @batsy , I read some of the later ones in my 20s and I particularly have fond memories of the ones featuring Harriet Vane. I didn‘t think the racism and classism was worse here than in other books of the era. It comes with the territory. Like at @jlhammar , I prefer Christie‘s writing style. It took me a long time to get used to Lord Peter and his “aints” and mannerisms in this debut. (edited) 2y

Mitch @batsy it‘s always a battle isn‘t it - do you read in order or jump to the good ones! 2y

Mitch @Ruthiella his language is really hard to get your head around! But once I did his voice was in my head and I‘m not sure that I liked that either!!🤣 2y

Mitch @DGRachel my first Sayers too and I was expecting another Christie but it‘s really not! 2y

rabbitprincess I‘d read several other Wimseys before this: Gaudy Night, Murder Must Advertise, and Clouds of Witness, as well as Lord Peter Views the Body. Murder Must Advertise was my favourite because he actually had to work at a real job, so hijinks ensued 😂 This was fine but I‘m glad I didn‘t start here with Wimsey. 2y

SamAnne Oof. I just couldn‘t get into this one and bailed after 3 chapters. Tried both print and audio. 2y

CarolynM My first Sayers too. I wasn‘t keen on the writing, I found it helped to have a break between chapters. I knew what to expect of Lord Peter (my husband is a fan) but I was a bit put off by the way he spoke, although I thought it was probably fairly accurate for a young aristocrat of the time. Ditto the general social attitudes. I don‘t mind being reminded that the world was different then & I tend to be amused rather than annoyed by the snobbery. 2y

Chrissyreadit This was my first Sayer, and I have big thoughts- (have similar struggles with Heyer who I love). I think it is interesting that there are books written in different times that don‘t feel as classist or racist. BUT I‘m listening to the Attica Locke books too and can see the horrible way of treating people as part of the crime. It‘s how I‘m able to enjoy the mystery. 2y

Aimeesue I‘d read this one before, but had forgotten much of the plot. I like Sayers, but the later ones are def better. The classism/ racism/ sexism was of its time, so isn‘t particularly bothersome to me. I think maybe it‘s good to read them once in a while just to remind ourselves how bad it used to be? (Obviously, we have a lot further to go!) Plus, It‘s so nice when the villain writes out his confession for you! 2y

kwmg40 I've read most of the Wimsey series and Whose Body was a reread for me. I agree that the racism/classism is problematic but accept it as a part of that era. Wimsey isn't one of my favourite Golden Age detectives, but there are a few of Sayer's later books (such as Murder Must Advertise and Gaudy Night) that I really love. 2y

Mitch @kwmg40 Gaudy Night gets a lot of love! I might jump to that one! 2y

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CarolynM

Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

pick

A light pick. I found I needed to take it in small doses. Lord Peter and Bunter had their moments, I was quite touched by the PTSD episode. While I was happy with the resolution of the mysteries, I can‘t say I liked the way Sayers chose to explain it all in so much detail. This is my first Sayers. My husband is a fan, hence the Folio edition. #GoldenAgeCrimeClub

Cathythoughts Gorgeous pic💫 2y

CarolynM @Cathythoughts Thank you 😘 2y

jlhammar Beautiful edition! 2y

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batsy Lovely edition and photo! 2y

sarahbarnes Cool photo! 2y

LeahBergen Ooo, how pretty! I liked (but didn‘t love) this book. I do want to read a few more as I‘ve heard this is the weakest of the series; is this your husband‘s opinion, too? 2y

Ruthiella Beautiful edition! I didn‘t love this debut either, but I‘ve enjoyed later books. 2y

erzascarletbookgasm Cool photo👌. I wasn‘t very impressed with the book either, read it some time back. I continued with the next 3 books and it was okay. 2y

CarolynM @batsy @jlhammar @sarahbarnes @Ruthiella @erzascarletbookgasm Thanks friends😘😘😘😘😘 2y

CarolynM @LeahBergen Thank you😘 He didn‘t remember the story, even when I told him it was the one with the unidentified body in the bath. His memory is often unreliable, but I think we can safely assume that this isn‘t one of his favourite Sayers😆 2y

LeahBergen Got it! 😆😆 2y

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jlhammar

Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

pick

“it was a cruel shame a girl couldn‘t ‘ave a bit of fun without a nasty corpse comin‘ in through the window to get ‘er into difficulties.” Poor Gladys 😂

My first Sayers and for the most part I enjoyed it. Very dialogue-heavy! The courtroom scene was my favorite—the serious Coroner opening windows, the testimony quoted above, the commentary from the Dowager Duchess—funny stuff. I also really liked Wimsey and Bunter as a dynamic duo.

jlhammar Thought I'd join Lord Peter in some celebratory brandy. Looking forward to our #GoldenAgeCrimeClub discussion on Sunday! 2y

jlhammar Given that this was published in 1923, it unsurprisingly does portray characters with antisemitic and classist attitudes. For those of you who may have missed my comments on previous reviews, I found this to be an interesting read:
https://momentmag.com/curious-case-dorothy-l-sayers-jew-wasnt/ 2y

batsy Sayers was having a lot of fun with the character of the Dowager! 2y

Ruthiella Glad you liked it! I think the later books are even better! 😃 2y

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Cuilin

Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

so-so

I‘m with @batsy on this one. First of all it took about 40% to get into the book. Some attitudes made me squirm. There were a few moments I liked, especially the Jeeves and Wooster-esque relationship but they were few. Looking forward to further discussions with #goldenagecrimeclub @Mitch

jlhammar I just mentioned this piece in the comments of @batsy 's review. You may find it interesting:
https://momentmag.com/curious-case-dorothy-l-sayers-jew-wasnt/ 2y

Cuilin @jlhammar thank you. Will read. 2y

batsy There's something a bit rough in this first book re: Wimsey and Bunter, but I agree that it's one of the highlights. And it does become something quite nuanced and interesting in the later books as the characters are developed further 🙂 2y

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AmyG Yeah, the anti-semitism….and also racism was very cringeworthy. Turned me off. 2y

Cuilin @batsy This was a first Sayers for me. I will read others for comparison. (edited) 2y

Cuilin @AmyG seriously 😒 2y

Mitch Agreed - tough read in parts - looking forward to chatting on Sunday 2y

Ruthiella I‘ve other Lord Peter books that I‘ve enjoyed more, for sure. It‘s been ages though. So I‘m also not the same reader from 20 years ago. 2y

Cuilin @Ruthiella I‘ll definitely try another. 2y

SamAnne I bailed on this one. I couldn't get into it. 2y

Cuilin @SamAnne no reproach here. I thought of bailing once or twice myself. I want to try another as this was her first and hopefully they improved 🤷‍♀️ 2y

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batsy

Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

so-so

It's a shame; I expected to like this a lot more. I've read some of the later Wimsey (+Harriet Vane) books & enjoyed it. This one does read like a first book, though. Structurally, it has the plot of a hasty thought experiment. There's the antisemitism, which sadly is prevalent in a lot of British fiction of the era, & the classism. I wasn't sure if Sayers was depicting it to partly skewer the nobility or not. The vibes were off, as the kids say.

batsy Glad I read it, in my quest to be a Peter Wimsey completist, and I'm sure there will be lots to discuss during the #GoldenAgeCrimeClub @Mitch 2y

kspenmoll I knew this book was definitely not a parody but if felt like that- agree re antisemitism, classism, but as you said, that was true to that time. 2y

batsy @kspenmoll Yes, it was in this weird space of making me think it was like a parody of upper-class attitudes, but at the same time not. 2y

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jlhammar I'm about halfway through. I learned some about the life of Sayers in the wonderful Square Haunting by Francesca Wade, but this is my first encounter with her writing. I was a little surprised that the antisemitism wasn't addressed in some sort of an intro/preface. It wasn't mentioned in my afterward either so did a little searching. 2y

jlhammar This article exploring “the odd relationship“ between Sayers and her Jewish characters is really interesting. I guess she was surprised at the charges of antisemitism in this book and replied “My own opinion is that the only people who were presented in a favourable light were the Jews!“
https://momentmag.com/curious-case-dorothy-l-sayers-jew-wasnt/ (edited) 2y

batsy @jlhammar Thanks so much for that! A fascinating read, & I'm always intrigued by how unaddressed psychological issues can show up in an author's work, & possibly harden into something like prejudice. I felt like in Whose Body there is that tension of trying to present a "good" version of a Jewish person to counter the prevailing norms, but that in itself is also problematic. Lots to mull over. & I must read Square Haunting! 2y

Ruthiella I found it hard to get used to Lord Peter. He‘s SO FOPPISH! It‘s been a long time since I read these books and I‘ve never read this first one. 2y

batsy @Ruthiella I do wonder if I'll feel a bit different about Wimsey now! I read it awhile back and was really taken by those books—especially Gaudy Night. 2y

rwmg @jlhammar An interesting article. I must admit it's 10 or more years since I read the book, but my memory of it is of anti-Semitic characters rather than an anti-Semitic author. 2y

kspenmoll Thanks for the article- plan to read this after work. 2y

jlhammar @rwmg I think you‘re right. That‘s my impression as well. I agree with @batsy that it does seem like Sayers was trying to counter prevailing norms &/or shine a light on their ridiculousness to some degree. Probably all well-intentioned, but definitely a complex issue. 2y

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batsy

Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

I've read a bunch of Sayers but not this one, so am excited to hang out with this over the weekend for the #GoldenAgeCrimeClub @Mitch

Ruthiella It‘s so short! I‘d never read it before either but thought at first I‘d gotten an abridged version by mistake. 😂 2y

batsy @Ruthiella I know, I was a bit confused at first when I received my copy! The Dover edition has smaller print so it's an extra slim book 😆 2y

TrishB I love your mug 😁 2y

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rockpools What @TrishB said! 2y

batsy @TrishB @rockpools Thanks! The day doesn't feel right if I don't drink out of my Snoopy mug 😆 2y

Aimeesue Mad Snoopy 😆 2y

batsy @Aimeesue The frown! 😁 2y

Mitch Yeah - looking forward to chatting soon! 2y

jlhammar Yay! I'll be starting this soon - can't wait! 2y

batsy @Mitch @jlhammar It's started off well! 2y

dabbe @TrishB Same here! ☕️ 2y

merelybookish Mug is perfect! 😂 2y

batsy @dabbe @merelybookish Cheers to Snoopy, who can never do wrong really 😁 2y

dabbe @batsy The coolest beagle in town. #longlivetheredbaron 🤣 2y

batsy @dabbe That's right! 😆 2y

Graywacke Snoopy! Great mug. Enjoy the book. 2y

batsy @Graywacke Thanks 🙂 2y

erzascarletbookgasm Love the mug! 2y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm 😁 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

#ValentinesDayReadathon #2023

Finished Who‘s Body? #goldenagecrimeclub

Andrew65, Mitch

Andrew65 Brilliant, love her books 👏👏👏 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

1) Louise Penny
2) tagged
3) Unknown Body in the Bathtub

Tagging anyone who wants to play!

Eggs

Eggs Love Armand❤️❤️ 2y

40 likes1 comment

Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

I am acquiring new vocabulary as Lord Peter Wimsey ruminates out loud to others around him, even quoting poetry to an unsuspecting waiter who was only interested in his food order. As his thoughts zig zag & ramble, Wimsey gives the illusion that he is bumbling about,but when his razor sharp focus breaks through, one is confronted with his intuitive intelligence. #goldenagecrimeclub

dabbe Fun to say out loud, too! ❣️ 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

Reminder: this is the February book for the #goldenagecrimeclub hosted by @mitch Anyone can join, and the discussion will be Feb 26.

LitsyEvents @ann_reads I saw we were tagged by you- but wanted to let you know since your page is private we can‘t see the tag- and anyone you wanted to share via litsy events would not be able to either. 2y

AnnR @LitsyEvents Thanks for letting me know. I've removed LitsyEvents from a tag list I copied & pasted. I'm filling in hosting On the Banks of Plum Creek buddy read this month. I had sent a friend request to nearly everyone on the buddy read list, hoping the tags would work correctly but failed to notice LitsyEvents was still on the tag list prior to posting. (edited) 2y

AnnR Also sorry to @Mitch for replying here for an unrelated topic. 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

Just 2 weeks to go until our second #goldenagecrimeclub chat about the first Lord Peter Wimsey novel - Whose Body? Everyone welcome to follow the tag and join in the chat on Sunday 26th February

Mitch @LitsyEvents 2y

AllDebooks How's this slipped by me? I'd love to join in please 😊 2y

Mitch @AllDebooks of course! We had a fab discussion last month about the first Miss Marple book ! Moving on this month to Dorothy L Sayers. 2y

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Soubhiville I love these book covers, what a fun theme. 2y

AllDebooks @Mitch thanks 😊 Is there a post with upcoming titles? 2y

Mitch @AllDebooks Just tagged you in the original post 👋🏻 2y

Mitch @Soubhiville 👍🏼 2y

CogsOfEncouragement I really enjoyed this series and I adore these covers. 2y

Mitch @CogsOfEncouragement They‘re lovely aren‘t they … 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

I just loved this sentence. Lord Peter Whimsy is describing the as yet unknown murderer of the body discovered in the bathtub of another person‘s house. #goldenagecrimeclub

dabbe Woah. Really makes you think, doesn't it? ❣️ 2y

Mitch Can‘t wait to chat about this! 2y

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Read-y_Picker

Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

pick

@mitch I wanted to join in on the fun too so I listened to the audio of February's #goldenagecrimeclub. Sayers was a new-to-me author and I quite enjoyed this though I found it a bit confusing and might have done better to read it. It also felt like a good 20% of the book was the murdered explaining how he would have gotten away with it if it weren't for that meddling Lord Wimsey and co lol. But still good 3.75⭐️

Mitch Brilliant. Let chat on the last Sunday of the month. 2y

Read-y_Picker #SeriesLove2023 Oops I started another one! @TheSpineView @Andrew65
#ISpyBingo #QuestionMark @Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks
#52BookClub2023 #SevenDeadlySins So many sins.... 2y

Clwojick Well done! (edited) 2y

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Read-y_Picker @Mitch Excellent, thanks!
2y

TheSpineView Great job! 2y

Andrew65 So easy to start new series 😂 I hope you enjoy the series. 2y

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! I'm planning to read this one this month as well - and I've also not read a Salyers yet, so I'm excited!! 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

An afternoon with Lord Peter Whimsy. #dorothysayers #goldenagecrimeclub

Mitch Yeah! 2y

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catiewithac

Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

pick

I‘m ready for this month‘s #GoldenAgeCrimeClub discussion! You can tell it‘s an early novel in the author‘s career, but it shows enough promise that I would read more from her. 👓 🛁

AmyG I like this cover. I am reading it now. 2y

SamAnne Starting today. 2y

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rabbitprincess

Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

Lord Peter: It's much easier to work on someone else's job than one's own—gives one that delightful feelin' of interferin' and bossin' about, combined with the glorious sensation that another fellow is takin' all one's own work off one's hands.

(This is me doing housework—so much more satisfying to tidy up my parents‘ place than my own 😂)

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rabbitprincess

Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

pick

This is the fourth Wimsey I‘ve read but the first in the series. A light diversion from my heavy non-fiction. Looking forward to the #GoldenAgeCrimeClub discussion!

I stayed at the Cathedral Hotel, Salisbury, in 2015 and thus breakfasted where Lord Peter lunched. His lunch is commemorated by a blue plaque, which is shown in the photo 😄

batsy That's so cool! 2y

AvidReader25 That is so fun that you were actually there! 2y

rabbitprincess @batsy @AvidReader25 Yes and how fun for this picture to come in handy nearly 8 years later! I like collecting pictures of little things like this when I travel 😄 2y

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rabbitprincess

Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

The Coroner […] directed all the windows to be opened, thus letting in a stream of drizzling fog upon the heads of the unfortunates on that side of the room. This caused a commotion and some expressions of disapproval, checked sternly by the Coroner, who said that with the influenza about again an unventilated room was a death-trap; that anybody who chose to object to open windows had the obvious remedy of leaving the court.

(100 years later…)

batsy Oh wow. The more things change... (I haven't started this yet and am looking forward to it!) 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

Repost for @Mitch

Tagged book is the choice for the February #goldenageofcrimeclub hosted by @mitch Open to anyone interested.

LitsyEvents #buddyread 2y

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Whose Body? | Dorothy L. Sayers

Just a reminder our ##goldenagecrimeclub February read is the first book in the Peter Wimsey series. See you all on Feb 26!

Mitch @LitsyEvents 2y

MoonWitch94 Ohhhh yay! Thanks for the reminder. 2y

Librarybelle Hooray!! 2y

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johncadams

Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

I do love just how odd the body's discovery is. A really inventive plot.

#crime #murdermystery

44 likes

katasaurus

Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

pick

For some reason I thought this was one of the Harriet Vane books. It is in fact the first Wimsey novel, and (despite the lack of Harriet), it‘s a brilliant mystery. We also get Bunter at his most devious, which I enjoyed immensely. Sayers‘s characters are always superb - and it‘s interesting to note the development from the duchess‘s significant role here to the whole sections written from Miss Climpson‘s or Harriet‘s point of view in later works.

3 likes

TheKidUpstairs

Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

I was away, so here's a quick #OnThisDay catch up!

June 9, 1949 Deyda Hydara was born. Hydara was co-founder and editor of The Point (Gambian independent newspaper) and correspondent for Reporters Without Borders.

June 10, 1881 Leo Tolstoy set out on a Pilgrimage to the Optina Pustyn monastery.

June 11, 1572 poet and playwright Ben Jonson was born.

June 12, 1942 Anne Frank received a diary for her birthday.

June 13, 1893 Dorothy Sayers born.

55 likes

Whose Body? | Dorothy Sayers

pick

Finished this last night. Saw it in the library & picked it up for nostalgia‘s sake. It was a fun reread, thrusting me back into the aristocratic class in 1920‘s England. Lord Peter Whimsey spoke of his investigations as a “distraction“ from his life of dinners, luncheons., his club, & his rare books. But I have no inclination to visit his world again by rereading more in the series.#20in4 #readathon #marvelousmay
Total pages:213

Andrew65

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 3y

73 likes1 comment