BS: mystery mystery

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 11:55 PM

Stilly River Sage is using Ebay to get rid of his old mysteries; I may do the same.
I have all the Upfield Bonaparte books, hardbound, plus some of Upfield's rare titles- some in limited editions, including the "Murchison Murders" which only exists in that form. Any bids?

'Wanwood' was coined by the author, but there are many wonderful wanwords, including wanbelieve, wanchance, wanrest, wanny, wanrufe, wanluck, wanspeed, wanshapen, etc., etc.

An excellent series by K. C. Constantine, in which, along with the mystery, is told the story of the loss of the American blue collar middle class as steel and other heavy industries were moved offshore. He was writing about this many years before it became a topic for mind-boggled Lou Dobbs on CNN.

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: leeneia
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 11:31 PM

I forgot to mention that when looking up "wanwood" as seen in the Hopkins poem, I came across the wonderful word "wanweird," which is a Scots term meaning an unhappy fate.

Somebody ought to write a ballad and use that word in it.

"Wanwood" itself wasn't in the dictionary.

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: leeneia
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 11:28 PM

Thanks for the suggestions, Bat Goddess. I'm always on the lookout for good authors. It's odd that you should mention Peter Wimsey. I just re-read one of his, (Strong Poison) after many years. I realize now how rich the books are in wit and personality.

BTW, in that book written in 1930, Wimsey's manservant, Bunter, says that he "endeavors to provide satisfaction," and Wimsey tells him not to sound like Jeeves!

Kaleea, I agree with you about Wodehouse. The man was master of the English sentence. I can reread his things and find witticisms and beautiful turns of phrase which I had missed before.

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 02:36 PM

Actually, I think my all time favorite mystery author is Dorothy L. Sayers and her Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries.

But there are a lot of great series which either take place in an interesting location/local customs, etc. or have interesting characters (or who cook and include recipes, etc.) Such as Arthur Upfield's half Australian Aborigine detective inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, or the Amelia Peabody Egyptian archaeologist c. 1900 mysteries, or Brother Caedfel medieval mysteries, etc.

I never cared for Agatha Christie -- the plot was always the same and you never learned anything from the books.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: Kaleea
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 01:24 PM

My alltime favorite author, P. G. Wodehouse wrote lots of mysteries. His novels are lots of fun to read.

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 01:04 PM

Philip Craig includes recipes, too -- usually for interesting ways to fix bluefish (I'm really salivating over the smoked bluefish pate) or oysters and clams.

J.W. may be an ex-cop who doesn't make many forays back to "America" (the mainland), but he's got decent taste and an educated palate (well, Sam Adams isn't my favorite brew)and READS. He's got a wide variety of interests even if he prefers clamming, saltwater fishing and living the good life on the Vineyard.

For interesting protagonist/location/special interest mysteries, I've just discovered the "Home Repair Is Homicide" mysteries of Sarah Graves, which take place in Eastport, Maine. Main character, a stressed out, divorced financial expert from NYC escapes to the far reaches of coastal Maine and tries to beat an old house into submission.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: leeneia
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 12:06 PM

I have now had time to look at the unabridged dictionary, and I assume that Hopkins made up his own words.

"Leafmeal" seems to be based on "piecemeal." (If a project is rendered piecemeal, a forest will be rendered leafmeal.) I was interested to see that the "meal" of piecemeal comes from the AS word for "measure."

"Wan" started out meaning dark, branched out to mean sad or weak ("a wan smile") and now means pale. So whatever Hopkins was thinking of when he said "wanwood", it wasn't cheerful.

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: leeneia
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 12:31 AM

Thanks very much, Animaterra!

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 10:56 PM

I've been slowly listing some of my Dad's mysteries on eBay. I don't have time to read them (I thought I might, so I kept them, but nine years later I haven't touched any of them) but I am enjoying reading the cover blurbs as I do a little writeup for each. It is funny, perhaps, but I feel closer to Dad as I let go of these books of his. Passing them along to interested readers gives me a chance to see more closely what interested Dad.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 06:38 PM

I think this is a writer too clever for his own good.

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 06:19 PM

Both quotes are by Gerard Manley Hopkins from Spring and Fall: To A Young Child .
He's one of my favorite poets- so lyrical, almost musical words.

I'll have to check out Philip R. Craig- I've just returned from the Vineyard after 20 years and I've fallen in love all over again!

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: Wesley S
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 03:55 PM

Actually if you DO like cook books there is a mystery series about a woman - Goldie Shultz - with a catering business. The author is Diane Mott Davidson. NOT a hard boiled detective. Good stuff.They usually include a few recipies.

Subject: RE: BS: mystery mystery
From: number 6
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 03:39 PM

I haven't a clue on what you posted there leenia. Try some cook books for a change.

sIx

Subject: BS: mystery mystery
From: leeneia
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 03:08 PM

I am addicted to reading mystery stories. Among those I like are Philip R. Craig's stories set on Martha's Vineyard. (that's an island off the coast of Massachusetts in the U.S.A.)

Craig's protagonist is J.W. Jackson, former cop, dedicated fisherman and stay-at-home dad. J.W. is not real intellectual. However, he ends one chapter of "Dead in Vineyard Sand" thus.

"Growing up can be hard, and I felt sorry for him. I felt sorry for the rest of us, too, and thought of Margaret and Goldengrove unleaving."

Eh?

And then on page 154 he's wondering about a rich guy's bodyguard.

"Was he one who would, without hesitation or question, assissinate his master's enemies, who wouldn't spare a sigh though world of wanwood leafmeal lie?"

Does anybody recognize this lit'ry stuff? And how does this gibe with J.W.'s rusted-out SUV?

Now I've got to return the book to the library.