Dorothy Sayers blooper

jdh · 10-14-2010, 01:46 AM

I just finished rereading Strong Poison, enjoyed it a lot, and have started reading Have His Carcase again. On the second page I was surprised to read that Harriet Vane, who was 29 years old in Strong Poison, is now 28. However, in spite of this minor author's oversight, I recommend both mysteries, which also feature a romantic subplot that continues in Gaudy Night and Busman's Honeymoon.

SensualPoet · 10-14-2010, 08:59 PM

A number of Sayer's works are available here at Mobileread, btw, free and lovingly formatted.

jdh · 10-14-2010, 11:32 PM

I noticed the Dorothy Sayers ebook uploads, but unfortunately they are life+50 (except for Whose Body) and not public domain in the US.

HarryT · 10-15-2010, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

A number of Sayer's works are available here at Mobileread, btw, free and lovingly formatted.

True, but not of much relevance to those of us who live in life+70 countries, where they are still very much under copyright protection.

SensualPoet · 10-15-2010, 07:27 PM

re: Sayers - Sorry about that. But for those eligible, a gentle reminder.

crich70 · 10-15-2010, 09:53 PM

I wonder if it is actually a blooper myself. I mean who is to say that the author didn't decide to write about her character when she was a year younger than in the earlier book. A.C. Doyle penned Hound of the Baskervilles after The Final Problem but set it at a time before then and C.S. Forster didn't stay linear when writing about Horatio Hornblower I understand. That is he wrote out of sequence as far as his characters age etc. from one book to another.

AlexBell · 10-16-2010, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

True, but not of much relevance to those of us who live in life+70 countries, where they are still very much under copyright protection.

That's all right, Harry. I won't tell on you if you don't tell on me.

Regards, Alex

Krystian Galaj · 10-16-2010, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

I wonder if it is actually a blooper myself. I mean who is to say that the author didn't decide to write about her character when she was a year younger than in the earlier book.

In the book where she's 29, she meets lord Peter Wimsey. In the book where she's 28, she already knows him.

HarryT · 10-16-2010, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexBell

That's all right, Harry. I won't tell on you if you don't tell on me.

Regards, Alex

I have the whole series as audio books, narrated by Ian Carmichael (who played Lord Peter Wimsey on British TV in the 1970s). Extremely well done.

Mike L · 10-16-2010, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdh

... Harriet Vane, who was 29 years old in Strong Poison, is now 28. .

Well spotted.

I just checked the printed editions. It's the same there, so we can't blame it on a transcription error in the ebooks.

Still, it's a small error in what are otherwise excellent stories.

jdh · 10-16-2010, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I have the whole series as audio books, narrated by Ian Carmichael (who played Lord Peter Wimsey on British TV in the 1970s). Extremely well done.

I agree, Ian Carmichael was an excellent Lord Peter Wimsey. There was another actor in that role in a later series, but he didn't quite measure up (at least for me). I associate Ian Carmichael with Wimsey as I do Basil Rathbone with Sherlock Holmes, Raymond Burr with Perry Mason, and Richard Greene with Robin Hood.

Krystian Galaj · 10-17-2010, 07:01 AM

For audiobooks, I must recommend Five Red Herrings read by Patrick Malahide, with every character speaking with a different accent and manner of speaking, so one always knows who speaks. It's a pity he only narrated this one book.

wayrad · 10-17-2010, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdh

I agree, Ian Carmichael was an excellent Lord Peter Wimsey. There was another actor in that role in a later series, but he didn't quite measure up (at least for me). I associate Ian Carmichael with Wimsey as I do Basil Rathbone with Sherlock Holmes, Raymond Burr with Perry Mason, and Richard Greene with Robin Hood.

Same here - but the fountain scene in the skintight harlequin costume may have been a mistake...

HarryT · 10-17-2010, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayrad

Same here - but the fountain scene in the skintight harlequin costume may have been a mistake...

To what are you referring?

wayrad · 10-17-2010, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

To what are you referring?

Ian Carmichael diving off the fountain in Murder Must Advertise. I think Sayers probably envisioned her hero as a bit thinner.

It was Carmichael's Lord Peter that started me reading Sayers, though, so I have fond memories of those programs.

10-14-2010, 01:46 AM	#1
jdh Enthusiast Posts: 28 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505, Kindle3, Voyage	Dorothy Sayers blooper I just finished rereading Strong Poison, enjoyed it a lot, and have started reading Have His Carcase again. On the second page I was surprised to read that Harriet Vane, who was 29 years old in Strong Poison, is now 28. However, in spite of this minor author's oversight, I recommend both mysteries, which also feature a romantic subplot that continues in Gaudy Night and Busman's Honeymoon.

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10-14-2010, 08:59 PM	#2
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	A number of Sayer's works are available here at Mobileread, btw, free and lovingly formatted.

10-14-2010, 11:32 PM	#3
jdh Enthusiast Posts: 28 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505, Kindle3, Voyage	I noticed the Dorothy Sayers ebook uploads, but unfortunately they are life+50 (except for Whose Body) and not public domain in the US.

10-15-2010, 07:27 PM	#5
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	re: Sayers - Sorry about that. But for those eligible, a gentle reminder.

10-15-2010, 09:53 PM	#6
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I wonder if it is actually a blooper myself. I mean who is to say that the author didn't decide to write about her character when she was a year younger than in the earlier book. A.C. Doyle penned Hound of the Baskervilles after The Final Problem but set it at a time before then and C.S. Forster didn't stay linear when writing about Horatio Hornblower I understand. That is he wrote out of sequence as far as his characters age etc. from one book to another.

10-17-2010, 07:01 AM	#12
Krystian Galaj Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 11012 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Warsaw, Poland Device: Bookeen Cybook	For audiobooks, I must recommend Five Red Herrings read by Patrick Malahide, with every character speaking with a different accent and manner of speaking, so one always knows who speaks. It's a pity he only narrated this one book.