The book dialog game

[HomeInMyShoes]

I think the term all the kids use now is a'iiiight.

Hmmm...Australia, Hawaii, I've got no clue at all.

[WT Sharpe]

Well, it's not Australia. The setting is Hawaii. "Pau" is Hawaiian for "done", or "finished". If no one comes up with the correct answer in the next few minutes, I have one more clue to offer which should at least nail down the series if not the particular book.

[HomeInMyShoes]

I've read so little in my life. I have no clue. Sydney is obviously a character name.

[WT Sharpe]

Both Boston and Australia were mentioned in the story, as were other locations, but the majority of the action took place in Hawaii.

[WT Sharpe]

Final clue. I have to X-out a few letters in this one:

The last layer of paper came off. "Hot dog!" cried XXXX. He turned quickly to John Quincy. "Oh, I am so sorry—I pick up atrocious phrase like that from my cousin Mr. Willie XXXX, Captain of All XXXXXXX baseball team—"

I figure it has to be Charlie Chan by Earl Derr Biggers. The House Without a Key?

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

I figure it has to be Charlie Chan by Earl Derr Biggers. The House Without a Key?

Right you are! It is indeed The House Without a Key by Earl Derr Biggers (the first Charlie Chan mystery).

The last layer of paper came off. "Hot dog!" cried Chan. He turned quickly to John Quincy. "Oh, I am so sorry—I pick up atrocious phrase like that from my cousin Mr. Willie Chan, Captain of All Chinese baseball team—"

You have the floor!

[poohbear_nc]

Ohhhh ... I did read that one ... last year I think!

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Right you are! It is indeed The House Without a Key by Earl Derr Biggers (the first Charlie Chan mystery).


You have the floor!

Yes, Charlie Chan the character remains controversial for stereotypical depiction of Chinese. Some are very heated about that, as is Frank Chin, Chinese-American author and playwright(from linked program). To me Charlie was always portrayed as the smartest and nicest guy in the story.

Sleuthing Out "Charlie Chan"

Reexaming the silver screen detective Charlie Chan. A new book looks at the caricature and the real-life man he was based on.


So anyway my new mystery book. This may be difficult so I will start with two passages:

When shall I be dead and rid
Of the wrong my father did?
How long, how long, till spade and hearse
Put to sleep my mother's curse?

There was a round tower with a weather-cock on it. The weather-cock was a carrion crow, with an arrow in its beak to point to the wind.

Another clue:

"We call it Fort Mayne in France," he had explained. "The man with the strongest arm in a clan gets made the head of it, and does what he pleases. That is why we call it Fort Mayne. You want to put an end to the Strong Arm, by having a band of knights who believe in justice rather than strength. Yes, I would like to be one of those very much. I must grow up first. Thank you. Now I must say good-bye."

Another:

"What does the Questing Beast look like?"

"Ah, we call it the Beast Glatisant, you know," replied the monarch, assuming a learned air and beginning to speak quite volubly. "Now the Beast Glatisant, or, as we say in English, the Questing Beast, you may call it either," he added graciously, "this Beast has the head of a serpent, ah, and the body of a lizard, the haunches of a lion, and he is footed like a hart. Wherever this beast goes he makes a noise in his belly as it had been the noise of thirty couple of hounds questing."

Still no guesses? I am surprised as it is one of the books on this list:

Your Picks: Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books

"I could shout that my mother was his sister, and that he tried to drown me because of that."

"If you wanted to," said Agravaine.

They had been talking, before the eagle-owl woke up, about the earlier wrongs of their family—about their grandmother, Igraine, who had been wronged by ______ father —about all the long-gone feud of Gael and Gall, which had been taught them by their dam in old Dunlothian. It was these wrongs which Agravaine's colder blood could recognize as far too distant and confused to serve as weapons against the King. Now they had reached the more recent grievance—the sin of _______ with his half-sister which had ended in an attempt to murder the bastard who resulted. These might certainly be stronger weapons, but the trouble was that _______ was himself the bastard. The elder brother's cowardice told him, in his craftier head, that a son could hardly raise his illegitimacy as a banner under which to overthrow his father. Besides, the business had been hushed up long before, by _____. It seemed bad policy that _______ should be the one to bring it up.

Two names removed to avoid essentially giving the answer out.

[pdurrant]

In that case it must be The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart. It's been far too long since I've read that, but it's still not available in an authorised ebook edition.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

In that case it must be The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart. It's been far too long since I've read that, but it's still not available in an authorised ebook edition.

No, but you are definitely on the right track. This book is older and probably the inspiration of many later novels. The legend that launched a 1000 books? Just pulling the number 1000 out of the air, but it would not surprise me.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

No, but you are definitely on the right track. This book is older and probably the inspiration of many later novels. The legend that launched a 1000 books? Just pulling the number 1000 out of the air, but it would not surprise me.

If it's older, it must be The Once and Future King by T H White? I know I've read that, but I must admit the passages didn't ring any bells.