Thanks to harryT for Thorndike!!!

Pangolin · 01-16-2014, 08:42 AM

Thanks to everyone who scans and uploads the books at the great MobileRead library. Super resource.

But partic thanks to HarryT. I rarely: remember my username and password, am at a computer, on the site with some time - all at the same moment, so I have been wanting to write this for a while.

Back on the detective and mystery deals thread a few month back, someone suggested the Thorndyke books, kindly scanned by Harry. So I took a look and am now addicted (so in fact, perhaps not thank you!)

I have them next to the Complete Father Brown and Heritage Conan Doyle - just perfect for an easy read, end of hard day. To be honest, I think they are the best of the three

Couple of nights I couldn't put them down, so I am going into work more tired than I should be!!!

crich70 · 01-16-2014, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangolin

Couple of nights I couldn't put them down, so I am going into work more tired than I should be!!!

I think that's one measure of a good book. If you can't put it down even when you know you should it has to be a good read.

Rizla · 01-16-2014, 10:43 AM

He uploaded Moonfleet too. Highly recommended. No one is all bad

Victoria · 01-18-2014, 09:40 PM

Pangolin - thanks for the recommendation! I'd like follow up, but can't find any author named Thorndike' in the Mobileread library.
Thanks muchly.

crich70 · 01-18-2014, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Victoria

Pangolin - thanks for the recommendation! I'd like follow up, but can't find any author named Thorndike' in the Mobileread library.
Thanks muchly.

Thorndyke isn't an author but a Character and you can find all 7 of the books that Harry T posted here:

click

HarryT · 01-19-2014, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Victoria

Pangolin - thanks for the recommendation! I'd like follow up, but can't find any author named Thorndike' in the Mobileread library.
Thanks muchly.

"Dr John Thorndyke" is the name of the character in the books. The author is R. Austin Freeman.

Pangolin · 01-19-2014, 02:14 PM

Victoria, sorry - wasn't thinking, and on the hop. But you have the answer from the others - sorry for any confusion!

Crich70 - absolutely

I'm not sure what makes them so compulsive - they have the sentimentality of the period, but I think its the effort Freeman makes to 'ground' them in a reasonable semblance of reality that balances that and makes them a damn good read.

Anyhoo, thanks to Harry and to all the others who take the time to scan. And to the mod who moved this post.

HarryT · 01-19-2014, 02:23 PM

I should note that I did not scan them. I put them together from various sources; the biggest task was to proof-read them.

Pangolin · 01-21-2014, 11:36 AM

well, whatever you did, they are damn good! And I've a feeling that they've been saving me a bundle since recently I have not been buying late Victorian/early 20th C detective stories as I would have in the past, on the grounds that I've still volumes to munch through. Somebody or others' Hat, currently on special offer, Amazon UK - books of the month I think - is a case in point.

Currently well on the way to finishing vol 2. That mummy (Egyptology not Freud) story was thoroughly creepy.

Great stuff. I wonder why he, Freeman, isn't better known.

HarryT · 01-21-2014, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangolin

Great stuff. I wonder why he, Freeman, isn't better known.

I honesty don't know - he's an author who, although enormously popular in the early decades of the 20th century, has simply faded into obscurity today. As you say, it's a great pity; I think his books are excellent.

crich70 · 01-21-2014, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I honesty don't know - he's an author who, although enormously popular in the early decades of the 20th century, has simply faded into obscurity today. As you say, it's a great pity; I think his books are excellent.

I think it's Agatha Christie's fault in a way. She was also writing in the early part of the 20th century (and kept on doing so right til the 1970's I believe). Anyway her work is so well regarded that other writer's works perhaps are compared to her's and found wanting. That's just a guess though and I could be wrong. The only exception I can think of to that is of course Sherlock Holmes. Ask anyone to name the 3 greatest fictional detectives and they are likely to name Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

HarryT · 01-21-2014, 11:57 AM

Well, it's other peoples' loss. We know about him

.

Fbone · 01-21-2014, 05:36 PM

I never heard of him either.

Appears that Harry's first two volumes are public domain in the US. He died in 1943 so that indicates he's public domain in most other countries now.

DrNefario · 01-22-2014, 09:02 AM

Yes, one of the authors I was looking forward to coming out of copyright here this year.

Pangolin · 01-24-2014, 03:29 PM

Funny, I have now happily pottered through the first two vols and towards the end of the second there are a series of stories that don't feature the character Thorndike and they are far weaker.....(ETA - in my opinion - your mileage... etc etc)
He's back and well on form for vol three.
My father, 83, was very tickled when I told him what I was reading (our weekly phone calls usually revolve around what we are reading). He said it was popular reading in his own dad's time. I said I thought i preferred it to Conan Doyle which he likened to preferring baked beans to porridge. Ha!

01-16-2014, 08:42 AM	#1
Pangolin Pangolin Posts: 204 Karma: 1243880 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Brussels, Belgium Device: PW 2	Thanks to harryT for Thorndike!!! Thanks to everyone who scans and uploads the books at the great MobileRead library. Super resource. But partic thanks to HarryT. I rarely: remember my username and password, am at a computer, on the site with some time - all at the same moment, so I have been wanting to write this for a while. Back on the detective and mystery deals thread a few month back, someone suggested the Thorndyke books, kindly scanned by Harry. So I took a look and am now addicted (so in fact, perhaps not thank you!) I have them next to the Complete Father Brown and Heritage Conan Doyle - just perfect for an easy read, end of hard day. To be honest, I think they are the best of the three Couple of nights I couldn't put them down, so I am going into work more tired than I should be!!!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Dickens for HarryT	rhadin	Reading Recommendations	1	05-27-2010 09:48 AM
This one's for HarryT...	montsnmags	Lounge	37	06-10-2008 05:57 PM
Other Non-Fiction Nielson, William & Thorndike, Ashley: The Facts About Shakespeare v1.0 2007-08-10	JSWolf	BBeB/LRF Books	2	08-11-2007 09:54 AM

01-16-2014, 10:43 AM	#3
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	He uploaded Moonfleet too. Highly recommended. No one is all bad

01-18-2014, 09:40 PM	#4
Victoria Wizard Posts: 1,017 Karma: 19767610 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Nova Scotia Canada Device: ipad, Kindle PW, Kobo Clara; iphone 7	Pangolin - thanks for the recommendation! I'd like follow up, but can't find any author named Thorndike' in the Mobileread library. Thanks muchly.

01-19-2014, 02:14 PM	#7
Pangolin Pangolin Posts: 204 Karma: 1243880 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Brussels, Belgium Device: PW 2	Victoria, sorry - wasn't thinking, and on the hop. But you have the answer from the others - sorry for any confusion! Crich70 - absolutely I'm not sure what makes them so compulsive - they have the sentimentality of the period, but I think its the effort Freeman makes to 'ground' them in a reasonable semblance of reality that balances that and makes them a damn good read. Anyhoo, thanks to Harry and to all the others who take the time to scan. And to the mod who moved this post.

01-19-2014, 02:23 PM	#8
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I should note that I did not scan them. I put them together from various sources; the biggest task was to proof-read them.

01-21-2014, 11:36 AM	#9
Pangolin Pangolin Posts: 204 Karma: 1243880 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Brussels, Belgium Device: PW 2	well, whatever you did, they are damn good! And I've a feeling that they've been saving me a bundle since recently I have not been buying late Victorian/early 20th C detective stories as I would have in the past, on the grounds that I've still volumes to munch through. Somebody or others' Hat, currently on special offer, Amazon UK - books of the month I think - is a case in point. Currently well on the way to finishing vol 2. That mummy (Egyptology not Freud) story was thoroughly creepy. Great stuff. I wonder why he, Freeman, isn't better known.

01-21-2014, 11:57 AM	#12
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Well, it's other peoples' loss. We know about him .

01-21-2014, 05:36 PM	#13
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,318 Karma: 103930826 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	I never heard of him either. Appears that Harry's first two volumes are public domain in the US. He died in 1943 so that indicates he's public domain in most other countries now.

01-22-2014, 09:02 AM	#14
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,227 Karma: 12029046 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	Yes, one of the authors I was looking forward to coming out of copyright here this year.

01-24-2014, 03:29 PM	#15
Pangolin Pangolin Posts: 204 Karma: 1243880 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Brussels, Belgium Device: PW 2	Funny, I have now happily pottered through the first two vols and towards the end of the second there are a series of stories that don't feature the character Thorndike and they are far weaker.....(ETA - in my opinion - your mileage... etc etc) He's back and well on form for vol three. My father, 83, was very tickled when I told him what I was reading (our weekly phone calls usually revolve around what we are reading). He said it was popular reading in his own dad's time. I said I thought i preferred it to Conan Doyle which he likened to preferring baked beans to porridge. Ha!