Scan barcode
lelia_t's review against another edition
4.0
It’s fascinating to see how Dorothy L. Sayers crafts murder mysteries and brings Christian theology to life. Reynolds’ focus, especially for the last half of the book, is definitely on Sayers’ intellectual pursuits - there’s no delving into what must have been a difficult marriage after Mac’s physical and mental health began to suffer. I think Sayers would appreciate the fact that her private married life was not laid bare, but I would have enjoyed a little more insight into the private Dorothy. I imagine writing a biography requires maintaining a difficult balance between the outer and inner life and the daily minutia vs the overarching themes. I would say this one erred on the side of outer life and grand themes.
pgchuis's review
3.0
I read this in preparation for a course focussing mainly on the Peter Wimsey novels, so I more or less stopped reading after that section. Very interesting and very detailed, with lots of quotations from letters written to or by the author. The question of money and the lack thereof at times was surprising to me: I had somehow assumed that she moved in Wimseyesque circles (and her early childhood does sound pretty pampered) but by adulthood, she was definitely more like Harriet Vane and earning her living. Tragic that her parents never even knew she had a son. I note that the biography is written by a friend of hers and therefore inherently sympathetic; I was curious about Mac's first wife and children whom he "stopped supporting" and seem to have vanished entirely from his life. Dorothy seems not to have been able to find a husband deserving of her, or maybe she just chose badly. She did better for Harriet.
More...