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charlottesometimes's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
bev_reads_mysteries's review
5.0
This is my favorite of the Crispin novels. He is an outstanding writer and deserves to be better known than he is.
verityw's review
2.0
Honestly I don’t even know what to make of this. It’s such a strange book. I think it’s not bad, but it’s hard to follow and needlessly complicated. And there’s not that much Fen all in all.
blackcatlouise's review
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
nwhyte's review
3.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1387122.html
Gervase Fen is embroiled in a mystery of murder and espionage in a West Country cathedral town in about 1940. The book is not quite successful at keeping a consistency of tone (also Crispin, like his male characters, seems a bit uncertain about women), but there are some glorious set-pieces, in particular the scene where Fen and his friend are trying to interview a clergyman who owns a pet raven and keep quoting Poe at each other. Fun stuff.
Gervase Fen is embroiled in a mystery of murder and espionage in a West Country cathedral town in about 1940. The book is not quite successful at keeping a consistency of tone (also Crispin, like his male characters, seems a bit uncertain about women), but there are some glorious set-pieces, in particular the scene where Fen and his friend are trying to interview a clergyman who owns a pet raven and keep quoting Poe at each other. Fun stuff.
fallchicken's review
4.0
A hoot, this. Supposedly not the best of the series, but good fun nevertheless. Think this may be the first detective story I've read that sent me to the dictionary, not once but several times. The spoof on The Raven cracked up me and had me dig out Poe to read that. Will look for more of this series.
laurenla's review
4.0
Argh, so torn about this book, written in 1945! On one hand, so much screwball comedy and offhand humour that I'll be laughing for a month. On the other hand, definitely misogynistic, though quite hard on most of the men too. Detective fiction featuring an impossibly ill mannered brilliant professor from Oxford, usually featuring a likeable young male sidekick. This one has spies, religion, music and witchcraft stirred up together. Likeable, but...
rhaenyratargaryen's review against another edition
3.0
2.75/5
Hubo muchas partes aburridas y poco interesantes que me hicieron trabarme con la lectura varias veces, pero en general, hubo más que me gustaron. Así que me parecía injusto ponerle a este libro menos de 3 estrellas, teniendo en cuenta que, pese a sus fallos, en términos generales, me gustó.
Hubo muchas partes aburridas y poco interesantes que me hicieron trabarme con la lectura varias veces, pero en general, hubo más que me gustaron. Así que me parecía injusto ponerle a este libro menos de 3 estrellas, teniendo en cuenta que, pese a sus fallos, en términos generales, me gustó.
sergi13's review against another edition
4.0
El primer cop que vaig veure aquest llibre va ser en una llibreria de San Sebastián en un viatge al 2016. Tenia molt bona pinta, la sinòpsi era interessant i la edició preciosa, però la meva part garrepa va decidir que ja tenia masses llibres pendents i que era millor no gastar-se diners. Al cap d'unes setmanes el vaig tornar a veure a Barcelona i aquest cop no em vaig resistir, però no ha estat fins a cinc anys després que no m'he animat a llegir-lo. Està escrit amb molta elegancia i en general és una bona història de misteri. Potser no és Agatha Christie però tampoc s'hi queda massa lluny.
autumnalia's review
4.0
I am loving Gervase Fen (I think maybe my favorite detective behind Poirot--sorry, Lord Peter) and the sudden moments of hilarity that Crispin throws into an otherwise tense and puzzling whodunit. Extremely enjoyable.