tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post5569485368387029973..comments2024-03-18T11:01:42.459-05:00Comments on Pretty Sinister Books: The Sleeping Bacchus - Hilary St George SaundersJ F Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-79313126312601897452012-01-12T14:58:11.537-06:002012-01-12T14:58:11.537-06:00Sounds wonderful John. I've only read a few bo...Sounds wonderful John. I've only read a few books by Beeding but I really rate DEATH WALKS IN EASTREPPS, which I'm just about to re-read as it's recently been reprinted by Arcturus.Sergio (Tipping My Fedora)http://bloodymurder.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-90012805291648157652012-01-10T06:54:39.672-06:002012-01-10T06:54:39.672-06:00Upon further reading about Hilary St. G. Saunders,...Upon further reading about Hilary St. G. Saunders, I see that he passed away in 1951, the same year that The Sleeping Bacchus was published. So it could very well be the last book he completed.Jimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-7111278678098481522012-01-09T22:28:29.188-06:002012-01-09T22:28:29.188-06:00Very interesting! Francis Beeding, for what it...Very interesting! Francis Beeding, for what it's worth, was I think one of the best thriller writers of the Golden Age, much more intelligent and literate than the usual stuff.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-9975654838882967842012-01-09T11:44:17.385-06:002012-01-09T11:44:17.385-06:00Thanks, Unnamed One. That'll learn me - ignora...Thanks, Unnamed One. That'll learn me - ignorant Anglophone that I am. It pays to search in the original language. [Duh.] And at less than 1 Euro copies are practically being given away!J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-11260965873180753612012-01-09T11:05:12.543-06:002012-01-09T11:05:12.543-06:00le repos de bacchus on Amazon.fr:
http://www.amazo...le repos de bacchus on Amazon.fr:<br />http://www.amazon.fr/repos-Bacchus-Pierre-Boileau/dp/2702414699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326128602&sr=8-1Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-39367045304885525082012-01-09T10:32:15.938-06:002012-01-09T10:32:15.938-06:00TomCat-
I didn't go too much into the detecti...TomCat-<br /><br />I didn't go too much into the detective aspects of the book. Here's some additional info to entice you to get a copy. Two French war veteran pals of John Marriott appear around the midway point and serve as the detectives. The final chapter is typical of the types of lectures Dr. Fell enjoyed giving. There is even a reconstruction (so French!) of the theft of the painting with a cheap oil painting of a girl and her dog doing the stunt work. And the staged crime takes all of 15 minutes. It's a fine moment in a terrific book. No murder (!) but a great entry in the fiction of impossible crimes.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-69839115570740131002012-01-09T10:18:58.633-06:002012-01-09T10:18:58.633-06:00I didn't chuck this one in my digital shopping...I didn't chuck this one in my digital shopping cart, when ordering that stack of impossible crime novels, because you indicated that a review was forthcoming and thought it advisable to await an expert opinion on this book. But now that the report is in, I regret that I actually showed restraint! What was I thinking? This impresses me as the type of locked room mystery that I would devour from cover to cover. <br /><br />Oh, well, the year is still young! ;)TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-27819932483372679612012-01-09T10:14:34.144-06:002012-01-09T10:14:34.144-06:00Jim -
Thanks for stopping by. The French version ...Jim -<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by. The French version of this book seems non-existent! As for English translations of B&N they are indeed scarce as the proverbial hen's teeth. The online sellers like to charge inflated prices for the books because of this. I was lucky to find a treasure trove of B&N paperbacks in the spring of last year. I bought all of them in one extravagant binge. The highest individual price was $25. I thought there were all very reasonably priced in the Chicago shop that is known to be a bit too pricey for "rarities."<br /><br />Brian -<br /><br />I went back to read that fence rescue scene and guess what? She IS wearing a fur coat over her nightie! Honor (the character's name) is a smart woman and not a Gothic heroine -- it is winter, after all! The cover artist neglects, however, to include the snow in his "bondage" illustration. And where's her gun? But one thing I did get right: she is NOT wearing striped pajamas in the story.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-83673833955327693952012-01-09T08:21:55.260-06:002012-01-09T08:21:55.260-06:00My knowledge of this novel begins and ends with th...My knowledge of this novel begins and ends with the fact that it was published by Toronto's White Circle. I've always been curious about the publisher's pitch: "ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN MYSTERIES?" And then there's the illustration - "BONDAGE COVER", says one enterprising online bookseller. Sadly, the negligee clad, pistol-packing mama is more modestly dressed in mink and striped pyjamas.<br /><br />I much prefer the Michael Joseph cover, though I can't get away from the idea that it depicts Prince in lonely old age.Brian Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-7029252598550777562012-01-09T07:48:13.473-06:002012-01-09T07:48:13.473-06:00A tremendous review of a book from the early 1950&...A tremendous review of a book from the early 1950's well worth seeking out. It would be interesting to know what parts of the original French story by Boileau were retained by Hilary St George Saunders. As Boileau earned a reputation for himself as a writer of thrillers, perhaps the chase scenes were one aspect.<br />I have only been able to track down one of the translations of the Boileau and Narcejac books, an Arrow pb of 'The Living and the Dead'. They seem to be fairly scarce.Jimnoreply@blogger.com