tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post1975775099263665318..comments2024-03-27T22:32:02.739+01:00Comments on Beneath the Stains of Time: Murder Among Astrologists (1963) by Ton VervoortTomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-34612892283985401132021-03-20T18:20:44.381+01:002021-03-20T18:20:44.381+01:00Oh, the "Foreign Mysteries" tag is compl...Oh, the "Foreign Mysteries" tag is completely devoid of logic and common sense. It should have been "Non-English Mysteries," but didn't think that far ahead at the time. So now I'm stuck with it. Just pretend it makes kind of sense on a Dutch blog written in English with readers from all over the world and please ignore I also tagged a few Australian and Canadian novels as foreign mysteries. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-38296758118765354412021-03-20T16:49:19.657+01:002021-03-20T16:49:19.657+01:00Frankly, looking at them both in the cold light of...Frankly, looking at them both in the cold light of day, I agree with you. But then, which book I'd most like to see translated from any given language is as changeable as the wind. That's why I always include something like "at the moment" when I say what's currently at the top of the list. (Got to hedge my bets against my own absent mindedness, after all...)<br /><br />And yeah, I'm definitely enjoying your explorations of the Dutch detective story! I really appreciate being able to read about them, especially as I'll probably never be able to read most of them. I hope the next Vervoort is a good one, and here's to the discovery of many more unexpected gems!. (Also, (and I only just noticed this) it's kind of funny that Dutch mysteries are under the tag "Foreign Mysteries." :)Kacey Crainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13492997736737601983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-79819367087379143592021-03-20T11:59:51.218+01:002021-03-20T11:59:51.218+01:00"It's kind of funny that the novel concer..."<i>It's kind of funny that the novel concerning a rigorously timed scientific experiment should be so hazy, while the novel about the pseudoscience of astrology is unexpectedly rigorous.</i>"<br /><br />Exactly! I only picked these two because one tackled astronomy and the other astrology, but was surprised to find out they were nigh perfect mirror images of each other in terms of plotting and quality. Most astonishing was the contrast between the first and second halves. If only it had been published in 1964 instead of 1963. <br /><br />"<i>Indeed, I would say that, at the moment, if I were told that I could name any one Dutch novel to be translated into English, this would probably be it.</i>"<br /><br />Something you'll come to regret. <i>Moord onder astrologen</i> is a good, fun EQ-style mystery, but <i>Koude vrouw in Kralingen</i> is the superior of two. A truly classic Dutch detective novel with an original locked room-trick I've never seen before or since. Of course, you might be one of the exceptions who prefers a zany, Queen-like mystery over an honest to god impossible crime tale. People can be difficult creatures. :)<br /><br />Anyway, glad you're enjoying my excavation efforts of the Dutch detective story with another Vervoort waiting on the big pile.TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-62006894990362696042021-03-20T08:52:18.293+01:002021-03-20T08:52:18.293+01:00I'm glad that this turned out to be better tha...I'm glad that this turned out to be better than <i>Dood in schemer</i>! It's kind of funny that the novel concerning a rigorously timed scientific experiment should be so hazy, while the novel about the pseudoscience of astrology is unexpectedly rigorous.<br /><br />At any rate, this has shot to the top of my wishlist of Dutch novels (not surpassing, but tying with <i>Koude vrouw in Kralingen</i>). Indeed, I would say that, at the moment, if I were told that I could name any one Dutch novel to be translated into English, this would probably be it. <br /><br />The comparison with <i>The Player on the Other Side</i> caught my eye, as I think it's an excellent novel that doesn't quite get the recognition it deserves. Judging from your plot summary, I think I'd enjoy this one just as much. I really like novels with this sort of eccentric architecture, and it sounds quite funny to boot. It almost sounds like a reverse <i>The Body Vanishes</i>. Instead of a boring first half which hides the clues to a unexpectedly complex plot, this novel starts out in such a fantastical manner that the depth of the solution is equally surprising.Kacey Crainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13492997736737601983noreply@blogger.com