tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post2133313450014335555..comments2024-03-27T22:32:02.739+01:00Comments on Beneath the Stains of Time: The Greatest Miracles On EarthTomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-60969363917400093812023-03-21T14:23:36.027+01:002023-03-21T14:23:36.027+01:00"The Doomdorf Mystery" and the Uncle Abn..."The Doomdorf Mystery" and the Uncle Abner stories in general owe their reputation to the praise lavished on the series by the likes of Ellery Queen, Anthony Boucher and Howard Haycroft. It gives the impression they tried to prop him up as the G.K. Chesterton of the United States. <br /><br />Uncle Abner stories probably possessed an alluring, almost nostalgic, charm to readers at the time, but they're simply bad detective stories. And hardly original! Mike Grost pointed out on his website that the solution to "The Doomdorf Mystery" is probably lifted from M. McDonnell Bodkin's 1897 short story "Murder by Proxy" and "The Broadmoor Murder" likely copied a Sherlock Holmes story. Either way, I'm glad "The Doomdorf Mystery" is no longer considered a classic locked room mystery. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-70446729664564238292023-03-21T05:51:04.616+01:002023-03-21T05:51:04.616+01:00I haven't read this anthology yet outside of t...I haven't read this anthology yet outside of the Norizuki story, but I just had to comment to agree with you on "The Doomdorf Mystery". I remember reading it over dinner on my university campus last semester, just... not understanding the appeal. It even takes place in the same little slice of America I call home. I am born and raised in West Virginia, not at all far from where Post lived or where the Uncle Abner stories are set, and I still didn't think the story was at all the charming little Americana detective story everyone touted it as. But maybe it's less charming when the story takes place in your own backyard.L. Stumpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-24835282364594256202017-11-01T16:20:25.134+01:002017-11-01T16:20:25.134+01:00I hope your other story will get published one of ...I hope your other story will get published one of these days, Pietro. Maybe it's time we start to pester Pugmire about a second anthology, because this one didn't last us very long, did it? :) TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-30768139194129935062017-10-30T09:48:09.148+01:002017-10-30T09:48:09.148+01:00Since we are talking about it, I'll tell you s...Since we are talking about it, I'll tell you something else. The spirit of the collection was to write a story by adding folklore notes to the chosen location. That is because another story I had given to John, who also liked it, essentially a Sherlockan apocryphal, always with impossible murder was not accepted. When I learned that an important factor was the folklore note, I gave another story. Best. P.Pietro De Palmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06051060020493340331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-72062504890712192812017-10-30T08:13:34.746+01:002017-10-30T08:13:34.746+01:00Thanks for giving us a peek behind the curtain, Pi...Thanks for giving us a peek behind the curtain, Pietro. Your homage to Paul Halter fits the spirit of your story. A job well done! TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-45661153548278511382017-10-29T22:57:54.517+01:002017-10-29T22:57:54.517+01:00I reveal a secret to you. Piero Alteri is made up ...I reveal a secret to you. Piero Alteri is made up of references to two persons: to me, because this character for which I have written some stories all with impossible crimes must represent me, and to my acquaintance Paul Halter. Alteri is an italianization of Halter. So with my character, I wanted to connect me with one of my favorite authors, Paul Halter. Pietro De Palmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06051060020493340331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-75999377363527242252017-10-17T18:15:51.337+02:002017-10-17T18:15:51.337+02:00Ah, sorry about that, Jonathan! I'm always int...Ah, sorry about that, Jonathan! I'm always intriguid by those rare mystery novels that string together a whole series of impossible crimes, which is why I hope Paul Halter's <i>The Twelve Crimes of Hercules</i> will get translated one of these days. I know it will probably very similar to <i>The Seven Wonders of Crime</i>, but can't help but be intriguid by a serial killer specialized in impossible murders. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-51264172356076155662017-10-17T05:48:16.213+02:002017-10-17T05:48:16.213+02:00...the over-convolution stems from the fact that e......the over-convolution stems from the fact that even the key motifs can be technical...Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-39432460910789487622017-10-17T05:45:13.351+02:002017-10-17T05:45:13.351+02:00I'm afraid I haven't read 'Hollow Man&...I'm afraid I haven't read 'Hollow Man', and so can't comment specifically on a comparison. Now I need to un-see the comment that the solutions are tightly interwoven and dependent on one another... >.<<br /><br />Not sure how much you want me to say about 'Death in the Ice Mirror Mansion' - but all five impossible crimes involve some degree of replaying certain key motifs. There are some events associated with these crimes that receive explanations that are less tightly interwoven or dependent on the key motifs.<br /><br />Hope this helps! :)<br /><br />PS Is it me or is there no way of correcting a post apart from deleting it and then posting another one? Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-25343724461042324552017-10-17T05:43:16.244+02:002017-10-17T05:43:16.244+02:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-83858745929997058952017-10-16T22:59:08.911+02:002017-10-16T22:59:08.911+02:00Just out of curiosity... are the five impossible c...Just out of curiosity... are the five impossible crimes overly-convoluted because their solutions, like Carr's <i>The Hollow Man</i> and Ormerod's <i>The Weight of Evidence</i>, are tightly interwoven and depended on another or just a series of intricate locked room tricks? Anyway, I'm still intrigued. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-58064723053729585472017-10-16T15:17:26.002+02:002017-10-16T15:17:26.002+02:00I've just finished 'Death in the Ice Mirro...I've just finished 'Death in the Ice Mirror Mansion', and I'm afraid the three impossible crimes that form the backstory do not receive explanations; only the solutions to the five impossible crimes that feature in the main story are revealed. <br /><br />On the whole, I found the story ingenious, though the reader needs to be warned: the solutions were exceptionally convoluted, and possibly overly-technical. In fact, the novel was submitted as an entry for the Soji Shimada award, and my edition of the novel contained a brief commentary by the judging panel, who found the solutions overly-convoluted. Having said that, I'm looking forward to Szu-Yen Lin's other works: his 'Death in the Fog Shadow Mansion' and 'The Ghost of the Badminton Court' have garnered some awards in Taiwan. <br /><br />I fear Ho-Ling wouldn't be of much help in providing a translation of 'Death in the Ice Mirror Mansion', since Szu-Yen Lin writes in Chinese, not Japanese - though the novelist was clearly inspired by Ayatsuji Yukito and other Japanese writers.Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-90595515213581315932017-10-16T15:17:05.159+02:002017-10-16T15:17:05.159+02:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-50766103438336636742017-10-16T08:34:12.677+02:002017-10-16T08:34:12.677+02:00Glad I could help, Mike.
Ah, yes, Banacek. I sti...Glad I could help, Mike. <br /><br />Ah, yes, <i>Banacek</i>. I still haven't watched a single episode from that series, but I'll get around to watching it one of these days. Just like I'll get around to eventually watching <i>The Last of Sheila</i>. Give me another year or two. ;) TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-83089948415746572802017-10-16T08:03:45.627+02:002017-10-16T08:03:45.627+02:00You know, printing the same Bandyopadhyay story in...You know, printing the same Bandyopadhyay story in two recent anthologies is a missed opportunity, but the Osaka story is purely a strategic decision. People who read and like "The Cold Night's Clearing" in <i>Foreign Bodies</i> might decide to pick up <i>The Ginza Ghost</i>, which could potentially bring a ton of new readers to LRI. As a locked room addict, I'm OK with that. It would give Pugmire the means to expend his catalog even further. <br /><br />And, of course, I'll be looking at <i>Death in the House or Rain</i>, but now I also want to read <i>Death in the Ice Mirror Mansion</i>! Eight impossible crimes, you say? I surely want to read that one now. Where's Ho-Ling when you need him?TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-654899631621491392017-10-16T06:01:52.588+02:002017-10-16T06:01:52.588+02:00Thanks for the review, and I'm very encouraged...Thanks for the review, and I'm very encouraged to hear that this is a worthwhile collection to purchase - especially since I'm not overly-fond of short stories. I recently purchased 'Foreign Bodies', and like JJ I could only wish there was no overlapping material at all. Nonetheless, I'm grateful that only one short story overlapped - though I also own 'Ginza Ghost', which makes a total of two overlapping short stories. John Pugmire got mentioned a few times in 'Foreign Bodies', so I was fearful that there would be even more areas of overlap. <br /><br />I'm supposing you will be getting a copy of the latest LRI release, 'Death in the House of Rain' by Szu-Yen Lin? I'm about to complete another of his novels, 'Death in the Ice Mirror Mansion', and it contains eight impossible crimes - though three of them happen in the backstory to the main plot. Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-72053278548444879452017-10-15T23:08:11.927+02:002017-10-15T23:08:11.927+02:00Thanks for that link, TomCat. The technique employ...Thanks for that link, TomCat. The technique employed by the thieves in Whitechurch's story reminds me of one used in an early BANACEK episode, whereas the method used in THE GREAT DETECTIVE was, shall we say, more labor intensive.Mike Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17182471386130948540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-21004749926215793222017-10-15T22:27:49.894+02:002017-10-15T22:27:49.894+02:00No idea, Mike. I've never seen that episode, b...No idea, Mike. I've never seen that episode, but you can read the story for yourself on Gutenberg (<a href="http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1300071h.html#ch-04" rel="nofollow">here</a>). Hope this helped! TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-74630497981793700372017-10-15T22:24:04.946+02:002017-10-15T22:24:04.946+02:00Oh, you're absolutely right that this is a mis...Oh, you're absolutely right that this is a missed opportunity, because Bandyopadhyay has had five, or so, of his short story collections translated in English. So that's more than enough material to pick from, but perhaps it had something to do with acquiring rights. Good news is that a ton of his work is available in English and therefore within reach. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-73326288315506979302017-10-15T22:00:47.858+02:002017-10-15T22:00:47.858+02:00I've yet to read Whitechurch's "Sir G...I've yet to read Whitechurch's "Sir Gilbert Murrell's Picture," so I have to wonder if it had a more ingenious solution than one of the best episodes in THE GREAT DETECTIVE TV series, "Train of Events" (1980):<br /><br />http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3155612/?ref_=ttep_ep1<br />Mike Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17182471386130948540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-11365281316609810202017-10-15T18:31:55.784+02:002017-10-15T18:31:55.784+02:00Well, sure, if TVotT is as good as you say then I ...Well, sure, if TVotT is as good as you say then I suppose it's better to have it out there twice than see 'The Sands of Sodding Thyme' anthologised yet again. Still feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.<br /><br />Hmmm, apparently I am never happy.JJ @ The Invisible Eventhttps://theinvisibleevent.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-11468481018411388712017-10-15T17:40:38.354+02:002017-10-15T17:40:38.354+02:00Hey, look on the bright side, JJ. At least today&#...Hey, look on the bright side, JJ. At least today's anthologists aren't endlessly reprinting Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" or Conan Doyle "The Adventure of the Speckled Band." I call that an improvement! <br /><br />You're right there's something screwy about the sequence of the locked room in "The Witch Doctor's Revenge," which is one of the things I did not like about it, but there's also the sudden move from the witch doctor's curse to the real reason behind their disappearance. A very jerky story. I sincerely hope the novel the author is currently working on turns out to be better than this story. <br /><br />However, not really a bad score that there was only one story out twenty-six that I didn't like at all. There was some stories that were not as good as they could have been, but this was the only that completely lost me. So not bad. Not bad at all. <br /><br />I'll drop by your blog when your next post goes up. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-82058980165501102022017-10-15T16:56:26.673+02:002017-10-15T16:56:26.673+02:00We're generally in agreement here, I think -- ...We're generally in agreement here, I think -- the Porges comparison in Skvorecky's story is especially apt, and of the ones I've read I tend to feel the same way as you. I'm still in the middle of this, though, so have skipped anything I've not yet encountered. Expect more thouhhts over at my place as I get to those in the coming weeks.<br /><br />One question about 'The Witch Doctor's Revenge' -- the order of events does require something that can't actually be done, doesn't it? I haven't misread that? On the whole I like the setup and execution, but the locked door cannot be achieved by the order of events as presented herein...<br /><br />It's also interesting (and a little frustrating) to see 'The Venom of the Tarantula' published here and also included in the British Library collection Foreign Bodies that's just come out: c'mon, guys, could we not avoid repetition in two such close anthologies? The BL also have a Keikichi Osaka story that LRI pubished in The Ginza Ghost (the superb 'Cold Night's Clearing') and John Pugmire is thanked by Martin Edwards in the introduction, so it's not like they were unaware of this doubling up. Gaaah!!!JJ @ The Invisible Eventhttps://theinvisibleevent.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com