tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post3907235923125187673..comments2024-03-27T22:32:02.739+01:00Comments on Beneath the Stains of Time: The Problem of the Green Capsule (1939) by John Dickson CarrTomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-87282057050321700582021-06-08T08:40:03.132+02:002021-06-08T08:40:03.132+02:00Cool! I can't wait to read about them.Cool! I can't wait to read about them.Kacey Crainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13492997736737601983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-53236653354286885542021-06-08T00:21:25.227+02:002021-06-08T00:21:25.227+02:00Thanks! So far, all my recent Carr rereads have be...Thanks! So far, all my recent Carr rereads have been a delight as you get to see him work his magic from a completely different angle, which drives home just how good he really was. Carr can only be compared to Christie in that regard. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-86603103207075221702021-06-08T00:18:53.160+02:002021-06-08T00:18:53.160+02:00"Whilst any debate of which are Carr's gr..."<i>Whilst any debate of which are Carr's greatest works would lead to a broad mix of opinions.</i>"<br /><br />Steve hosted a brutal tournament poll a few years ago to decide which of his mysteries were the best. The winners of the knockout phase were <i>He Who Whispers</i> (Dr. Fell), <i>She Died a Lady</i> (H.M.) and <i>The Emperor's Snuff-Box</i> (non-series) with <i>He Who Whispers</i> being the overall winner. It was like having to decide which of your children get a place in the lifeboat, but we got the job done. <br /><br />Yes, I've heard about the forthcoming reprint of <i>Till Death Do Us Part</i>, which is an excellent choice and long overdue. <i>He Who Whispers</i> and <i>She Died a Lady</i> should be reprinted together as one of those British Library twofer editions. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-78932015614375697412021-06-07T21:06:28.261+02:002021-06-07T21:06:28.261+02:00Great review. This is not quite my favorite Carr,...Great review. This is not quite my favorite Carr, since I don’t find the characters as interesting as in He Who Whispers, Till Death Do Us Part, or She Died a Lady, but as far as fair-play plotting and clues go, I think this may be Carr’s—or anyone’s--greatest puzzle-plot ever. (The plot of And Then There Were None is unbeatable, but it’s sparse on clues.) Many otherwise good detective novels are bogged down by the chapters where the police interrogate suspects; in this book, the interrogation is a highlight—entertaining, baffling, and full of clues.<br /><br />Yes, this is a good candidate for re-reading. When I first read this I guessed the culprit, but it was a guess—I wasn’t quite sure. When I read it a second time, as you say, the murderer’s identity is blatant; Carr gives us plenty of clues, but manages simultaneously to distract and sow doubts.<br />Arthur Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01648491529210591835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-32936188919172415542021-06-07T17:23:58.824+02:002021-06-07T17:23:58.824+02:00Indeed an excellent post TomCat, which makes me wa...Indeed an excellent post TomCat, which makes me want to re-read TPotGC. I have found my copy and will do so soon.<br /><br />Whilst any debate of which are Carr's greatest works would lead to a broad mix of opinions. TPotGC surely has to make any "best of" list. I would love to see a Carr renaissance with more of his works including this one available.<br /><br />I read on Martin Edwards' blog that the British Library will re-publish Till Death Do Us Part later this year. That also is a near perfect Carr title that let's hope sparks interest in the works of the master.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11945797301621244070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-59166607798318282182021-06-07T17:20:53.728+02:002021-06-07T17:20:53.728+02:00This comment has been removed by the author.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11945797301621244070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-7037516312328538642021-06-07T12:47:07.998+02:002021-06-07T12:47:07.998+02:00Carr has shined his greatness on you! Even when yo...Carr has shined his greatness on you! Even when you know who, you're still struggling to figure out how it was done while rubbing all the clues in your face without noticing it. <br /><br />I hope you enjoy <i>The Case of the Chinese Gong</i>. It's his only full-blown impossible crime novel that has been compared to <i>Seeing is Believing</i>, but with a better, much more satisfying solution. Although Bush was not quite as good at writing a Carr-style story than Carr was at tackling Bush's specialty. So, if you want to read Bush at his best, I recommend <i>The Case of the Missing Minutes</i>. <br /><br />That cover of the Dutch edition is sadly the best, most striking piece of cover art Carr's Dutch translations received. The rest are very generic. Speaking (of the) Dutch, I've continued my genre excavations and new titles have been added to the pile with one review coming next week. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-68278142999993228262021-06-07T09:56:06.037+02:002021-06-07T09:56:06.037+02:00Great review, TomCat! The Problem of the Green Cap...Great review, TomCat! <i>The Problem of the Green Capsule</i> really is a masterpiece, the greatness of which couldn't be diminished even by having the identity of the culprit spoiled midway through the book! (To be precise, by some yahoo on Amazon trying (and failing) to be "clever" in their review of the book. Pfui!) Even then, I wasn't even <i>remotely</i> close to figuring out how it was done. I've been wanting to reread it since about a week after I finished it, just to marvel at the ingenuity of it all.<br /><br />That's a really good observation about the similarities to Christopher Bush's novels. It's fascinating to see the different variations that they each came up with on the same themes. I think that the next Bush I read will have to be <i>The Case of the Chinese Gong</i>, so that I can see his interpretation of Carr.<br /><br />I was a little surprised when I first saw this review, because just the day before I had come across copies of <i>To Wake the Dead</i> and <i>The Lost Gallows</i>. It seemed like everything was coming Carr, which wasn't a bad thing!<br /><br />(I don't have anywhere to fit this, but I quite like the cover of that Dutch edition.)Kacey Crainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13492997736737601983noreply@blogger.com