2001 School Magazine

50 : original works

Books of Crime Walk into any successful bookstore, and one of the first things you'll see is the overflowing crime section. People all over the world love to read of hardy detectives, conniving masterminds, and sinister plots thwarted and foiled by adventurous heroes, along with all the other ingredients of the stereotypical crime novel. Dorothy L Sayers and Agatha Christie, who were arguably the leaders of this genre, have employed this method time and again. Though ChristIe veers towards voodooism in her bestselling book, The Pale Horse', while Sayers sticks to the tried and tested techniques of a thriller in her book, Have His Carcase' both books are masterpieces that can only enhance the fame of theirillustrious authors At the centre of The Pole Horse'is the narrator, Mark Eastwood who, while trying to write a thesis on Mogul architecture, becomes entangled in a chain of mysterious deaths that have been allegedIy caused by three witches. After destroying the legend of the omnipotent witches, he ends up happily with his adventurous companion, Ginger Corrigan. In Have His Carcase', Harriet Vane, the well-known novelist, has taken a walking holiday. In the course of it, she discovers a corpse, and, with the help of Lord Peter Wimsey, she discovers 'whodunnit: Both of these books feature as a main character a literary person craving a diversion from their self- appointed task. The main difference, however. is that while Christie prefers to embrace the supernatural in The Pole Horse', Sayers Indulges in a thriller complete with the attending parephernalia of diamonds, Russian princes and encoded letters. Sayers and Christie have both chosen to base their plots in rural England, using the settings to their full advantage The characters of Sayers and Christie slot neatly into their genre, their personalities and characteristics ensuring the books are both plausible and enjoyable Christe's heroine, Ginger Corrigan, is audacious and daring, willing to risk anything, as batts a modern heroine. The description of the witches is hackneyed, full of Eastern scarves, white cockerels and the rattling vertebrae of snakes. but it establishes their reputation of mystery, inducing a sense of disquiet and unease in the other characters and the reader. Sayer's hero, Lord Peter Wimsey, is famous for his detection skills, seizing fresh mysteries with alacrity. He seemingly has endless time to devote to the puzzle at hand, along with boundless knowledge, both criminal and literary. Tall and aesthetic, he carries tools everywhere, along with possessing skills for every situation Harriet, though ostensibly writing a novel, also seems to have endless time for the mystery. At one point, she is a Mata Hari, trying to ascertain whether a character is guilty or not - at another, she and Wimsey use theirjournalistic contacts to track down a suspect. Naturally, the newspapers are only too happ to oblige, tamely writing articles to their dictation The theme of good triumphing over evil, is, of course, the dominant one, but another Important one is that of camouflage, of misdirection. The Pole Horse'features witches who are convinced they can kill people using death rays, gruesome sacrifices and other aids. As it transpires, they are simply being efficiently poisoned Have His Carcase' has an equally flamboyant plot. An impoverished gigolo, convinced he is the long-lost Romanov heir, plots his assumption of the Russian throne, down 10 selecting the beautiful'Princess Fedora'to be his noble bride. Actually, this is merely a fiendish plot, concocted by a phlegmatic farmer who fears his mother will make over her (substantial) fortune to a gigolo rather than her son. Elaborate plots take up most of both books, distracting the reader's attention from the truth, and allowing the authors'imagination to run free, while remaining on a realistic basis. The sub-theme of misdirection 15 the major one in both books, cleverly disguising what are in fact adept variations of old murder plots The styles of Christe and Saners are quite distinct. Sayers' books always have an academic seam running parallel to the plot - her characters throw quotes at each other, discuss Oxford life, and embark upon theses of Lefanu. The erudition of her characters does not, however, detract from the story. which is pacy, entertaining and stimulating. Christ Ie, who draws upon experience, is very thorough. Her plots have an authenticity which is backed up by the exhaustive research that accompanies her books. In fact, the solution of The Pole Horse'was so Ingenious, and so meticulously researched, that it has, to date, saved two lives. These people were, like the victims of the novel, suffering from thallium poisoning, and had it not been for the fortuitous chance of the attending nurse being engaged in reading The Pale Horse' at the time, they would douchess have gone the way of the novel's victims Sayers and ChristIe are renowned for their flair and expertise in this genre. ChristIe, in particular, is known as the Queen of Crime, and she was indeed made a Dame in recognition of her services to literature. Both authors wrote fluently, producing books that give great pleasure. Their ingenuity and resourcefulness never fails to amaze, and even if the above books, The Pole Horse' and Have His Carcase: have failed to interest, read some of their other works, and enter a whole new world!

Elizobeth Pointz 9Englond

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