The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers Summary and Reviews

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Book Reviews of The Nine Tailors

Book Review: Don't believe the hype.
Summary: 1 Stars

For a mystery to work, the events that occur must be plausible. Even if irrational behavior abounds, the author must nevertheless give me a reason to believe in that behavior (by convincing me, for example, that the person in question has a bipolar disorder, or that ghosts really do exist, etc.). In this novel, most of the behaviors go beyond being merely implausible: they are ridiculous. For example, the crime that sets off the main mystery is a jewelry theft. (I am giving nothing away here, as this is not the "mystery" part of the mystery: in fact all of this is spelled out lucidly near the novel's beginning.) Anyway, everything about this theft is ridiculous, implausible, impossible to believe, even outrageous, from the behavior of the victim, to that of her servant, to that of her servant's friend, to everything about the two thieves, etc., etc. Even this trifle: that a certain "uncle" should place a stranger, essentially, as butler of his brother's home, is ridiculous, as is the uncle's subsequent defense of the stranger when he is accused of the theft.

Again without giving away the "mystery" let me ask this: Is it plausible, is it believable, that the man who we have good reason to believe stole the jewels and stashed them away never to be found by their owner or the police, but who nevertheless was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to 8 years, would, after serving 4 years, murder a warden and escape from prison? The jewels, mind you, would in today's terms be worth hundreds of thousands of US dollars. Wouldn't the thief simply wait 4 more years to be released a free (and rich) man instead of one whom, if caught, would be hanged for murder? We would like to say that perhaps he is very irrational or very stupid. But we have already learned that he is neither: He is (or had been, before the theft) a consistent, reliable, hard worker; he's very intelligent, and very well read. There's no excuse for the outrageousness of his behavior!

And if most of the events in the book are implausible, the "mystery" itself is totally laughable. When facts come forth which reveal that the victim was in a certain place during a certain period of time, you'll immediately suspect a certain cause for the crime, because Ms. Sayers has set you up to do so aptly. But because hundreds of pages still remain to be read, you will doubt yourself, thinking that this cause is too obvious, that it must be something else. Were that true, the mystery would be highly effective. But credibility begins to get lost as soon as we see that the idea of this cause somehow (outrageously) eludes the (supposedly) brilliant Lord Peter Wimsey. This discover (that the victim was in a certain place during a certain period of time) was elucidated by Wimsey himself during an interrogation! It is this very elucidation that inspires the reader to suspect the cause! Why isn't the brilliant famous detective himself inspired to at the very least momentarily consider this obvious possibility!? But hundreds of pages later, near the very end of the book, this matter remains the one and only of the many complex goings-on about which Wimsey still hasn't a clue (ha)! Only when Wimsey himself nearly suffers the very same fate does this possibility dawn on him! Ridiculous!!!

It seems that many of this novel's supporters are impressed by the explanation of "change-ringing" but don't expect that explanation to be lucid: page after page after page deals with the subject, all without ever making clear exactly what it is or how it's done. Ms. Sayers' tedious and ever-present content on "change-ringing" serves only to further obfuscate an already obscure art. One comes away only with just this: that it involves eight church bells which must be rung by eight people who do so using ropes, and that it is probably not very easy to do.

Likewise, descriptions of the fen system of waterways, drainage-routes, and rivers are equally tedious and every-present, and equally worthless in imparting knowledge. Ms. Sayers has us suffer through a great deal of cloudy content, all for the relatively lame sake of justifying a little flood. (The effect this flood has on one crucial character--the way that it 'proves' something about his nature--is, of course, totally ridiculous, as we've by now come to expect.)

One wonders if there's anything of redeeming value here. Certainly not enough to justify its existence! Nevertheless:

Ms. Sayers creates a nice sense of awe regarding the church that is the story's main setting. In fact, I found myself wishing for more of these awe-inspiring moments.

While (like many of the secondary characters) the character of Lord Peter Wimsey is inexcusably shoddy--not especially brilliant, witty, or charming is he here!--Ms. Sayers paints a memorable portrait of the scatterbrained but well meaning local Rector.

Ms. Sayers is deft at capturing a variety of the many diverse English accents, manners, and idioms.

And finally, I loved the casual way that beer is consumed throughout: for strength during a gruelling bell-ringing session, for warmth before one travels off in the cold, to make one well when one is sick, to give one stamina for a drive down icy, ill-marked roads, as sustenance when one is being held captive, etc. A wonderful, (now-)scandalous attitude!

But if this is "a classic of the genre" then the genre's in a sad state.

Book Review: Dorothy Sayers at her best
Summary: 5 Stars

Book Review: Great Sayers novel even without "the gang"
Summary: 5 Stars

I must admit that I am still unclear on exactly what change-ringing is. Regardless, I loved this book, even though there was very little Bunter and no Parker, Biggs, or Vane. The writing is outstanding, and I found the mystery aspect of the novel deeply satisfying. Even though I guessed one asepct of the mystery early on (the identity of the man in the grave), the rest of it was a nice twist.

Book Review: Identity Quest
Summary: 5 Stars

The term tailors refers to bell ringing. Wimsey is solicited to engage in a very great task of nine hours duration, that of change ringing. It seems that additional manpower is needed since many of the men of the village have been felled by influenza.

Subsequently, at the death of Sir Henry, the local lord, nine tailors and forty six strokes are rung. Making plans for the burial, an unknown body is discovered. To clear up the mystery, Lord Peter's help is sought. The man is between forty five and fifty years of age. The face has been battered and the ankles may have been tightly bound. On the arms there are pressure marks. The cause of death is suffocation.

Wimsey speaks with the heir, Hilary, and learns that the body may have been placed in the crypt at the time of her mother's death. There is already a local mystery of considerable importance. Emeralds were stolen and have never been recovered.

The setting of the story is fictitious. Nonetheless the area in the vicinity of Cambridge and the inhabitants there receive compelling descriptions by Dorothy Sayers. A Frenchwoman, Suzanne Legros, writes her husband a letter using the English pseudonym of Paul Taylor. It is addressed to one of the village post offices in the fens, poste restante. Bunter comes into possession of it. It is passed on through Wimsey and the authorities and provides the basis for the unraveling of the mystery.

Another factor leading to the solution is an experience undergone by Wimsey, that of remaining in the bell tower at the time the bells are rung. There is additional excitement in fourteen days of flooding resulting in the death of one of the main actors of this tale.

Book Review: Ingenious Plot with Bells, Jewel, and War!
Summary: 4 Stars