tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post1087249430556268694..comments2024-03-11T01:39:11.362-04:00Comments on At the Scene of the Crime: Ministry of MiraclesPatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-4880124898953888982011-10-20T12:55:35.871-04:002011-10-20T12:55:35.871-04:00Sergio, I'm glad you appreciate the second han...Sergio, I'm glad you appreciate the second hand version, but believe me when I say the first hand version is so much better. :)Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-118601935573447372011-10-17T16:37:40.291-04:002011-10-17T16:37:40.291-04:00Fascinating stuff Patrick, really great to hear a ...Fascinating stuff Patrick, really great to hear a review of this - sadly my French is nowhere near god enough so I'm grateful to be able to get some perspective second hand!<br /><br />Thanks,<br />SergioSergio (Tipping My Fedora)http://bloodymurder.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-40025516075889082122011-10-17T10:23:01.041-04:002011-10-17T10:23:01.041-04:00That is the one and only as far as I know-- I reca...That is the one and only as far as I know-- I recall when I translated some thoughts about Endrèbe for you a while back, it was suggested that he was the French equivalent of Anthony Boucher: just as key a figure in translations to French and responsible for bringing figures like Patrick Quentin to the French reading audience.<br /><br />I believe Joshi's specialty is H. P. Lovecraft, so it's really little wonder he enjoys Bencolin as he does. Fell got more praise than Merrivale- H. M. got the shortest chapter, the comedy was universally condemned, and I don't recall any glowing over 'Plague Court'.<br /><br />Joshi tries using cutesy hints sometimes, but somewhat avoids spoilers. The only problem is he never gives you a warning when he plans to indulge in them, like Doug Greene does.<br /><br />Overall, I don't hate Joshi's work, but I find it strangely contradictory and with a rather curious "tunnel vision" of its own. It would make good matieral for an entirely seperate blog post, but I'll think about that later...Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-13923702355907878552011-10-17T09:50:19.743-04:002011-10-17T09:50:19.743-04:00The book sounds as a work of love written by a dev...The book sounds as a work of love written by a devoted fan. It's indeed a shame that the book is only available to a limited audience. <br /><br />I have sidestepped every critical work that focuses on Carr's work, in fear of encountering spoilers, but I'm not surprised that T.S. Joshi prefers Henri Bencolin to Fell and Merrivale. Joshi specializes in the type of macabre stories penned by the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, which are echoed in the atmosphere of the Bencolin stories, and this makes me suspect that he had at least some good things to say about <i>Hag's Nook</i>, <i>The Mad Hatter Mystery</i> and <i>The Plague Court Murders</i>.<br /><br />By the way, is that the same Maurice Endrèbe who wrote <i>Elvire a la Tour Monte</i>? Arguably the worst detective story I have read this year...TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-80802559204577004152011-10-16T07:09:32.031-04:002011-10-16T07:09:32.031-04:00I stand corrected-- but at the same time, it's...I stand corrected-- but at the same time, it's in French...Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-2806709104983261572011-10-16T05:25:12.070-04:002011-10-16T05:25:12.070-04:00Only a few recordings of the legendary series Appo...<i>Only a few recordings of the legendary series Appointment With Fear survive, and I rather doubt the BBC would allow the scripts to be collected in a handy omnibus and sold to John Dickson Carr addicts like myself.</i><br /><br />Actually they did, as aforementioned Roland Lacourbe edited some years ago an omnibus collecting all of the AWF scripts:<br /><br />http://livre.fnac.com/a1794858/John-Dickson-Carr-Rendez-vous-avec-la-peur<br /><br />It was part of a four-volume series collecting all of JDC's radio scripts. I own three of them - the fourth, which consists of propaganda pieces, is less interesting.Xavierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05702919450638993709noreply@blogger.com