tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post896498449394339856..comments2024-03-11T01:39:11.362-04:00Comments on At the Scene of the Crime: 'Tis the eye of childhood / That fears a painted devilPatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-58049276937933891862012-10-06T22:30:18.187-04:002012-10-06T22:30:18.187-04:00Jan, thank you for the highly informative comment!...Jan, thank you for the highly informative comment! I'm especially surprised by the Merian C. Cooper connection!!! (I confess I'm rather fond of King Kong.)<br /><br />Being Polish myself (though I was born in Canada) I'm very interested by the Polish detective story, and this made for an excellent introduction to my giving them a proper going-over.<br /><br />Once again, thank you for commenting, and thanks for nudging me in the general direction of this book! I already bought "Śmierć mówi w moim imieniu" but I have no idea when I will get around to it. Most likely some time this year...Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844617192737950378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499247432649483938.post-35192471019820720752012-10-06T16:17:46.711-04:002012-10-06T16:17:46.711-04:00Maciej Słomczyński was the son of an Englishwoman,...Maciej Słomczyński was the son of an Englishwoman, Marjorie Słomczyńska née Crosby and Aleksander Słomczyński. Maybe his real father was Merian C. Cooper (King Kong).<br />His detective Joe Alex could be named after his father Aleksander but he was bomber pilot during the war (with his friend Ben Parker) like Merian C. Cooper (but in World War I. and Polish-Soviet War). <br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merian_C._Cooper<br /><br />I used to have a fist edition of this book with very good illustrations by J. Skarżyński.<br />http://cgi.ebay.pl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190733280149<br />I know that John Dickson Carr was one of his favourite writers so probably you are right about his inspiration.<br /><br />His books about Joe Alex:<br />1. Powiem wam, jak zginął (title from Oresteia by Aeschylus)<br />2. Śmierć mówi w moim imieniu (Title inspired by Chairs by Ionesco) – my favourite<br />3. Jesteś tylko diabłem <br />4. Cichym ścigałam go lotem (title from Eumenides by Aeschylus)<br />5. Zmącony spokój Pani Labiryntu (title from some tomb inscription)<br />6. Gdzie przykazań brak dziesięciu (title from Rudyard Kipling, Mandalay, it means Where there aren't no Ten Commandments)<br />7. Piekło jest we mnie (John Milton-Paradise Lost) – based on his earlier short story<br />8. Cicha jak ostatnie tchnienie (title George Crosby) – probably the worst, i think first 4 are the best.<br />Jan Bilski<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com