by Diana Bishop
A short treaty about the history of detective fiction. P. D. James gives insight into her own novels and writing habits while giving a thorough over view about the development of the genre of detective fiction. She discusses the golden age of this genre. the 30s of the twentieth century till late 40...
Must read.Wonderful survey of the Golden Age of British Crime Fiction. I discovered Margery Allingham while attending classes at the British Council a long time ago and I never looked back...This book felt like little essays rather than something coherent and in-depth but it was still very enjoyable...
I got the sense that this book, although interesting, would have worked better as a series of lectures. It is full of repetitions (how many times does the word 'vicariously' appear) and it is vapid. It shows some insights, here and there but it is too thin and opinionated.
I had heard an interview with P.D. James a while ago where she was asked about the fact that she said that books of Jane Austen could be seen as detective fiction, and this intrigued me so that I had to buy the book where this was stated. And I don't regret it. This is an interesting read for all ...
It's no more than you'd expect that such an intelligent woman and such a good writer would come up with a clear and perceptive survey of her genre, leavened with enough personal observations to avoid disappointment on that score. I particularly liked her observations on Dorothy L. Sayers, who is obv...
This short discussion of the mystery genre will interest any fan, but particularly those of the classic English mystery. (Newcomers be warned, there are plenty of spoilers.) The writing style is a bit on the fussy and formal side, with a fair bit of filler (so-and-so is great, will always be rememb...
I started reading P. D. James a few years ago after I watched a television show on Agatha Christie. While I enjoyed the old Tommy and Tuppence series, I never could get into the books. James give me a reason why, and so I picked up one of her books and liked it.This book is not a mystery but is ab...
The author's views on the enduring popularity of the detective story.
Log in with Facebook 
