I was pleased, a short time ago, to be sent a copy of a new book by Michael Cohen. The Golden Era of Sherlock Holmes and His Contemporaries has an explanatory sub-title: A Mystery Guide and Finding List. In other words, it's a guide for readers who are interested in detective writers and their characters from the Holmes era.
A book of this kind, which aims, I guess, at readers who are interested in the genre but aren't necessarily deeply knowledgeable, needs to be written in clear and crisp prose; the publisher claims that Michael Cohen's book has these attributes, and I agree. It's genuinely readable, and the various chapter and section divisions are well-chosen.
Quite rightly, Cohen starts with Sherlock Holmes and proceeds from there. His second chapter is particularly interesting, broadly dealing with Sherlock's early male rivals, whom he divides into 'Plain Men' (a favourite Julian Symons term) and 'Exaggerators' (a rather nice term that he has coined; I haven't come across it before). The latter group includes, for instance, M.P. Shiel's Prince Zaleski, whom Cohen describes rather nicely as a 'languid aesthete'.
Women detectives, medical and scientific detectives, rogues, and occult detectives are among those who are explored in an interesting way. Among the occult sleuths is Thomas Carnacki, created by William Hope Hodgson, an author who has long fascinated me. All in all, this book is a worthwhile piece of work and I'm delighted to have been able to add it to my groaning bookshelves.
4 comments:
My goodness, mention of Carnacki takes me back! I recall Donald Pleasance playing Carnacki The Ghost Hunter in an episode of The Rivals Of Sherlock Holmes on TV. Despite specialising in creepy characters and villains, Pleasance was one of the nicest people to meet, gentle, funny and soft spoken. He wrote a children's book, started WW2 as a conscientious objector but changed his mind, was captured and spent time in a PoW camp, organising many theatricals for the inmates - ironic, as he was a star of war film The Great Escape, as the forger going blind. Probably best remembered as the scariest of the actors playing arch villain Blofeld in the James Bond franchise. (The one with the bald head, strange eye and the strokable white cat.) His story against himself was that his version of Blofeld was powerful as he was shown seated at a desk; because when he was cast no-one realised how short he was, so had to stay seated as villains are supposed to be tall!
Great anecdote, Liz! He was a fascinating actor, with a remarkable range e.g. in Wake in Fright and Crippen.
This seems like an interesting book. It's nice that forgotten authors are getting their chance of being rediscovered. This is also happening in other countries, too (albeit a little late, compared to English speaking countries). In a similar direction as that of this book, the Spanish publisher "Alba Editorial" has also published a collection of Victorian detective novels, titled "Cuentos de detectives victorianos". It includes the more famous Wilkie Collins, Ellen Wood, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (obvious, in his case), but also less famous writers. M.P. Shiel, with his Prince Zaleski, was among the authors included. No Walter Hope Hodgson and Carnacki, though.
Thanks, Gabriel. You're right, it's a great development and the fact that it's happening in so many places is really gratifying.
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