I forgot that I reread this one over a month ago, which says something about the book. It marks the point where I became bored my project, and veered off to read different stuff. But it bothered me. I couldn't figure out what went wrong. Wimsey is there, silly and clever as ever. There's some really good stuff about advertising agencies in the thirties. Sayers worked in one herself, so
If nothing else one can thoroughly enjoy the satire, the wonderful product names: Nutrax, Maltogene, and Jollop's Concentrated Lactobeef Tables for Travellers! Harriet does not appear. I'm not certain that's important, but some spark is definitely missing. Couldn't put my finger on it until I went searching around for something clever to say. And Lo, I find that Sayers herself disliked this one. She wrote it quickly to fulfill her contract with Victor Gollancz. And while she wrote she was really thinking about the book she wanted to write:
The new book is nearly done. I hate it because it isn't the one I wanted to write, but I had to shove it in because I couldn't get the technical dope on The Nine Tailors in time. Still, you never know what people will fancy, do you? It...deals with the dope-traffic, which is fashionable at the moment, but I don't feel that this part is very convincing, as I can't say "I know dope". Not one of my best efforts. Dorothy L Sayers as quoted by Barbara Reynolds, Dorothy L Sayers: Her Life and Soul.[3]
H'm. Sayers was right, and a good judge of what she was doing. Clever as usual, but it doesn't ring quite true. Flat. Which only goes to highlight the problem with writing to meet contract deadlines, and for mystery writers these are getting swifter and swifter. Publishers don't mind asking for two, even three, books a year. Ah, beware, my friends. After a while it's just a job, and even good writers falter. Call it another reason to support indie publication. If memory serves, "Nine Tailors" is a better novel. I am starting that one tonight. Promise.
The new book is nearly done. I hate it because it isn't the one I wanted to write, but I had to shove it in because I couldn't get the technical dope on The Nine Tailors in time. Still, you never know what people will fancy, do you? It...deals with the dope-traffic, which is fashionable at the moment, but I don't feel that this part is very convincing, as I can't say "I know dope". Not one of my best efforts. Dorothy L Sayers as quoted by Barbara Reynolds, Dorothy L Sayers: Her Life and Soul.[3]
H'm. Sayers was right, and a good judge of what she was doing. Clever as usual, but it doesn't ring quite true. Flat. Which only goes to highlight the problem with writing to meet contract deadlines, and for mystery writers these are getting swifter and swifter. Publishers don't mind asking for two, even three, books a year. Ah, beware, my friends. After a while it's just a job, and even good writers falter. Call it another reason to support indie publication. If memory serves, "Nine Tailors" is a better novel. I am starting that one tonight. Promise.
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