What I Read and Watched in January 2023

I read a variety of books this month: The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer (sophisticated fluff), Beauty in the Word by Stratford Caldecott (on what makes for true education), Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (suspenseful audiobook that I ended up disliking intensely, reviewed here), and Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie. 

I enjoyed several classic movies. It Happened One Night (1934) is a wonderful screwball comedy (with a little too much drinking) starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. It is one of only three movies to win the five major Oscars (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Writing). The Whole Town's Talking (1935) had Edward G. Robinson, usually a tough-talking gangster, playing a mousy roll in a case of mistaken identities. It co-stars Jean Arthur who is always delightful. The Human Comedy (1943) was one of the hundreds of films produced during WWII to encourage those on the home front. Sappy by modern standards, it has good acting and storytelling; it was fascinating to see many major actors in minor roles except for Mickey Rooney who was at the height of his career as America's favorite adolescent. (Donna Reed would shoot to stardom three years later in It's a Wonderful Life.) This link leads to the library scene, "The Wonder of Books," which is a favorite. In the Good Old Summertime (1949) is a musical version of Shop Around the Corner. (All the songs were vehicles for Judy Garland and had very little to do with the story.) By the title you'd never know it was a Christmas movie. A must-see for all fans of You've Got Mail. I watched all of these on YouTube except for It Happened One Night, which I have on DVD.

Read anything good in January? Any other classic movie fans out there? 

Blessings,

Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh

I generally don't like romance novels, but I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction of a love interest for Detective Roderick Alleyn in this sixth Ngaio Marsh novel, Artists in Crime. Returning from New Zealand where he went for rest and ended up crime-solving (see Vintage Murder), Alleyn meets artist Agatha Troy on board ship. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start (of course!). Conveniently, the murder happens in Troy's art studio back in England and our protagonist has an opportunity to redeem himself.

I enjoy the literary allusions and Alleyn's ability to quote poetry, Shakespeare, French, etc. Not only did this book have Pride and Prejudice vibes, but it also reminded me of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels I read recently. Like Wimsey, Alleyn is a genteel detective who enjoys solving the mystery, but suffers from remorse at finding the guilty party. And like Wimsey, he also has a wonderfully charming mother in Lady Alleyn. There are nods to other fictional detectives such as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Thorndyke. And some hilarious jabs at D.H. Lawrence. 

The writing is getting better with each novel: Up and down the passages the silence was broken only by the secret sound made by an old house at night, small expanding noises, furtive little creaks, and an occasional slow whisper as though the house sighed at the iniquity of living men. (p. 210)

Though not as lurid as modern mysteries, Artists in Crime has a little too much swearing, philandering, drugs, and grisly deaths to be in the "cozy" category. Oddly, I read these stories more for the charms of Detective Alleyn than for the mysteries.

Blessings,