Conundrums for the Long Week-End : England, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Lord Peter Wimsey (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Ethan Lewis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Lord Peter Wimsey’s enduring presence and popularity are a tribute to his creator, Dorothy L. Sayers. In this book, McGregor and Lewis explore how Sayers used her fictional hero to comment on, and come to terms with, the social upheaval of the time: world wars, the crumbling of the privileged aristocracy, the rise of democracy, and the expanding struggle of women for equality. Scholars of the Modern Age, fans of the mystery genre, and admirers of Sayers’s fiction are sure to appreciate this incisive examination of the literary, social, and historical context of the author’s most popular work.

About the Author

Robert Kuhn McGregor teaches in the Department of History at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Ethan Lewis teaches in the Department of English at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Kent State University Press (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873386655
• ISBN-13: 978-0873386654
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #805,354 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Nominated for an Edgar Award, March 19, 2001

By A Customer

I agree that fans of the Wimsey novels will enjoy this book most, but I also think those interested in the period between the world wars, as well as those who like good biography will find much here. Mystery buffs who haven't read Sayers may find this book provides the motivation to do so. I particularly enjoyed the authors' discussion of how Sayers' Wimsey differs from Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, and the reasons for these differences. It should also be noted that this book was just nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for a 2001 Edgar Award in the category of biography and literary criticism.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for the Wimsey fan, October 5, 2005

By	Andrew S. Rogers (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

More than most popular mystery sleuths, Lord Peter Wimsey was a man (and a character) who belonged to a specific era. When the hopeful optimism and sense of promise of the 1920s and early 30s were overshadowed by crisis after crisis and the growing specter of war, Lord Peter became a fish out of water, and so faded into well-deserved retirement.

So argue the authors of this fascinating book -- one that any Wimsey fan, or fan of English mysteries generally, should find most rewarding. There's actually quite a lot more to this title than the argument described above. It is, to various degrees, a biography of Dorothy L. Sayers, a dual biography of Lord Peter and Harriet Vane, a social history of England between the wars, an exercise in literary criticism, and an at-least-partial survey of the history of the mystery novel. That's a lot to pack into fewer than 250 pages, but the authors pull it off really well.

As befits a book with so much going on, there were several elements of it I found most interesting. These included the discussion of Lord Peter's development as a character and the difficulties Sayers had in plausibly marrying him off to Harriet; the impact of contemporary events on Sayers' fiction; and why (tied into that last item) Sayers didn't publish, or even work on, with one exception, any more Wimsey stories after 1936, even though he was still immensely popular.

One of the reasons Lord Peter was, and remains, so popular is that he is a well-rounded character, not simply a crime-solving machine like Sherlock Holmes (which, of course, hasn't affected Holmes' popularity either). I highly recommend "Conundrums for the Long Week-End" for anyone interested in understanding Lord Peter still further and recognizing how impressive Dorothy L. Sayers' accomplishment truly is.

(Which reminds me, if you want to know more about Lord Peter's era, I also strongly recommend The Long Week-End: A Social History of Great Britain 1918-1939 by Robert Graves and Alan Hodge, a book which obviously influenced McGregor and Lewis, up to and including their choice of title.)

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book if you're a Wimsey fan, January 18, 2001

By A Customer

If you're a fan of Dorothy L. Sayers' character, Lord Peter Wimsey, you will likely find this book interesting and enjoyable. The authors, both professors, look at the Wimsey series in light of what was happening in England at the time they were being written, and show how Sayers incorporated so much of her surroundings into these stories.

If you're not a Wimsey fan, then there is probably little point in reading this book. Although it is well-written, most of its meaning will probably be lost.