tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post1075482269191720529..comments2024-03-29T00:31:02.713+01:00Comments on ボクの事件簿: Famed Author To Live In WrightsvilleHo-Linghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-28184507820828542772016-09-30T19:53:36.000+02:002016-09-30T19:53:36.000+02:00You see by guessing the presents I guessed the cul...You see by guessing the presents I guessed the culprit. But the culprit used "you know who" and convinced them it was their idea.That part I missed. Stuck to my original solution for reasons best not mentioned here, lest they be spoilers. Make sense?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-78689413142268185232016-09-30T17:33:38.769+02:002016-09-30T17:33:38.769+02:00I'd figure that figuring out the final solutio...I'd figure that figuring out the final solution is usually considered 'solving' the mystery, especially in a Queen work, as they often feature more than one solution.Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-69193878060933504582016-09-30T12:10:37.584+02:002016-09-30T12:10:37.584+02:00Same here about with Origin. I have a question. Do...Same here about with Origin. I have a question. Do you think figuring the "right" solution and culprit but not getting the "official but wrong solution" counts as solving Origin of Evil? This includes figuring out the meaning of objects sent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-30872141663516541532016-09-30T10:50:18.664+02:002016-09-30T10:50:18.664+02:00Sorry I didn't make this clear, but I use the ...Sorry I didn't make this clear, but I use the term "Hollywood novel" more specifically for the books the cousins wrote when they first moved to work there (so the couple before Calamity Town). Origin was written so much later, I never did see it really as a Hollywood novel, even though it is set there...Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-86480229847669531622016-09-29T19:16:58.307+02:002016-09-29T19:16:58.307+02:00From Calamity Town onward? Is that what you mean b...From Calamity Town onward? Is that what you mean by post Hollywood? Of the Hollywood ones that I think the much later book Origin of Evil is better than late 30s ones?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-10098806016403606552016-09-18T09:22:36.303+02:002016-09-18T09:22:36.303+02:00I'm not talking about the character, but about...I'm not talking about the character, but about the style of mystery plot. What Norizuki poses as the "Late Period Queen Problems" is:<br /><br />*******No specific spoilers for post-Hollywood Queen novels, but one that does apply to a lot of them!!!*******<br /><br />****<br />****<br />****<br />****<br />****<br />****<br />****<br />****<br />Problem 1: How can we know that Ellery really has solved the case, as so many of the later books feature criminals that manipulate people, as well as evidence for a fake solution? If you accept the possibility of fake solution A, you can never know if the final solution in the book isn't a fake solution either.<br /><br />Problem 2: The existence of a detective-character in a story has influence on the characters. I.e. murder plans that make use of the fact that a detective is present, or even plans that are aimed specifically at them.<br /><br />While these problems are also present in earlier novels, Queen appeared to have gone deeper in them post-Hollywood. As the later novels also focus less on the super-lengty deduction scenes, the fear of fake solutions for the sake of detective also grows, as everything feels less certain.<br /><br />*****<br />*****<br />*****<br />*****<br />*****<br />*****<br />*****Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-3279100720520180632016-09-18T01:59:12.591+02:002016-09-18T01:59:12.591+02:00Have not read Door Between but they saw that is th...Have not read Door Between but they saw that is the first book without the "old" Ellery. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-71384466679254041352016-09-18T01:23:08.397+02:002016-09-18T01:23:08.397+02:00Post Hollywood? I found the style changed during H...Post Hollywood? I found the style changed during Hollywood. That was when Ellery became a different character. Not the snobbish Philo Vanceish fellow of the novels up to Halfway House. Or are you talking aboutsomething else?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-20915715936781083372016-09-15T08:47:50.653+02:002016-09-15T08:47:50.653+02:00Seriously, I can't even remember the actual my...Seriously, I can't even remember the actual mystery plot (which is why I said I thought it was not really interesting). The twist we talk about is something different.Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-41176245370195261742016-09-15T08:46:31.724+02:002016-09-15T08:46:31.724+02:00It might be because I read that one after a series...It might be because I read that one after a series of Hollywood/Wrightsville novels, but even though it was not one of Queen's best,I really did have fun with The Finishing Stroke.<br /><br />Though it's been a while, so I might need to reread that one again.Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-63407507143565660202016-09-15T08:44:21.373+02:002016-09-15T08:44:21.373+02:00No, more like post-Hollywood. Basically starting w...No, more like post-Hollywood. Basically starting with Calamity Town/Wrightsville. From there on, Queen experimented more often with a certain kind of criminal, which kinda undermines the whole idea of Queen in the first place (which is called "Late Period Queen Problems" in the Japanese world of mystery).Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-26800584433133831422016-09-15T03:35:17.412+02:002016-09-15T03:35:17.412+02:00Is the solution to Eighth day a fair play mystery?...Is the solution to Eighth day a fair play mystery? Or is it a trick solution?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-21392149832693231302016-09-15T02:49:57.506+02:002016-09-15T02:49:57.506+02:00By later do you post nationality novels or the 60s...By later do you post nationality novels or the 60s-70s later novels starting with Player.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-49500759946616785512016-09-15T02:11:27.023+02:002016-09-15T02:11:27.023+02:00Just finished Stroke last week. Not one of there b...Just finished Stroke last week. Not one of there best. The whole alphabet thing seemed a weak thing to build a premise upon. Also the stuff about the back of the cards giving away the answer means it is not a fair play mystery. The conclusion much too iffy even for this type of novel. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-45188778968411958972016-09-05T12:47:00.726+02:002016-09-05T12:47:00.726+02:00writes comment*
*clicks on sign out instead of pub...writes comment*<br />*clicks on sign out instead of publish*<br />*sigh*<br /><br />The episode of the drama set in Wrightsville was also good!<br /><br />I agree on your point on On The Eight Day: the twist ending on its own is interesting, but I wouldn't recommend the whole book for it. Nikaidou's The Tragedy at the Saint Ursula Convent also used the device, I suddenly remember.<br /><br />Stories about a lost civilization where 'logic' is brought by the outside detective can really be great though. Professor Layton VS Ace Attorney had a great fantasy world where the protagonists taught logic to the inhabitants there.<br /><br />I can't remember anything about Fox, to be honest. Origin is... the one that reminds the best of the classic Queen stories of all three Hollywood novels. Which isn't a very high standard, I admit. While it isn' a very impressive Queen, it has its neat moments though. Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-8226002656143052016-09-05T12:32:13.843+02:002016-09-05T12:32:13.843+02:00Not sure how you feel about short stories, but all...Not sure how you feel about short stories, but all the short story collections are great. I like The Finishing Stroke too, which was meant to be the final Queen novel (it wasn't, though). It can be a bit unbelievable, but it's still a captivating read and it follows Ellery in several phases in his life, for example the period right after he published "The Roman Hat Mystery".Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-12963439748646309232016-09-05T12:30:29.368+02:002016-09-05T12:30:29.368+02:00One of the few good things about the Wrightsville ...One of the few good things about the Wrightsville tales, is the depiction of the town of Wrightsville. And the short stories. I strongly dislike the novels from this period of the series, but the short stories, collected in <i>Queen's Full</i>, were surprisingly good. <br /><br />I do not entirely agree with you about <i>And on the Eighth Day</i>. Granted, the plot is incredible weak, but, IMHO, inserting a murder in this book was a mistake. <br /><br />It should've been played, from start to finish, as a lost civilization/breakaway society story with the truth about that strange book as a detective-esque surprise ending. That would've improved the book immensely, because the murder investigation was paper thin and sometimes even downright embarrassing. <br /><br />I also believe M. Night Shyamalan's <i>The Village</i> "borrowed" parts of its plot from <i>And on the Eighth Day</i>. <br /><br />I've only Ellery Queen novels left to read, <i>The Murderer Was a Fox</i> and <i>Origin of Evil</i>. Can you recommend any of these two titles? There are, of course, a ton more standalones, but I wonder if I'll ever get around to those. <br />TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-22167702713759666662016-09-05T12:21:25.752+02:002016-09-05T12:21:25.752+02:00Well, I look forward to reading 'Player on the...Well, I look forward to reading 'Player on the Other Side' and 'Ten Days' Wonder' then! Are there any good Queen novels worth hunting down outside of the Nationality sequence, 'Face to Face', 'Tragedy of Y' and 'There was an Old Woman'? I confess I didn't especially enjoy 'Cat with Many Tails'... Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-13488021389425057612016-09-05T10:58:56.263+02:002016-09-05T10:58:56.263+02:00Sorry, meant Ten Days' Wonder. Somehow mixed t...Sorry, meant Ten Days' Wonder. Somehow mixed the two titles =_= And On The Eighth Day is not really interesting.<br /><br />Later Queens, like Player and Ten, are quite different from the earlier Queens, but explaining why would kinda spoil the idea... The writers basically played with a complete different theme, one which is often used in Japanese shin honkaku novels, actually.Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-44063617139700857472016-09-05T10:43:32.928+02:002016-09-05T10:43:32.928+02:00Hmmmm. Hmmmm. I've heard mixed reports concern...Hmmmm. Hmmmm. I've heard mixed reports concerning 'Calamity Town', and as such I've held back from making a decision to purchase it on my Kindle. But I think your review has helped me to steer clear of this one, insofar as we share the same tastes when it comes to what we like about Ellery Queen. I still have 'Greek Coffin', 'Siamese Twin', 'Chinese Orange', 'Player on the Other Side' and 'Ten Days' Wonder' left on my TBR pile. <br /><br />'And on the Tenth Day' - do you mean 'And on the Eighth Day' or 'Ten Days Wonder'? If you meant 'Eighth Day', would you recommend it as a worthy purchase for my TBR pile...?Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.com