THE POETRY
OF MURDER:
The
Detective Fiction of Nicholas Blake
“As for the wrapping and
unwrapping of the murderer,
it is sufficient to say that there is no living writer of detective
stories who
will not have to look to his or her laurels if Mr. Blake can do it
again.”
–
Torquemada, Observer, 17th March 1935
<>
“In point of fact the author is at the head
of the newer detective story writers… To
begin with, he writes well: he shows wit without facetiousness and
culture
without pedantry. His plots are ingenious
without over-elaboration and his characters more human than is usual in
the genre. Nigel Strangeways, his amateur
detective, is
a puzzling mixture of simplicity and penetration, but all the more real
for
that.”
– Times Literary Supplement, 6th February 1937
<>
“Blake’s detective stories are of classical
simplicity in plot and construction… The
end of the classical detective convention has been announced more than
once in
recent years, but while Mr. Blake continues to use it with such skill
plainly
the announcement is premature.”
–
Julian Symons, Times Literary Supplement, 12th
April 1957
Nicholas Blake (pseudonym of Cecil
Day-Lewis,
1904—72) was one of the most satisfying writers of detective
stories. As may be expected from the fact that he became Poet
Laureate towards the end of his life, Blake's stories are always
well-written, and populated by interesting characters. Although
Blake is interested in psychology and character, he never "shirks
clueing and thinking" (Barzun & Taylor), and his
plots rank with the best—although, owing to the
inevitability of the identities of his murderers, the reader may
often guess whodunnit and whydunnit. That said, the books are
uniquely satisfying as both detective stories and novels of
character.
What's New:
These pages copyright Nicholas Lester Fuller,
2001--2002. Last modified 3rd December 2004.
