Dorothy Sayers Fans

[EmCatlyn]

@St.Clara. So here we are, by the grace of @Curious free to discuss Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, and the issues raised by Dorothy Sayers.

I am going to start by revisiting the point you made about Harriet wanting to promise to "obey" and how this disappointed you because Sayers, through her portrait of Harriet among other things, seemed to be more feminist and enlightened.  

I was thinking that there is a real change in the Wimsey novels with the introduction of Harriet as a character.  But even before that, with the wonderful Miss Climpson, Sayers is making a point about the value of women to our society.

[St.Clara]

Ooops - I am really sorry!  I would love to read this thread if there are people who are writing in it - but, unfortunately, I won´t be able to make regular contributions to it myself. As you may perhaps have noticed, I generally post rather seldom. That´s due not to a lack of interest but to the fact that I have a real lot of RL going on which always takes priority (and this won´t change for the next two years or so). There is such a load of things I have to do every day that I cannot take on any more duties if even in the vague way of "I´ll answer when I have some time off". When I do have some free time I want (and desperately need!) to exactly do what my whimsy makes me do in that very moment...

I apologize to you, @EmCatlyn and @Curious for causing what was maybe unnecessary trouble!

However, as @Tiny Bubbles, @EmmieJ, @HarryPotterFan, @CharlieInCharge, @WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? and @Kjaerringa have liked some of the posts I made on the topic, I am mentioning them here, so they will find this thread and maybe join the discussion.

[EmmieJ]

I'm so glad to see this thread -- but before I can post intelligently, I need to re-read one or two of Sayer's works, which I will download to my Kindle and begin today

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

Thanks for thinking of me, @St.Clara. I did enjoy your conversation on this topic with @EmCatlyn.

I am fond of Dorothy L. Sayers' writing and have read all her Lord Peter novels, but not recently. My paperback copies are currently inaccessible. I may consider getting them in e-book form, like @EmmieJ. 

I really like this new sub forum. Thank you for suggesting it, EmCatlyn.

[EmCatlyn]

21 minutes ago, St.Clara said:

Ooops - I am really sorry!  I would love to read this thread if there are people who are writing in it - but, unfortunately, I won´t be able to make regular contributions to it myself. As you may perhaps have noticed, I generally post rather seldom. That´s due not to a lack of interest but to the fact that I have a real lot of RL going on which always takes priority (and this won´t change for the next two years or so). There is such a load of things I have to do every day that I cannot take on any more duties if even in the vague way of "I´ll answer when I have some time off". When I do have some free time I want (and desperately need!) to exactly do what my whimsy makes me do in that very moment...

I apologize to you, @EmCatlyn and @Curious for causing what was maybe unnecessary trouble!

However, as @Tiny Bubbles, @EmmieJ, @HarryPotterFan, @CharlieInCharge, @WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? and @Kjaerringa have liked some of the posts I made on the topic, I am mentioning them here, so they will find this thread and maybe join the discussion.

Hey @St.Clara sorry if you felt you had been put on the hot seat.  I know you are only an occasional poster.  Our Whimsical exchanged inspired me to suggest the reading section, but I wasn't anticipating long dialogues.  I just thought it would be nice to have a thread for moments when we did want to talk about Sayers.

Glad to chat when you are around, but no expectation that you will be around a lot.

16 minutes ago, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

Thanks for thinking of me, @St.Clara. I did enjoy your conversation on this topic with @EmCatlyn.

I am fond of Dorothy L. Sayers' writing and have read all her Lord Peter novels, but not recently. My paperback copies are currently inaccessible. I may consider getting them in e-book form, like @EmmieJ. 

I really like this new sub forum. Thank you for suggesting it, EmCatlyn.

Some of the Wimsey novels are out of copyright in the US so you can get very inexpensive e-copies.  

I think that given our interest in Fundies, the fact that Sayers was the daughter of a Church of England clergyman might be relevant to other discussions.

[Tiny Bubbles]

1 hour ago, EmmieJ said:

I'm so glad to see this thread -- but before I can post intelligently, I need to re-read one or two of Sayer's works, which I will download to my Kindle and begin today

Me too, @EmmieJ!   If I can find copies, it will be a pleasure though. I always found DA ahead of her time. Lord Peter cracks me up !

[EmmieJ]

I downloaded Whose Body and Clouds of Witness (books 1 and 2 of the Wimsey series) yesterday - each were just .99 on Amazon Prime.  I also chose narration for Whose Body for an additional $2.99 (because I am sick with a cold and thought it would be nice to listen to the story - but I don't care for the voice of the narrator so that was a waste of money).  I didn't sleep well last night so around 4:00 a.m., got up, heated up a cup of coffee and read several chapters of Whose Body - actually quite a nice way to start off the day.

[PennySycamore]

I was introduced to Lord Peter and Bunter watching Mystery on PBS back in the 70s.  I have read some of the novels, but not lately.  I did just watch the adaptation of Clouds of Witness on youtube though. I loved it as much as when I first watched it.

[violynn]

 I have to thank my Dad for my British mystery writers addiction.  He probably had all the Golden Age writers in his collections, and those were deemed 'innocent' enough for me to read at 11 or 12.  I think Harriet and Peter were the first couple I 'shipped', at 13.  It's funny how different I look at that romance now than I did then.  I couldn't believe she turned down his marriage proposal!  He *loved* her.  So naive, so young.  

I think what I love about Dorothy Sayers novels is they are so respectful of women's intelligence and choices, especially for that age.  She helped explain mature love to me, and self-respect, and selfish lovers and when I was old enough, mature enough, I had the opportunity to go back and re-experience the novels all over again.  

 

Lord Peter and Bunter!  They are just such a marvelous pair.  Lord Peter and Charles as well.  And yes, the PBS Mystery series was amazing.