Morris BishopKirja-arvosteluja

The Widening Stain is a classic mystery published in 1942. Written by W. Bollingbroke Johnson, pen name of Professor Morris Bishop of Cornell University and set in a university library, it is admittedly somewhat dated but it is also a whole lot of fun. Often with use of limericks, Bishop pokes subtle and sometimes not so subtle tongue-in-cheek humour at the world of academia.

The mystery itself is interesting - two murders and the disappearance of a very rare, very valuable book - but it does move at a slow pace. However, the wonderfully eccentric cast of characters keep this story from losing traction. The main protagonist , Gilda, chief cataloguer and amateur sleuth, especially, makes for a strong woman in what, I suspect would have been a bastion of maleness at the time. The solution itself was a bit dated but, in fairness, likely reflected contemporaneous ideas. Then again many of those beliefs seem to be coming back again so maybe not so dated. Overall, I quite enjoyed this book.

This is the only mystery Bishop wrote and that's a shame because it really deserves a sequel or two. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Todd Menesses who does a terrific job of bringing the characters to life.

I received an audiobook of this novel from Netgalley and Highbridge Audio in exchange for an honest review

**I received an advanced listening copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Johnson's mystery set in an academic library has layers of humor and intrigue, which makes this an overall enjoyable book. Gilda's character was delightful - parts stereotypical librarian but yet parts struggling to break away from the confines of 1940s mores - and I would have loved to read further books featuring Gilda as the amateur sleuth. The quirks of the professors and other library staff were amusing, and the mystery itself held my interest. A great example of a classic mystery novel, and I can see why Penzler Publishers selected this as part of the American Mystery Classics series.

As for the voice narration, it took me some time to adapt to the various voices and characterizations. Admittedly, it is not often I listen to a male reader - it just seems the books I listen to tend to be voiced by a female - so it takes me some time to adapt to the narration. However, once I did, I thought it was well done.

Two suspicious deaths and a rare-book theft at a university library would normally be the purview of the police, but in this case Gilda Gorham, chief cataloguer at the library, feels compelled to investigate. Normally I am skeptical of amateur sleuths, but Gilda was mostly sensible in her sleuthing. That said, the means by which she got the killer to confess was rather dangerous, and I wasn’t fond of the way that the solution was revealed. The introduction to this book in its American Mystery Classics reprint is really interesting and well worth reading, as is the book if you like mysteries set in an academic environment.½

Apologies for this herky-jerky babble. First coffee of the day. Just finished this novel this morning as I couldn't quite do it last night. Had to know how it ended.

W. Bolingbroke Johnson of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky was really Morris Bishop, scholar, historian, essayist and translator. This is the only mystery he wrote, more's the pity. Yes, it's a bit dated (1942) perhaps that's part of why I liked it. You know, this could easily be a period play along the lines of "Good News". It would be a stretch to work in the jitterbug in lieu of the Varsity Drag as the story hardly leaves the library. Hmm. Maybe some clever playwright could make it into a murder mystery musical. Singing in the stacks like prisoners in Jailhouse Rock? I can see it. It sure feels like a play.
The story takes place in a university library (presumably Cornell; Bishop was the university historian). The central character is a plucky librarian, Gilda Gorham. Gilda is a keen observer, clever, and gutsy. Despite some undertones of sexism (the assumption at the end is she must marry a professor--it seems inevitable and almost arbitrary, as though she could just pull a name from a jar and be satisfied with the result) Two professors are found dead and a cherished manuscript is stolen. Gilda is no wilting hothouse flower. She solves the murders and confronts the killer with an admirable level of confidence.

The mystery withholds much information, so it's unlikely that one could unravel the whodunnit or at least the underlying motive before it is revealed. The motive is a bit of a surprise; can't say I've run across this explanation before. It's a good one. Would it hold up in modern times? I wonder.
One of the satellite professors in Gilda's world is a limerick fancier, so the book is dusted with clever limericks-- a perk if you like them and these are playful, not overly bawdy.

Conclusion: This would appeal to mystery lovers who enjoy an academic setting. I didn't know "bibliomystery" was a sub-genre. This is a fun one.
Bravo Otto Penzler for bringing it back for new audiences.

44. Petrarch and His World by Morris Bishop
illustrations: Alison Mason Kingsbury
published: 1964
format: 380-page hardcover
acquired: December
read: Sep 4-21
time reading: 17:51, 2.8 mpp
rating: 4
locations: 1300’s Bologna, Avignon, Vaucluse, Rome, Milan, Padua, Venice, Arquà…
about the author:1893-1973 An American professor at Cornell, and WWI veteran who grew up in Brantford, Ontario, Geneva, NY and Yonkers NY.

More Petrarch. Maybe this will be the end. This is second biography I have read of Petrarch this year. This one is older, from 1964, and by a 1930‘s translator of Petrarch‘s Canzoniere [[Morris Bishop]] (His translation is titled [12475823::Love Rimes of Petrarch]). What I got out of this was a reminder that Petrarch led an interesting life, that he left behind extensive personal writings in the voice of someone who sounds modern and familiar, even exposing their inner insecurities. The first modern man (or at least the earliest one widely identified, or maybe just the first person to come across as relatable). The biography is well done, with extensive interesting, translated sections from his letters and works. (and lovely illustrations by the author‘s spouse, Alison Mason Kingsbury). It‘s not, however, the translator‘s critique of the Canzonierre that I was maybe hoping for.

2021
https://www.librarything.com/topic/333774#7612222

1942 After a university President's party, Chief Cataloguer Gilda Gorham discovers a body in the library. Later another body is discovered in a locked room. Is there a connection, what could be the motives, and who is the guilty party. Gilda seems determined to find the answer.
Overall an enjoyable tongue-in-cheek murder mystery, with its likeable characters and a cast of suspects.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found this so-so as a mystery, but some of the little satires on college life were quite amusing. And as an alumna of Cornell I quite enjoyed trying to figure out which buildings the various bits were sent in.

K-4

Some very silly things going on here, but as a librarian and a lifelong reader and mystery lover, you have to love it.

This is an easy read, not an academic work. It’s also not a chronological account of the middle ages, but an episodic biography.

Most of this appealed to me, except Chapters 8 (the Life of Thought) & 9 (focuses on art & music). That’s just my taste, though, & not a reflection on the author’s writing.

Worth a read if you’re interested in the middle ages, unless you need something more scholarly.

This was a very nice, fairly comprehensive view of the whole Middle Ages. The book was divided into very helpful chapters, each detailing a different aspect of life: i.e. Religion, Art, the peasants life, the noble's life, the knight's life, etc.

While the book was dense, that was only because it held so much useful information. A very great guide to an overview of that time period.

Like your British grandfather telling stories by the fire. There are no notes or references, so who knows how accurate this is, but Bishop's a good storyteller.

Gripping. An amazing story of human suffering and triumph.

I picked this book up knowing nothing of Cabeza de Vaca. I had only the slightest inclination that it might be something I would like based on my minimal Spanish. The odyssey of the Cow Head I thought might be worth it. Turns out the Cow Head name is the least interesting part of the story.

As many others did in the 1500s he came to America seeking fame fortune etc. His first trip ended disastrously after being badly unprepared. Most of his fellow travelers were killed (some eaten). He became a slave to multiple different tribes over several years and eventually in a weird turn of events had tribes of Indians as his virtual servants, ferrying him south into Mexico. Eventually he escaped back to the Old World. This would have been adventure enough for me, but not for Cabeza de Vaca. He travelled back to South America to again seek his fortune. I'll leave the ending for you to discover but suffice it to say it's just as unusual.

In an American University Library the body of a member of staff is discovered. She has been pushed and has fallen several floors to her death.
Miss Gilda Gorham,who is the chief cataloguer in the library, also fancies herself as a sleuth,so decides to discover the murderer. It is not long,however,before another murder occurs. There is also a spot of blackmail going on,which further complicates the matter.
What makes this more than usually entertaining,is the way that the Library and the workings thereof are described. This is regretfully the only excursion into crime fiction by this author,who had the lightness of touch to make comic crime really work.½

This is one of the most enjoyable introductions to the middle ages. I recommend it to a beginner as a good overview.

One of the most accessible history books I have read, being a non-History specialist.

A nice conscise history of the Middle Ages. The book covers chivalry, religion, philosophy, society, etc.

Edition: // Descr: 399 p. : ill. 22.5 cm. // Series: Call No. { } Contains Bibliography and Notes and Index. // //