Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collections
Publication
Avon (1963), Mass Market Paperback
Description
Fiction. Mystery. The dignified calm of the Bellona Club is shattered when Lord Peter Wimsey finds General Fentiman dead in his favourite chair. A straighforward death by natural causes? Perhaps... but why can no-one rememeber seeing the general the day he died? And who is the mysterious Mr Oliver? Lord Peter moves between London and Paris, salon and suburbs, to unfold the intriguing case. The elegant, intelligent amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey is one of detective literature's most popular creations. Ian Carmichael is the personification of Dorothy L. Sayers' charming investigator in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Kasthu
I’ve been meaning to read more Dorothy Sayers for a while; but when Susan hill mentioned it in Howards End is on the Landing, I knew that this had to be the next to read.
In the years just after WWI, an old military man (a veteran of the Crimea) dies in his club. Although it would seem that he
Of her early Lord Peter mysteries, this one is undoubtedly Sayers’s best. She seems to have gotten better and better with each book she wrote, and she really perfected her art with this book. She deals with not only the petty stuff, but the larger things that were going on in he world at the time; in this novel, although WWI is ten years past, it’s still very much on people’s minds. George and Robert Fentiman, grandsons of the General, are perfect examples of this; George has been extremely affected by experiences in the trenches, while Robert escaped untouched.
Dorothy Sayers has a very subtle sense of wit; what I love about Lord Peter is his dryness. You almost have to be looking in order to find the humor in this book, but it’s well-worth it when you do. We learn more about Lord Peter’s experience during WWI and his relationship with Bunter, too—surely one of the most patient butlers in fiction.
In the years just after WWI, an old military man (a veteran of the Crimea) dies in his club. Although it would seem that he
Show More
died of natural causes, Lord Peter Wimsey determines that he was murdered; and he sets out to prove not only the time of death but the manner in which the General died. At stake is money, and who will inherit it.Of her early Lord Peter mysteries, this one is undoubtedly Sayers’s best. She seems to have gotten better and better with each book she wrote, and she really perfected her art with this book. She deals with not only the petty stuff, but the larger things that were going on in he world at the time; in this novel, although WWI is ten years past, it’s still very much on people’s minds. George and Robert Fentiman, grandsons of the General, are perfect examples of this; George has been extremely affected by experiences in the trenches, while Robert escaped untouched.
Dorothy Sayers has a very subtle sense of wit; what I love about Lord Peter is his dryness. You almost have to be looking in order to find the humor in this book, but it’s well-worth it when you do. We learn more about Lord Peter’s experience during WWI and his relationship with Bunter, too—surely one of the most patient butlers in fiction.
Show Less
LibraryThing member thorold
When an elderly retired general is found dead behind his newspaper in an armchair at the Bellona Club and Lord Peter Wimsey happens to be on the spot, the reader has a pretty good idea that it will turn out not to be a simple case of death from natural causes.
I found this one less interesting than
I found this one less interesting than
Show More
some of the other Wimsey stories seen purely as a detective story -- in the end, I didn't find myself very interested in who did it -- but it is worth reading for Sayers' sympathetic portrayal of the after-effects of World War I. Show Less
LibraryThing member JaneSteen
Where I got the book: my bookshelf. A re-read.
I have grown to love this Lord Peter Wimsey mystery because of its somberness, although I remember that when I first read it as a teen I found it uninteresting. Amazing how history (and, therefore, literature) becomes more complex and interesting as you
This novel is set against the background of the aftermath of World War I, hence its more realistic, sober tone than the earlier novels. LPW comes very well out of this book, with far fewer fantastic speeches or superhuman feats of everything than some of the Wimsey novels are prone to. I feel, though, that the writing's a little rougher than usual, as if Sayers were on a short deadline.
Another thing that struck me this time round (and I may be completely wrong) is that Ann Dorland, one of the heirs and thus a potential suspect, was a prototype of Harriet Vane, who will turn up in the next novel as LPW's love interest. Ann is an unhappy woman because she's been crossed in love, is a murder suspect but underneath it all (as LPW tells her) is a fine person with good taste. Does that sound familiar, Wimsey fans? Can't help thinking that at some point Sayers thought "hey, there's a little spark there. I could develop it for the next novel".
A good mystery, of course: Sayers is nothing if not ingenious (although this is two times in quick succession that the victim has been an elderly person who would soon die anyway...) But it's the brooding, foggy feel of the book that really gives it its worth. Even Parker (inside whose head we dwell rather disconcertingly at times) seems to be permanently depressed, and the end of the book sort of drifts off into the mist. One to read by a cheerful log fire with a glass of old brandy...
I have grown to love this Lord Peter Wimsey mystery because of its somberness, although I remember that when I first read it as a teen I found it uninteresting. Amazing how history (and, therefore, literature) becomes more complex and interesting as you
Show More
age. The mystery LPW is called on to investigate is the time of death of ancient, doddery General Fentiman, which will make a big financial difference to one or more of three potential heirs. Of course things turn out to be way more complicated than the natural death of a very old soldier...This novel is set against the background of the aftermath of World War I, hence its more realistic, sober tone than the earlier novels. LPW comes very well out of this book, with far fewer fantastic speeches or superhuman feats of everything than some of the Wimsey novels are prone to. I feel, though, that the writing's a little rougher than usual, as if Sayers were on a short deadline.
Another thing that struck me this time round (and I may be completely wrong) is that Ann Dorland, one of the heirs and thus a potential suspect, was a prototype of Harriet Vane, who will turn up in the next novel as LPW's love interest. Ann is an unhappy woman because she's been crossed in love, is a murder suspect but underneath it all (as LPW tells her) is a fine person with good taste. Does that sound familiar, Wimsey fans? Can't help thinking that at some point Sayers thought "hey, there's a little spark there. I could develop it for the next novel".
A good mystery, of course: Sayers is nothing if not ingenious (although this is two times in quick succession that the victim has been an elderly person who would soon die anyway...) But it's the brooding, foggy feel of the book that really gives it its worth. Even Parker (inside whose head we dwell rather disconcertingly at times) seems to be permanently depressed, and the end of the book sort of drifts off into the mist. One to read by a cheerful log fire with a glass of old brandy...
Show Less
LibraryThing member Helenliz
A re-read. I've gone through all of the Wimsey books more than once - and they're still a good read. In this one a very old general is found dead in his chair on Armistice day. And at first glance nothing seems too badly wrong. Until it's revealed that his sister also died that day and the order of
Show More
the deaths makes a massive different to the distribution of funds - to the tune of half a million £. And so Wimsey, as a member of the club and fried of the family, is invited to have a little nose around and see what he can't discover. He makes the point that once started, you can't cover up what's been found, but is told to proceed anyway. And so he does. the three main beneficiaries are all suspects to a certain extent, but there is a certain amount of water muddying between different people's actions. All nicely convoluted, but sufficiently intellectual that it's a puzzle to solve. Show Less
LibraryThing member dknippling
A reread.
I love this book as a mystery - all kinds of classic stuff - but by the time you figure out the first mystery, you're thrown into a second.
A small problem - When did the dead gent at the club die? - becomes gradually more and more complex, until it all collapses into a solution at the
I love this book as a mystery - all kinds of classic stuff - but by the time you figure out the first mystery, you're thrown into a second.
A small problem - When did the dead gent at the club die? - becomes gradually more and more complex, until it all collapses into a solution at the
Show More
end of the book. It's a lovely piece of music :) Show Less
LibraryThing member Figgles
I reread this as it seemed like a good read for November the 11th - the novel begins with the death of an aged General in the Bellona Club on Armistice day. Lord Peter Wimsey is called in to acertain the time of death and untangles a net of deception and murder, driven by a squabble over a huge
Show More
inheritance. Nicely written, with an interesting sideline on bohemian London in the 20s as well as a sympathetic portrayal of a man suffering from what we would now call PTSD. Good solid read. Show Less
LibraryThing member JulesJones
The fourth Lord Peter Wimsey book. It's Armistice Day, and ninety-year-old General Fentiman is found dead in his favourite armchair at his club. Unsurprising for a man of his age, but it turns out that the exact time of death determines who inherits a very large sum of money, for his sister died on
That the case begins on Armistice Day is directly relevant to the plot, because Lord Peter isn't the only shell-shock victim amongst the cast. The book was written and set in 1928, the tenth anniversary of the end of the war. As with the first book of the series, there is a fine and chilling description of what the Great War did to some of the survivors, but here it's not just one scene. The whole book is suffused with the after-effects of the war, not just on the soldiers who served in the trenches, but on their whole society. There's an entertaining mystery to be had here, but it's wrapped in a superb portrait of 1928 England. The book is by turns heart-breaking and heart-warming, as Sayers turns in a virtuoso display of showing rather than telling what has happened to even the characters who on the surface seem unscathed.
Show More
the same day. Lord Peter happens to be on the scene, and thus gets involved when it seems merely a matter of sorting out the inheritance, but the case gradually takes on a more sinister aspect as Lord Peter realises that he may be investigating a murder.That the case begins on Armistice Day is directly relevant to the plot, because Lord Peter isn't the only shell-shock victim amongst the cast. The book was written and set in 1928, the tenth anniversary of the end of the war. As with the first book of the series, there is a fine and chilling description of what the Great War did to some of the survivors, but here it's not just one scene. The whole book is suffused with the after-effects of the war, not just on the soldiers who served in the trenches, but on their whole society. There's an entertaining mystery to be had here, but it's wrapped in a superb portrait of 1928 England. The book is by turns heart-breaking and heart-warming, as Sayers turns in a virtuoso display of showing rather than telling what has happened to even the characters who on the surface seem unscathed.
Show Less
LibraryThing member KimMR
I really love this book. For an unpretentious 1920s mystery novel, it really has a lot going on. There's the mystery itself, which has enough twists and turns to remain interesting. (I didn't guess the outcome, which is always a plus!). Then there is the social commentary: the plight of World War I
Show More
veterans, the effects of poverty and unemployment, the changing role of women in society, relationships between men and women. And of course there is Peter Wimsey: intelligent, intuitive, funny and compassionate. Some scenes from this novel will remain with me for a long time: George Fentiman's breakdown, Peter's argument with Charles Parker, the easy camaraderie between Peter and Marjorie Phelps and Peter's conversation with Miss Dorland. Reading this book - and Dorothy L Sayers' other novels - makes me so much wish that I had known the author. What an interesting mind she had. Show Less
LibraryThing member Larou
Reading Dorothy Sayers’ story collection Lord Peter Views the Body got me wondering about just how much her Lord Peter Wimsey series might be influenced by her Catholicism. Not in the sense of them being inspirational fiction, or in any way preachy, but in the way her religious beliefs infuse the
Compared to that, there seems to be a shift in Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club - although I cannot tell whether this is due to Dorothy Sayers changing her views, or to the greater length of the novel allowing more space for subtlety and nuance. The world described is still mostly a valley of tears, but the creatures that inhabit it are for the most part not so much evil as frail. It is like the world kept pushing and pushing and pushing at every individual, until those that are too weak or brittle eventually break, cave in or shatter, with only the strongest having a chance to withstand the constant pressure. And there is no exception to that, even Lord Peter is missing his usual joyful hedonism in this novel and appears unusually listless throughout. It should be kept in mind, though, that the main reason the world appears as harsh as it is, are the after-effects of the First World War that extend even to those who took no part in the fighting – which of course implies that it is man who causes the suffering after all.
The best part of Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, however, is its beginning which is utterly brilliant both as opening puzzle for a whodunnit and as a striking emblem of the state of the British Empire at the time. It is wonderfully done, a scene nobody who has read it is likely to forget – maybe even a bit too brilliant as it threatens to outshine the rest of the novel and make the further events seem somewhat drab.
Show More
worldview of the series. In the earlier post I had noticed that this was rather bleak, due mostly to the characters ranging from unlikeable to outright evil.Compared to that, there seems to be a shift in Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club - although I cannot tell whether this is due to Dorothy Sayers changing her views, or to the greater length of the novel allowing more space for subtlety and nuance. The world described is still mostly a valley of tears, but the creatures that inhabit it are for the most part not so much evil as frail. It is like the world kept pushing and pushing and pushing at every individual, until those that are too weak or brittle eventually break, cave in or shatter, with only the strongest having a chance to withstand the constant pressure. And there is no exception to that, even Lord Peter is missing his usual joyful hedonism in this novel and appears unusually listless throughout. It should be kept in mind, though, that the main reason the world appears as harsh as it is, are the after-effects of the First World War that extend even to those who took no part in the fighting – which of course implies that it is man who causes the suffering after all.
The best part of Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, however, is its beginning which is utterly brilliant both as opening puzzle for a whodunnit and as a striking emblem of the state of the British Empire at the time. It is wonderfully done, a scene nobody who has read it is likely to forget – maybe even a bit too brilliant as it threatens to outshine the rest of the novel and make the further events seem somewhat drab.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
It's OK. Lots of people jumping through lots of hoops. Robert being too clever for his own good, for instance. But it came out OK. I'd forgotten that Peter's classic offer was in this one too. And the actual question was nicely tricky...
LibraryThing member Crowyhead
It's unpleasant enough when members of the Bellona Club discover that the elderly General Fentiman has apparently passed away in front of the fire. But unpleasantness continues when, due to some complications of inheritance, it becomes necessary to acertain when exactly the good general passed on
Show More
-- and Lord Peter finds it may have been earlier, and in different circumstances, than anyone previously thought. This is a great puzzler, which takes the conventions of the detective genre and uses them to great advantage. Show Less
LibraryThing member kellyn
Ninety-year old General Fendman is found dead in his favorite chair at the Bellana Club. The time of his death will determine who will receive a half-million-pound inheritance. Lord Peter takes up the investigation and, of course, solves the mystery. I read this twice in the summer of 2007 and
Show More
thoroughly enjoyed the story both times. Show Less
LibraryThing member horacewimsey
Unpleasantness, indeed. You've got to love the British knack for understatement. From the title, one might get the impression that someone passed gas, not that a murder had been committed.
A very good read, like all of Sayer's Lord Peter series.
A very good read, like all of Sayer's Lord Peter series.
LibraryThing member ffortsa
one of the truly classic Peter Wimsey mysteries -a witty upperclass English romp.
LibraryThing member mmyoung
In this reviewer’s opinion this would have been a better book had it been a mystery without a murder. The question that Wimsey is initially engaged to answer--when did General Fentiman die--provided Wimsey (and his author) a perfectly adequate excuse to investigate the lives of the various
Show More
Fentimans and the many people for whom the ultimate determination of the time of death would have a large monetary consequence. Sayers once again gives a vivid description of what we would now diagnose as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and she gives a chillingly accurate look at the desperation of a husband and wife caught in a cycle of enabling and psychological strife. Reading the book one can feel the desperation of the class of men (and women) who had been brought up in a world that limited the number of acceptable careers but provided most members of the gentry with adequate incomes and now found themselves in a world where those incomes were no longer adequate and acceptable jobs were hard to find. Show Less
LibraryThing member nohablo
Very clever and very sharp.
LibraryThing member Helen.Callaghan
Another dose of rollicking good fun from the slightly affected but still likeable Lord Peter Wimsey. An old fossil at the Bellona Club is found dead, his newspaper in hand, and it's assumed he's simply gone off from natural causes. A question over his sister's will, however, soon brings out that
I read this in a day or so. While Lord Peter is unbearably silly (living up to his name) he's also fairly sharp and frequently kind, so spending time with him is always a pleasure.
Show More
not everything is as simple as it seems.I read this in a day or so. While Lord Peter is unbearably silly (living up to his name) he's also fairly sharp and frequently kind, so spending time with him is always a pleasure.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
Premise of the story: Old so and so (90 year old General Fentiman) has keeled over in the Bellona Club. Because the old codger had a heart condition and was so old people assume he died of natural causes until his estranged sister's will is discovered. If he dies before Lady Dormer a distant
Show More
relative would get her inheritance. If he dies after Lady Dormer he would get the inheritance. Since they both die on the same day suddenly it matters very much exactly when General Fentiman passed. Down to the minute. Did he die before or after Lady Dormer? When it is discovered that General Fentiman was murdered aristocrat and amateur detective Lord Peter Wimsey (don't you just love that name?) is called in to solve the mystery. The best part about this book is that it is really, really funny whether you read it or listen to it. Show Less
LibraryThing member antiquary
To me, one of the better Wimsey novels, chiefly for its setting in an ultra-British club for military men on Armistice Day (the place and time both being significant clues to one aspect of the mystery) , though the murderer reminds me of the one in Whose Body; also there is some depressingly
Show More
realistic material about the effects of the war on a young British officer and his long-suffering wife. Show Less
LibraryThing member themulhern
This is a review of the BBC radio dramatization. I suspect the book is superior. The murderer says "Right-o" in a bright sort of voice, even when he's just agreed to commit suicide.
LibraryThing member justchris
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club is another apparent death of natural causes that unravels into tampering with a corpse and murder. Like Unnatural Death, the motivation revolves around securing an inheritance. In this instance, Lord Peter’s lawyer, Mr. Murbles asks him to ascertain the time
Show More
of death of General Fentiman, who appeared to pass away in his sleep in front of the fire in Bellona Club on Armistice Day. Both younger Fentimans and Dr. Penberthy, the family doctor, are also members are on scene in the Bellona Club when old General Fentiman is discovered, and all play key roles in ensuing events. The question is whether he predeceased his estranged sister, Felicity Dormer, who died after a prolonged illness around the same time after their deathbed rapprochement. If so, the bulk of her estate will pass to her niece, Miss Ann Dorland, who dabbles in art and science. If not, then the bulk of her estate will pass to his grandsons, bachelor Captain George Fentiman (on active duty) and Robert Fentiman, married and disabled after war injuries, including PTSD, and dependent on his wife’s employment income. Lord Peter warns Mr. Murbles that he might not like the outcome of the investigation, and it might not be in the best interest of the Fentimans, his clients. Mr. Murbles insists on the integrity of his clients and the importance of the truth. The investigation involves a mysterious witness, an exhumation, a detective agency following leads in mainland Europe, a shifty-looking lawyer and legal assistant. Lord Peter uses his connection (Marjorie Phelps, the ceramicist) in the artsy/intelligentsia community to get a handle on Ann Dorland’s character and motivations. The murderer and other principle actors display varying degrees of remorse and regret. Bunter is involved early on by pretending to be a journalist to photograph the club interior, but Charles Parker doesn’t show up until about a third of the way into the story. Colonel Marchbank is a recurring minor character who was one of the guests in Clouds of Witness and is the reason for Lord Peter’s presence in the Bellona Club at the beginning of this story. The tabloid journalists show up again too. The minor recurring characters provide valuable continuity among the various stories. Another perpetrator who feels remorse, or at least that there’s only one way to make the situation better, thanks to Lord Peter’s convincing argumentation. Show Less
LibraryThing member sriemann
Thought I had this one figured out... but I was following one of the red herrings that the author had cleverly used. Will be looking for the next Wimsey.
LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
Acceptable without being particularly awesome. It was hard to get too worked up about the murder, since everyone seemed to agree that because the old boy was 90ish it didn't much matter that he had died, the only question was exactly when - and that only because it affected his sisters' will.
Show More
Several of the characters are flat unlikeable, and the various twists were not all that compelling. That said, Wimsey himself is always entertaining. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers was both an engaging and intriguing read. The unpleasantness in the title refers to the discovery of the body of ninety-year-old General Fentiman sitting in a chair in this gentleman’s club. Luckily Lord Peter Wimsey is also a member and he
This is a very layered mystery, at first the goal is simply to ascertain the time of death, as the inheritance of over a half-million pounds relies on knowing this important fact. But as the investigation gathers momentum it is soon clear that some very nasty business has taken place and it is up to Lord Peter to discover and reveal the truth.
This was one of my favorite Dorothy Sayers, both entertaining and humorous with a fascinating plot. It was interesting to see how the solution was arrived at in this time before detailed forensics and scientific analysis had advanced beyond the mere basics.
Show More
is on hand to investigate.This is a very layered mystery, at first the goal is simply to ascertain the time of death, as the inheritance of over a half-million pounds relies on knowing this important fact. But as the investigation gathers momentum it is soon clear that some very nasty business has taken place and it is up to Lord Peter to discover and reveal the truth.
This was one of my favorite Dorothy Sayers, both entertaining and humorous with a fascinating plot. It was interesting to see how the solution was arrived at in this time before detailed forensics and scientific analysis had advanced beyond the mere basics.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rocalisa
There's absolutely nothing wrong with this book. I've read it before and really, really liked it. I just wasn't in the mood this time around.
Language
Original publication date
1928
Physical description
192 p.; 7 inches
ISBN
0380409984 / 9780380409983
Local notes
Lord Peter, 05
DDC/MDS
| Fic Mystery Sayers |