| Title | : | The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (Inspector Morse #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0804114870 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780804114875 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 288 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1977 |
The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (Inspector Morse #3) Reviews
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The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn, the third novel about Inspector Morse, moves outside the Colleges to an independent organisation - The Oxford Examinations Syndicate - which runs exams for overseas students. The eponymous Nicholas Quinn is a recently appointed employee, though the decision by the committee had only been made after some disagreement, which hinged on the fact that he was profoundly deaf.
The novel centres round the small group of people working at this establishment, where there is a murder - and then a secondary murder. There are occasional visits to the Radcliffe hospital (where the narrator makes his views on modern architecture crystal clear) and a rather sleazy cinema, but otherwise the setting is the Syndicate building. And the fusty, claustrophobic feeling of a small, rather oldfashioned institution whose sole purpose is to make money by getting so-so students through exams, is conveyed very well.
What I disliked yet again about this novel, was the narrator's misogyny. It was published in 1977, and I had really hoped by now that Dexter would not still be viewing his female characters in such a shallow way. Morse is depicted as unpleasant throughout; bad-tempered, arrogant, viewing every female he meets in terms of their "bedworthiness", and only grudgingly covering his true feelings to all and sundry with a thin veneer of politeness. Sometimes he does not even bother with this, behaving in an appalling manner to Lewis (who well knows his moods, but wishes he wasn't "so coarse".) On one occasion he actually calls a female witness a "whore" to her face. (We are led to believe that this is because he is attracted to her himself, which means that he has not only double but probably triple standards.) This is certainly an antidote to the "gentleman detective" who has hitherto been so standard in British detective fiction.
It is difficult, but not impossible, to reconcile this side of Morse with his skill at crosswords, or fiendishly devious mind. (Other intellectual pursuits seem so far to have been inserted by scriptwriters in the TV versions.) What is unacceptable is that the narrator himself shares this tits-and-bum view of females. If a new male character is introduced we have a straightforward description. Sometimes there is not even that. The character is gradually built up and revealed through the telling of the story. A familiar and perfectly acceptable way of writing a novel. But a female character? No - the process is very different. There will probably be a few loaded words of description to sum them up; an instant judgement. Additionally they will be there solely to fulfil a role adjunct to the male characters. There is one exception - Monica Height - who is the token female in the academic establishment. The fact that Dexter has decided she is sexy, and that every male is besotted with her, is thrust down our throat at every opportunity. Women are a distraction. Men cannot help but be at the mercy of their baser instincts. There are 2 sorts of women - those who know this and capitalise on it ("whores") and those who are dowdy and stupid. This seems to be Dexter's world view in a nutshell. Dexter's - not Morse's. Morse is frequently nowhere around when the narrator is pontificating.
The reader may wonder whether it is worth reading these rather sad, sleazy novels, with the characters - including the coppers - indulging in voyeuristic viewings of a film about a busty nymphomaniac. (Sigh. Please keep your own fantasies outside your novels Mr Dexter.) However the plot is rather good. I would have preferred it though if the ending had been written in a more straightforward way; not with the action all being reported. There is a long exposition at the end, where Morse goes through at length, and in great detail, how he sees the crimes having been committed. This is rather reminiscent of Agatha Christie's Poirot. True to form, Morse has made so many inspired guesses that turn out to be incorrect, that the convoluted ending is far from clear. It is one of the more enjoyable parts of the characterisation, however, that Morse gets his results from inspired guesswork, leaving the detail and hard work to Lewis. The contrast makes for an entertaining read.
Incidentally, for Morseophiles, this is the first novel where it is noticed that nobody knows Morse's first name. Lewis comments on it. It is also the first novel where there is a brief mention of Lewis's wife.
Almost a quarter through the series, the reader has to expect that the characters have now been broadly determined. The plots are definitely worth sticking with, and the sense of place is quite good. It is really of small account that the main character is disagreeable. But it is to be hoped that the narrator (who does seem to speak with the author's voice) does not continue to have such a heavy-handed presence in the rest of these novels, given that he has such prejudicial views.
Edit: May 2015
It is worth adding a comment here, as I have now read and reviewed all 13, and the novels do indeed get better! I suspect John Thaw's interpretation of Morse's character may have fed into
Colin Dexter's future portrayal of him. I'm also now rewatching the entire TV series, which adds yet another dimension. -
Colin Dexter's third novel featuring Oxford's Chief Inspector Morse is another complex puzzle surrounding the murder of a man named Nicholas Quinn. Quinn is deaf, and he's recently been hired by the Foreign Examinations Syndicate, which supervises Oxford Colleges' examinations for students who live overseas.
It appears that someone may be selling the examinations and that Quinn may have discovered the scandal. But before he can do anything about it, someone slips poison into his Sherry. The other members of the syndicate are, naturally, the obvious suspects, and as Morse begins to sort through their secrets and rivalries, things get increasingly curious--and dangerous.
This is a typical entry in the series and it will appeal to those readers who enjoy British mysteries which really consist of puzzles to be solved by the lead detective. I enjoy reading one of these occasionally, but those who like their crime fiction on the more hard-boiled side might want to look elsewhere. -
I was sitting in the hospital with my kindle app, fully loaded, only to find that I could not connect to the wi-fi and could therefore only open books I had already downloaded to the library. There were three…and one of them was the third book in the Colin Dexter series of Inspector Morse stories. As everyone here is a reader, everyone will understand that I would rather read that than not read at all…so, I found myself committed to an unintended book.
I’m kind of glad it happened, because I had decided that I would just pass on any more of the Morse novels. The first two were so-so, but very disappointing in terms of what I had expected. The third was a marked improvement. The overall story was much more captivating and I found myself caught up in trying to solve the mystery before the reveal. Aside from the fact that Dexter apparently thought Morse should salivate every time an ample breast is revealed (and they are revealed far too frequently for my tastes), the novel was a bit above average grade.
I’m giving it a 3.5 and rounding down, while the first two were 2.5’s rounded up. They all settle at 3-stars, but this one is by far the best of the three. Again, not anxious to acquire book four, but it is encouraging to think that they got better as Dexter progressed. Hey, maybe Morse will even begin to get control of his urges and see women in a less misogynistic perspective before the series is concluded. -
4 stars - English Ebook
Morse had never ceased to wonder why, with the staggering advances in medical science, all pronouncements concerning times of death seemed so disconcertingly vague.
The newly appointed member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate was deaf, provincial and gifted. Now he is dead . . .
And his murder, in his north Oxford home, proves to be the start of a formidably labyrinthine case for Chief Inspector Morse, as he tries to track down the killer through the insular and bitchy world of the Oxford Colleges.
Walked the grounds of many oxford collages. Loved this novel to. Puzzle making, classic music lover Morse and his great side-kick Lewis. -
I had come across this book as one of the best among mysteries in many lists, the latest being a booklist by Peter Swanson where a literarily inclined father tells his son that this is one of the 5 best college /educational institute background mysteries . This made me determined to read it asap, and when I encountered it in storytel , immediately started listening to the audiobook. Never did find it scintillating , moreover it was mildly boring most of the time. I took a dislike to inspector Morse, especially as he berated one of the female staff and called her a slut. This smacked of extreme gender discrimination, and from there ( not necessarily due to this very fact) things went downhill.
I somehow completed the audiobook and heaved a sigh of relief when it ended.
Nicholas Quinn is a deaf English teacher who is hired by an educational syndicate who teaches and sets exam questions for foreign students , mostly in the middle East, and there is some opposition when he is hired. Soon he is found dead and Inspector Morse comes into picture. -
le gioie della quarantena: la nuova stagione de "il giovane ispettore morse" su paramount e scoprire che in casa hai un libro di dexter che non avevi ancora letto.
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I have been assured by Colin Dexter fans that the Inspector Morse series gets better as it goes along and so I read the third book in the series, though not without qualms. Published in 1977, the book is set in the claustrophobic world of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate and centres on the murder of a deaf academic. The case is as labyrinthine as the earlier two books in the series, but in this instalment Inspector Morse seems less like a bumbling fool and more like a man gifted with the ability to make intuitive leaps of deduction. He and Sergeant Lewis seem more in tune with each other, with Lewis providing the dogged methodical police work. And my major gripe with the series so far – Morse’s sexist attitudes to women – is a little less acute in this book (perhaps because there is only one female character). The books have an oddly old-fashioned feel about them, because of their lack of forensic evidence and modern-day technology, and also because of Dexter’s writing style. He was born in 1930, in the midst of the ‘Golden Age’ of detective fiction, and his books have the same feel of being a cerebral puzzle as writers like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers (whose work I admire enormously). It is this aspect of Dexter’s work that I enjoy – the task of pitting my brains against Inspector Morse’s. I have to admit that Morse won. I had no idea who the murderer was until the very end, which offered a most satisfying twist. Of the three Colin Dexter books I have read in recent weeks, this was the most enjoyable. It is up to Colin Dexter fans to convince me to keep on reading the series.
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A newly appointed member of the Oxford Examinations Board, the gifted, provincial and deaf Nicholas Quin is found murdered, leading Morse and Lewis to try and determine the truth amongst the portrayal of a very insular, highly competitive and bitchy world of academia. 6 out of 12
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There's something about these that keeps drawing me back to them, despite the fact that I don't really like Morse at all, or find him particularly impressive as a detective.
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Oh dear Mr Dexter. You won't of course read this having passed six years ago. I have been revisiting the early days of Inspector Morse and this is number three. Perplexing? Bemusing? I am close to saying - boring. Sorry, but I struggled to maintain a level of enthusiasm to finish The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn - could almost say it fell on deaf ears (dreadful pun, I know).
The Oxford Colleges - home of the privileged few, and the deaf, provincial and gifted Nicholas Quinn, the newly appointed member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate. And now he is dead...
Noted as a formidably labyrinthine case for Chief Inspector Morse and that poor schmuck DS Lewis who trots around behind his boss having nothing much to add to the investigation as Morse tries to track down the killer through this world of Oxford academia. One train of thought and more hits the buffers and Morse at times seems to lose interest as he struggles with one possible solution after another. Frankly, the plot lost me and became something of a yawn until perhaps the ending, a somewhat Poirot like disclosure of the facts that Morse has finally resolved, after many pints of ale!
I am not sure that I want to continue on this journey through the early Morse procedurals if they are not a great deal better than this... -
This is a particularly sordid little mystery, involving the hiring of a deaf person to the syndicate in charge foreign examinations; systematic cheating on these same exams; an adulterous affair, and who went to see an X-rated movie. Morse has it all wrapped up with the guilty parties in jail, when he suddenly realizes one of the parties is innocent.
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Vaguely remember some parts of the book in the tv adaptation another classic Morse story though not one of my favourites however always makes me laugh when him and Lewis go to a good English pub
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The murder on Nicholas Quinn, a practically deaf secretary of an Oxford institution that conducts examinations abroad. Almost all the supervisors of Quin appear suspicious. Inspector Morse soon discovers that someone is cheating with the exams and that others are giving false alibi's. Another member is killed in the course of the investigation. Morse commits a number of missteps but still manages to unveil the mystery.
The plot is not that strong because first a completely different, acceptable explanation is given by Morse, who then suddenly changes his mind and focuses on someone till then completely unsuspected. -
In this 3rd book of the Inspector Morse series, for the first time Morse reminds me of the PBS character played by John Thaw. He is less fumbling, although still capable of being wrong, and relies on his intuition less.
Certain aspects of the murder seemed obvious, yet Dexter kept me guessing until the end. -
The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is the 3rd book in the Chief Inspector Morse mystery series by
Colin Dexter. All in all it was an entertaining, well-written, enjoyable story to read.
Nicholas Quinn is a partially deaf man who works for a university agency at Oxford, the Oxford Examination Syndicate. Basically this agency prepares O - level exams for foreign students in foreign countries so they can pass their high school exams and possibly go to university. (In its simplest form) Quinn is newly appointed to this agency. It basically has five members plus admin staff. Each member is responsible for a different subject; history, sciences, English, etc.
Shortly after his appointment, Quinn is found dead in his apartment, seemingly murdered with cyanide. This brings CI Morse and his erstwhile assistant, DS Lewis, on to the case. This begins a fascinating case with possible exam cheating, sexual indiscretions, etc. Morse and Lewis seem to spin their wheels for the early parts as they try to grasp the people involved, what the agency actually does and how the crime could have been committed.
Morse is a fascinating character, on the elderly side of middle-aged, a bit of a misogynist, or maybe he's just a lonely man, and an investigator who relies on his instincts to solve cases. This case is confusing with little side lanes that crop up with possible clues that might influence the case. The 'suspects' are all interesting; Miss Height is a sexy, intelligent manipulator who grabs Morse's attention, Dr Bartlett runs this agency with strict rules and seems to want to make it an honorable, dedicated organization, Mr. Ogleby is a secretive man, intelligent but what's he hiding? Everybody seems to be holding something back. And what does Quinn's upstairs neighbour know? Was she having a relationship with Quinn? And then there is the invigilator in the Arab country of Al-jamara, who had previously held Quinn's position, Mr. Brand. What's he all about?
There are neat little threads that make the story more interesting and teasing. The investigation follows both the plodding interviews and forensic examination (cue Lewis) and bouts of insight and imagination (cue Morse). All in all a most enjoyable, flowing mystery. (4.5 stars) -
i was a superior student in elementary and junior high school because, at my Mother's insistence, i had learned to read early, i collected stamps of the world, played monopoly on rainy days, and grew up in a fairly remote rural setting without a television. we did have a radio which gave us wonderful rainy day stories like the Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows, and Bobby Benson and the B bar B Boys.
But when i arrived to high school i was introduced to real girls, big boy football and fast basketball and baseball and golf, and algebra. i had been a whiz at math up until 9th grade, but with all these other new distractions i couldn't sustain my curiosity about the x's and o's and congruence and hypotenuses of advanced mathematics and soon lost interest.
so it is for me with Colin Dexter's popular Inspector Morse detective stories. i just finished The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn, where two good souls get murdered by some not so good souls. there are suspects by the dozen and clues everywhere, but only Inspector Morse is patient enough and curious enough to sort them all out and catch the culprits.
i enjoyed the beginning and the middle, but the clues overwhelmed me and i couldn't keep up with all the possibilities. those of you who loved to wrestle with algebra, geometry, and trig will most likely also love this mystery. just a wee bit too complicated for my simple mind. i recommend it to all readers over 15 . . . j -
L'ispettore Morse, coadiuvato dal fido Lewis, indaga sull'avvelenamento di un professore sordo di Oxford..
trama arzigogolata, menzogne da smascherare, qualche intoppo: tutto come da copione.
Bella l'ambientazione, come sempre, nei gialli di Colin Dexter. Carino. -
One of the neat features of Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse mysteries is the key role the City of Oxford (and its university and many colleges) plays in the stories. Oxford is not simply the jewel in the crown providing beautiful imagery of spires, gently flowing rivers, and peaceful gardens. It is a complex machine processing thousands of students (and many thousands more who--literally--would kill for the chance to study there and including thousands of dons, administrators, and behind-the-scenes supporters. "The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn" describes the workings of an examinations board that provides English-language exams in all the subjects of study at Oxford to hopeful students around the world. This Foreign Examinations Syndicate must produce exam questions and answers under the strictest secrecy so that there is no possibility of corruption or prejudice in admitting foreign students to the University. The Board members at the Syndicate are experts in their fields of study with experience teaching, studying, and administering exams; appointments to the Board are prized assignments.
When Nicholas Quinn is appointed to the Board of the Foreign Examinations Syndicate, he knows he is fortunate, especially because his near total deafness would seem a prohibitive disability in a job involving many meetings and phone calls. There are compensations, though; Quinn is a skilled lip-reader, although his co-workers don't know this. The Syndicate is administered by its Secretary, Dr. Bartlett, who is a stickler for detail. Dr. Bartlett and the Board members share the ground floor of a building, and, although they are generally aware of each other's movements during they day, there are also some complex personal relationships that are known to some members, whilst others remain blissfully unaware. Relationships with attractive Board member Miss Monica Height, for example, seem plentiful and/or desired by the other, male members of the Board. Activities such as sneaking off to see questionable films at a neighbouring cinema, for example, provide significant clues in the mystery that develops and to the true personalities of the characters involved.
One stormy, dreadful day, Mr. Quinn is found murdered by cyanide in his sherry. Chief Inspector Morse and his sidekick Sergeant Lewis are assigned the case and begin asking the usual questions about why, how, when, and by whom Mr. Quinn was murdered. The simplest questions--such as time of death--are the most difficult for Morse and Lewis to determine. Morse's abrasive personality causes the usual complications for Lewis to dance around as does Morse's need to fuel his deductive processes with liberal doses of beer and whiskey. Although Morse never married, he also has a weakness for attractive skirts and legs and is occasionally sidetracked by his early bias in favour of Miss Height. His intense need to solve the mystery always brings Morse back to the case, however, and he recognizes the importance of Quinn's ability to lip-read and begins to see the murder (and further developments) have much wider implications than personal attractions and dislikes and, in fact, point to corruption in the examination process that is international in scope. Will Morse solve the cyanide poisoning before one murder escalates to more? Will suspicion fall on every member of the Syndicate before the murderer is found? Is Dr. Bartlett's perfection truly above reproach? Can the Examinations Syndicate survive the scandal?
Colin Dexter manages to throw numerous false trails in front of his sleuths and readers while never letting loose of Morse's fascinating deductive process. Lewis often gets lost but bravely does the drudge work while studying his mentor and carrying the reader along for the ride. Morse's genius shines brightly as always and just as ancient Oxford architecture sparkles in the background. This story is another great Morse mystery and is not to be missed by readers who like the thrill of the chase. -
A rather complex murder mystery I would say.
Quinn is offered the position at Oxford after much discussion, he is a deaf person you see. So he starts working there, putting to use his skill of reading lips perfectly to understand whats being said, to him, or otherwise. And that's how he is murdered. Who murdered him? He was no harm, right? He could not hear anything. Then what led to his murder. Inspector Morse is appointed to this case quickly, but it takes him much efforts to solve it. Meanwhile, another murder happens. Who is the killer?
As I mentioned above, this is a tangled story with a lot of characters. As and by the mystery unfolds, it becomes a little tedious to follow what exactly was done by whom, and when. Nevertheless it's understandable because the story is revised by Morse, for himself and for others in various ways quite a few times. We find that this particular culprit is quite clever in doing the deed, but he is not actually the murderer. Murderer could be anyone. But he not the one we are talking about in the novel. Morse keeps racking his brains until he reaches the truth. We want to know who the killer is, so we go on with the extremely tight plot, unable to tear away from it.
For me the writing style worked wonders. I loved it. The characters, though quite a handful, were well developed and well placed. The ending could have come quicker though, a few pages quicker actually, but Morse was shown to be revising the complete plot repeatedly. Anyway, whatever the author wishes. :)
People who love such murder mysteries, packed with wit and intelligence, must read this one. -
One of the worst detective stories that I have ever read in my life!! Mr. Colin Dexter, your time should have been better invested doing something you were actually good at instead of writing mumbo-jumbo like this. God! I wish I never had read this utter gibberish in the first place.
Nothing is coherent in this book. Hell, there's not even a clear motive. Quinn is murdered because he could lip-read!! This is a detective story of a kind that has no motive at all. There are HUNDREDS of suspects and uptill the very last of the page, our 'Brilliant' Morse has brainstormed to the point of successfully proving every one of them to be the murderer!! He has no valid clues, no motive, no clear M.O but keeps rambling on about what he thinks could have happened. Poor Lewis! To listen to the ravings of a lunatic!
My god! This stuff should never have gotten published at all!! Nonsense of the first digree. To top it all, the language is lewd, offensive, and The ingenious Inspector Morse has come out as a dim wit who happens to carry a very foul mouth on himself. Why didnt they bowlderize the language is something I cannot understand.
In one sentence- Never read this potboiler, even if you have a death wish. There are far easier ways to die. -
4 stars
This is my third Colin Dexter and am very glad I started reading this series.
The story begins when Nicholas Quinn gets appointed (not unanimously - because though he is qualified, he is deaf) as an administrator to Oxford's Foreign Examinations Syndicate. Before long into the book, Nicholas is murdered. Chief Inspector Morse and Lewis are on the case to figure out who from the closed group of Quinn's colleagues could be the murderer.
As the case progresses, it is interesting to see how Morse and Lewis slowly 'peel the onion' and get past the complex equations among Quinn's colleagues.
I found this book slightly better from the previous book. Morse seemed much more confident in this book and though he made many guesses - he seemed to know what he was doing and seemed able to notice the gaps in his theories.
A good mystery you will finish in couple of days. -
A re-read for me of one of my favorite chief Inspector Morse books. I thought the plot was very innovative and it was something that Colin Dexter must of been very well acquainted with since he worked as an an academic in an examinations bureau in Oxford and was deaf also.
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Indicazioni editoriali
Il terzo romanzo della serie dell’ispettore Morse. Un classico del giallo deduttivo, un rinnovato, elegante, esempio del poliziesco di tradizione inglese.
Non è stato facile per Nicholas Quinn riuscire a ottenere la nomina accademica di membro del Comitato Esami Esteri di Oxford. Il giovane professore era afflitto da una sordità progressiva e questo, a parere di alcuni, avrebbe ostacolato una piena funzionalità. Ma alla fine, tra gelosie e risentimenti, l’aveva spuntata sui candidati concorrenti e aveva intrapreso il compito armato del sussiego e della flemma comune a tutti nell’ambiente del santuario universitario. Un giorno Nicholas viene ritrovato cadavere nel suo appartamento da scapolo. Accanto una bottiglia dello sherry preferito. La causa della morte appare semplice: avvelenamento da cianuro. Ma l’indagine dell’ispettore Morse della Thames Valley Police e del suo aiuto Lewis è tutt’altro che semplice. L’ambiente accademico è oscuro, arcano, reticente; è chiuso in un guscio claustrofobico in cui le domande investigative sembrano prevedibili ma tutto è così vischioso che è impossibile muoversi. Si mescolano motivi di carriera, passioni sessuali, intrighi economici, coinvolgimenti di finanziatori esteri, personaggi dalla vita privata impenetrabile. E poi, del tutto all’improvviso, un secondo inspiegabile omicidio. Un ginepraio per l’ispettore Morse, sempre brusco e bisbetico con il paziente sergente; e sempre affezionato agli intermezzi nei pub dove esporre allo scettico collaboratore la trama dei suoi percorsi mentali.
Il mondo silenzioso di Nicholas Quinn è il terzo romanzo della serie dell’ispettore Morse. Un classico del giallo deduttivo, un rinnovato, elegante, esempio del poliziesco di tradizione inglese. A renderlo tale è il modo inconfondibile di narrare dell’autore. Colin Dexter racconta la sua storia allineando con minuzia i vari fili sparsi dell’intreccio; il compito di ricondurli di volta involta al disegno unitario spetta a Morse e alle sue divagazioni, insieme al calmo Lewis, la sua spalla. La coppia procede con un metodo che si direbbe falsificatorio: accumulano ipotesi, presto smentite da nuovi indizi emergenti, che preludono a nuove ipotesi, e così via quasi nello sforzo ogni volta di dimostrare che si sta sbagliando. E questa circolare tessitura investigativa avvince l’attenzione del lettore, ma insieme dà spazio all’autore per un panorama d’ambiente colto nei particolari tipici, e per caratterizzare ironicamente i personaggi, ognuno nella sua individualità pur entro il gruppo umano di compatta appartenenza.
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Un paio di cose mi attiravano: la promessa, già nel risvolto, che si trattasse di un "giallo deduttivo", e l'ambientazione, Oxford, cui sono legata da tanti ricordi personali.
Ora, non che mi aspettassi la Oxford di Javier Marías (Tutte le anime), meno che mai la Oxford-Christminster di Thomas Hardy (Jude the Obscure), ma su una specie di ritorno di Dame Agatha sì che avevo sperato.
Invece, questo è un giallo talmente deduttivo, ma talmente deduttivo che, di deduzione in deduzione, risulta semplicemente arruffato. Troppo. L'espediente di procrastinare all'infinito la soluzione disturba la lettura e in definitiva annoia. C'è qualcosa di peggio di un giallo deduttivo noioso?
Tenterò con un altro giallo di questo autore che non conoscevo. Pare che in patria Colin Dexter sia popolarissimo, "anche grazie a una fortunata serie televisiva di 33 episodi interpretata da John Thaw e Kevin Whately e trasmessa ininterrottamente dal 1987 al 2000, nella quale lo stesso Dexter - alla maniera di Alfred Hitchcock - è apparso quasi in ogni episodio in un cameo".
Già insegnante di latino, Dexter è stato anche uno dei massimi specialisti britannici di enigmistica e soprattutto di parole crociate: era destino che approdasse al giallo.
Ha scritto Beniamino Placido che "Sì, il latino è strutturato come un «giallo»". E ancora "... ogni traduzione è pessima. Specie se dal latino. Dove ognuna di quelle parole è provvisoriamente ambigua; sta in sospensione; può anticipare due o tre significati, due o tre soluzioni diverse. Aspetta le parole successive per prendere un significato fermo, sicuro. Come una traccia davanti all'investigatore. [...] Che lo si studi sul serio. Non per vantarsene dopo, ma per impararlo. Per poterlo poi leggere, sempre. Sempre con la stessa fatica. Come a me almeno accade. La stessa esaltante fatica che si fa quando si vuole affrontare un universo sconosciuto; dove si incontrano tracce misteriose. Per risolvere un enigma.".
[Non so nemmeno io da quanto tempo desideravo citare questo passo di Beniamino Placido. Anche un cattivo giallo è utile ;- )]. -
More like 4.5 stars.
A definite improvement over the previous one, with an even better cast of characters and really nice circumstances leading to the murder. The whole "corrupt examination board" angle was very interesting. I wonder if that really was such a good business.
The main plot was really good and it kept one guessing until the very end, though it might have been slightly TOO convoluted for its own good. That's only a minor gripe, however.
I really enjoyed this one. -
The way of author's writing is a bit confusing and it is confirmed by the fact that at the end of the book the whole story has to be explained from the beginning. Generally, the intrigue is quite good but there are so many false leads that I felt just like Lewis not understanding the way everything goes.
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I've read some of the Morse books before and always enjoyed them - it was my first time reading this one.
I quite liked the title character and wished he had been part of the story for longer. I find it quite clever how the author sometimes tells the reader what's going on without telling us exactly who is involved. There were parts of this that made me laugh too, because like all detectives, Morse has his own little quirks and behaviours that the reader finds endearing. -
This is the book where Dexter hits his stride & churns out a brain-twisting puzzler for Morse & Lewis to work out. Honestly, TSWoNQ is arguably far stronger than than the preceding entries as it improves on just about every aspect from the mystery itself to the characters & is the beginning of a strong run of stories for Morse.
TSWoNQ follows the investigation into the murder of the titular character & scratches the surface of the academic world of Oxford, the dirty-dealings & secret relationships. By now, Morse & Lewis have eased into a strong partnership & as such, for those with more experience of the TV adaptation, the story feels generally more Morse-like than it's predecessors.
That's not to say there isn't still jarring, though ignorable, aspects. Morse is still fractionally different, being far more crude & slightly more rude & smug than his eventual, more well known, TV counterpart/Late book series characterisation & the story contains seedier elements the adaptation would either remove or dial-back.
The strongest part of the story is perhaps watching Morse & Lewis, slow-&-steadily stripping back alibis, unveiling lies & working the evidence until they reach the truth. Along the way, the pair still make mistakes, but there are thankfully no lengthy pages of incorrect summations & theories, no wild speculation, just clever detective work & a little bit of inspiration at the right time.
Overall, TSWoNQ is a great detective mystery & I'd honestly recommend this(or one of the next 2 books) as the starting point for anyone interested in Inspector Morse
