| Castle Skull | [] | (1931) |
| Author: Carr | Detective: Bencolin | Type: CD |
Publisher's Blurb
FLAMES OF DEATH: The burning body of actor Myron Allison performed a sparkling danse macabre on the castle battlement before plunging to the earth below in a final blaze of glory. Had the legendary magician Maleger -- dead for seventeen years -- matched his greatest trick of all from beyond the grave? [Zebra edition] |
Comment 1 (Grobius)
Set in a splendid castle on the Rhine; should have been much better. If any mystery really needs a floorplan diagram, this one does and suffers from its lack of one (90-foot-thick walls, indeed -- the description of the castle makes no sense!), and the macho posturings of the French and German detectives is rather silly. Nice setting, well described and atmospheric, but reads as though the author had just had a good vacation and decided to set a mystery there -- 'tain't real. The Rhine is Germany at its best, yet this book somehow misses the point with all its allusions to drama -- actors and stage magicians -- Grand Guignol with no Guig.
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Comment 2 (Dr G)
The third novel, still features Jeff Marle as narrator and Bencolin, now in a battle of wits with a German detective, Von Arnheim, from Berlin. If the previous novels remembered Poe, this one reminds me more of Gaston Leroux, who was the author of one of JDC's favourite books "The Mystery of the Yellow Room"; it is thus quite probable that he did influence "Castle Skull". Leroux was also the author of "The Phantom of the Opera", which everybody knows and another not so popular work "Le Fauteuil Hanté" ( A Poltrona Maldita ); I find
elements of both present in "Castle Skull".
One of the weak elements in this novel, perhaps the weakest is Castle Skull itself. If it were adapted for TV or film, the setting designers would pull out the hair by full-hands, trying to make it look like a skull, with two towers resembling ears –how does one do that? No wonder even the covers of the book have drawings that seem ugly and awkward.
Another aspect that draws the book down is the melodrama. Mind you, I think JDC was aware of the fact, because melodrama if often mentioned in the text; I'm sure he dosed it enough for his contemporary audience – it is for us, today, 70 years later, that it seems too much and outdated.
This novel features, for the first time, JDC's humour trying to get through; however, the general atmosphere and, of course, Bencolin, don't easily bow to that vein.
Carr's ambiance and evocative writing are in great shape here, very powerful. Descriptions of places and decoration, of nature, the storm and even the characters – acting "in character" (with perhaps an exception).
Von Arnheim makes a very worthy opponent; his duel with Bencolin is delightful to follow (with lots of "my friend"). The explanation after the explanation is a nice twist but I believe there is a point that's contradicted by a previous report, although it is a minor thing. Does anyone else has a similar thought?
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Comment 3 (Threesheds)
Here a few impressions from this weird book.
The whole atmosphere is nearly unreal, starting with that strange castle, which, I have to confess here is so confusingly described (or sparingly) that drawing a floorplan is an impossibility. I believe it was probably intentional to give the setting an even more elusive flair. Strangely enough everything comes in pairs in this book: two detectives, two murders, two buildings in which things take place, two secret tunnels, and despite the highly charged romantic setting there is a realistic background to some minor facts: The book "Legends of the Rhine" by Brian Gallivan, whose frontcover is exactly described actually exists: it's original title was "The finestlegends of the Rhine" and is was written by Wilhelm Ruland.(ABEbooks.com do have this cover on display!). The violinpiece "Amaryllis", played by Levasseur exists too, it is by the British composer Frank Bridge (1879-1941), written in 1905.
"Castle Skull" doesn't actually exist, but the German word for skull is "Schaedel" and the Frankfurt architect F.Schaedel built a small artificial ruin as an appendix to Schloss Johannisberg, quite nearby. And not too far away is a mountain called "Totenkopf" (another word for skull).
Baron von Arnheim (from Berlin) corresponds with, now we are getting serious, a main figure baron von Arnheim from Prussia in Musil's "Man without qualities", one of the most emminent novels in the 20th century. Did Carr know of Musil? probably not, but who knows what he was coming across.
As a mystery this is very melodramatic, but due to Carr's misdirecting through Arnheim, who is reasonably intelligent, the tension is kept well. Bencolin sympathising with the criminal in the end lives up to his reputation "devil-face", which the Duchess calls him.
Not first rate Carr, but a hugely enjoyable read.
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Comment 4 (Xavier AND TheThinMa)
"Castle Skull" might be labelled as a psychedelic mystery - if it hadn't
been written long before LSD and other stuff like that appear. All the
Bencolins are quirky in some way, but "Castle" holds record. Even later
délires like "The Blind Barber" or "The Arabian Nights Murders" look almost
realistic in comparison. Actually, Carr never went any further in
anti-naturalism. I think that "Castle Skull" was kind of a point of no
return, and he felt that he had to change his way - or tone it down.
But "Castle Skull" has many other virtues. First, it's extremely well-written. Second, both atmosphere andcharacters are wonderfully done. While the story on itself is pure phantasm, Carr makes it thoroughly believable and enthralling. Also worthy of notice is adult treatment of the characters's feelings.
It's one of the books that make me wonder if Carr is not underrated as a
writer. I mean, he's often recognized as one of the greatest mystery writers
of all times, but that's all. Wouldn't he actually deserve same treatment
than Hammett, Chandler, Ross McDonald or Highsmith, and being recognized as
a great "literary" writer? JDC had a world-view, a fictional universe and a
writing style wholly of his own. How many past and current mainstream
writers can pretend to the same?
(Here begins The Thin Man's review!)
Sorry for intruding on your post, Xavier, but there was no space above. I think "Castle Skull" has one of the best endings in the JDC canon (with the obvious exception of "The Waxworks Murders", which has the best single final line of just about any murder mystery I've read) - a shame about the rest of it. The atmospherics, the duel of detectives, even the central plot, don't quite work for me. It has some of JDC's best tricks but they don't seem to form a really coherent whole. Despite this the murderer is genuinely memorable and - that ending again! - there is a gorgeous piece of irony in the final few paragraphs that reminds me of some of G K Chesterton's best moments ("The Strange Crime of John Boulnois" or "The Man in the Passage", for example.) |
| URL: http://www.mediaspec.com/castles/rhein/ | URL: | Rating: 5 |