| Hag's Nook | [] | (1933) |
| Author: Carr | Detective: Fell | Type: CD |
Publisher's Blurb
1985 Internal Polygonics blurb:
Introducing Dr. Fell
The Starberths die of broken necks. That was the legend in the village where Chaterham Prison, abandoned for a hundred years, had kept its secrets of death and terror. Scotland Yard learned of the legend when Martin Starberth was murdered. But it took Gideon Fell to solve the many riddles and discover the truth about one of the most cunning murder plots ever devised.
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Comment 1 (Grobius)
The first Dr. Fell mystery. An old haunted prison in Lincolnshire, wonderfully creepy; atmospheric but a let-down plotwise; nasty villain. This has the lexicographer thing; Fell not fully defined yet. Granted, it all works out very well for the murderer in an opportunistic way and is very cleverly misleading according to the narration, based on an assumption that an exprerienced Carr reader would learn not to make. That bit is brilliant, plus the character and motives of the surprise villain.
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Comment 2 (Dr G)
Hag's Nook
The following comments are based on the Portuguese version, titled "O Enigma da Virgem de Ferro" (The Iron Maiden's Enigma); it makes hardly sense, besides indicating that the translator read the book carefully. Hag's Nook is translated in the text as Pedra das Bruxas, (Witches' Stone); more accurate would be A Cova das Bruxas. The French version is named Le Gouffre aux Sorciéres. To me, it seems that the Portuguese translation captures more of JDC's style.
What an excellent introduction to Dr Fell (and his wife, who won't appear again). The novel joins horror tones, like the rat with the cloth stuck in the teeth and the whole atmosphere of the prison (better description than Castle Skull) with funny passages, like Mrs Bundle, the Americans and the ghosts—and the exploits of Budge; History elements, the old mystery that casts it's shadow in the present events, the Starberth diary; great deduction from patent clues (how they are put before one's eyes and still it's full meaning is not apprehended). In the end, all this comes together and makes a most satisfying culmination in one of the best endings (compare with The Waxworks Murder).
The characters are also well drawn, distant from the "cardboard" the Golden Age authors are accused of. A special focus on Dorothy Starberth—very far from the wench type Carr was accused of portraying; she even beats Dr Fell to the solving of the riddle. This may be related to the fact that she is apparently Clarice (Carr's wife) as Tad Rampole is JDC; the way the characters meet and fall in love is reminiscent of the real life, right to the point of it starting with a book (everybody—read Doug Greene's magnificent work). Yes, there's even romance in this novel and it also mingles with the rest, producing a multiflavoured creation.
Since this work has a plot not too complicated and a culprit that one has a fair chance to spot (only a peripheral hole in the plot), I believe it can be one of the recommended novels to introduce somebody to the world of JDC.
Dr G
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Comment 3 (hacklehorn)
Dr. Fell makes his debut in this superb tale of a haunted prison, a family curse, buried treasure, and the murder of a sullen young drunkard during a midnight vigil. The M.R. James atmosphere is superb, and unrivalled amongst Carr's output; suspense is maintained until the end; and the murderer's identity is surprising (although, as in OTHELLO, a handkerchief says too much). |
Comment 4 (The_Thin_Man)
Not one of Carr's best. The murderer is obvious, the atmospherics (to me, anyhow) seem false, and one needs a timetable just to realise the murderer HAS a false alibi, let alone to break it. The murderer's confession is superb, but the over-complicated nonsense that builds up to it seems to anticipate "Dark of the Moon" rather than the superb "The Waxworks Murders". There are some lovely pieces of prose - the opening paragraphs in particular - but you have to search for them. After hearing so many positive reviews about this one, it was a huge disappointment. |
| URL: http://www.marshmount.com/hag.htm | URL: | Rating: 4 |