November Book Discussion: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
This month's book is the fourth novel in Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey series. Many of us here have read them and two books in this series have been the topics of previous book club discussions (Gaudy Night in 2021, and The Nine Tailors in 2016 on the old boards).
I chose The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club as I think it is a good read for November; the central mystery unfolds around Armistice Day, in a year (the book was published in 1928, and is set a few years before that, though Sayers' chronology is vague) when the First World War was a very recent memory. Many of the characters, including Lord Peter, are veterans, and the after-effects of the war are central to the story in many ways.
Though it is fourth in a series, most of the earlier Lord Peter books can be read as stand-alones without needing any previous knowledge of the other books, as is usually the case with mystery series.
Whether you have read this before, or are coming to it entirely new, I hope people will read or re-read the book and join in discussion this month! As usual, I will post questions about the 20th of the month. Until then, keep any conversation in this thread spoiler-free, especially as to the solution of the mystery, for the benefit of anyone who hasn't read it before.
I chose The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club as I think it is a good read for November; the central mystery unfolds around Armistice Day, in a year (the book was published in 1928, and is set a few years before that, though Sayers' chronology is vague) when the First World War was a very recent memory. Many of the characters, including Lord Peter, are veterans, and the after-effects of the war are central to the story in many ways.
Though it is fourth in a series, most of the earlier Lord Peter books can be read as stand-alones without needing any previous knowledge of the other books, as is usually the case with mystery series.
Whether you have read this before, or are coming to it entirely new, I hope people will read or re-read the book and join in discussion this month! As usual, I will post questions about the 20th of the month. Until then, keep any conversation in this thread spoiler-free, especially as to the solution of the mystery, for the benefit of anyone who hasn't read it before.
Comments
https://flic.kr/p/2rD23wu
FWIW, I think Bellona is the own-brand equivalent of a Kinder Bueno, but I've never bought them to find out.
While I'm glad we have many re-readers of this series, like myself, I'm also excited to have people read the book for the first time! I'm so deeply immersed in the Lord Peter novel that I'm always interested to see how they will read to someone coming fresh to them. A few years ago, on my small bookish podcast, I celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first Lord Peter novel by discussing a couple of them along with people who hadn't read them before, to compare impressions. All this to say, very glad you are joining in the discussion, @Mili !
Pointless* aside over.
*Pun fully intended.
The Knotweed and I probably ought to watch Gaudy Night just to cackle at the geographical howlers as they move through Oxford...
It can't be much worse than Morse! (When I was a kid watching Morse, it was renowned for car journeys that jumped randomly about the city and were often on roads that were either no-through-roads or on the opposite side of town to where the dialogue had said they were. That, plus the chance of spotting someone you knew, was half the reason to watch!).
Lovejoy in my case, as I was in my 20s when I moved to Oxford, and Morse was mostly done, but same sort of thing - Lovejoy was filmed in my neck of the woods.
Outside of the centre, the only area I recognised was Headington where they had the Shark House in the background of one scene!
I must see if I can dig out one or other of the screen adaptations before we start discussing the book.
Odd name for a chocolate bar... naming a club for veterans after the goddess of war makes more sense.
Anyway, I'm in.
Yes, I noticed that lunch Wimsey had (on his own!) where he polished off a bottle of Liebfraumilch and a brandy!
Unpleasantness was reprinted with a biography of Wimsey in, which states he was born in 1890 so assuming the book is set in the year of publication he'd have been 38.
Carmichael was 53 when the BBC adaptation was filmed. My maths was wrong upthread and Petherbridge would have been 43 when the later adaptations (UatBC not included), so a much closer match. Though a decade earlier and with a bit of peroxide I think Carmichael would have been a reasonable match looks-wise.
I might dig into Sayers' own biography as well...