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Loading... Dead As a Dodo (original 1996; edition 1997)by Jane Langton
Work InformationDead As a Dodo by Jane Langton (1996)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Ms Langton makes a case for atheism, thinly disguised as a murder mystery. The idea of marriage as a lifelong commitment is also disparaged, although fans of the series will be happy to hear that Homer and Mary‘s marriage seems to be an exception. The usual literary references and charming illustrations, but I found the whole thing mean-spirited and tendentious beneath the touristical whimsy. If I want to read an attack on faith I can pick up Richard Dawkins. At least I will know what to expect. As if to take on the style of the British mysteries, Ms. Langton paces the plot fairly slowly, picking up speed toward the middle of the book. Less formulaic than Agatha Christie, Ms. Langton's book is more along the lines of P.D. James. Her references to Darwinian fact and fiction are formidable, and makes several pages more than simply "light reading." However, the scientific references and theological postulations never become tedious and in fact provide a lovely intellectual backdrop for a somewhat boring set of murders. For those who enjoy something more than plot, this mystery is highly recommended. Anyone who has been to Oxford will most definitely enjoy Ms. Langton's thorough and fanciful descriptions. Homer Kelly is as eccentric as he is brilliant, making for an excellent protagonist. However, some of the other characters are lacking in development which leads to a miniscule disappointment in reading the book. Otherwise, a delightfully well-written work. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesHomer Kelly Mystery (12)
Visiting Oxford, the Harvard professor/sleuth gets a crash course in Darwin's survival of the fittest in a high-spirited whodunit that's "vintage Langton" (Booklist). William Dubchick is too keen a student of the writings of Charles Darwin to not see that the world of biology has evolved past him. Decades ago, he was the foremost mind in Oxford University's department of natural sciences, but as the field's focus narrowed to the microscopic level he became nothing more than a gray-haired, cantankerous relic. He has a small fiefdom, manned by Helen Farfrae, a committed disciple who, Dubchick is annoyed to learn, someone is trying to kill. It is into this world that Homer Kelly, Emersonian scholar and part-time sleuth, comes to spend a semester lecturing. Though expecting a vacation, he finds Oxford to be a swamp of theft, fraud, and murder. Besides the attempts on Farfrae's life, he must reckon with a murdered priest, the theft of a dodo's portrait, and suspicious claims that long-lost Darwinian artifacts have been found. With an academic climate like this, it's amazing that any of the Oxford dons live to see tenure. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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