Julian Symons (1912–1994)
Author of Bloody Murder From the Detective Story to the Crime Novel: A History
About the Author
Series
Works by Julian Symons
The Julian Symons Omnibus: The Man Who Killed Himself | The Man Whose Dreams Came True | The Man Who Lost His Wife (1967) 31 copies
El hombre que se mato a si mismo. El circulo se estrecha. El hombre cuyos suenos se realizaron (1983) 19 copies, 1 review
Criminal acts : three by Julian Symons (The Narrowing Circle; The End of Solomon Grundy; and The Blackheath Poisonings) (1978) 12 copies
The second man: poems 3 copies
Credit to Shakespeare [short story] 3 copies
The Santa Claus Club 2 copies
Confusions about X 2 copies
Nettet strammes 1 copy
Ungdom, galskab - mord 1 copy
Colin Watson 1 copy
VENENOS VITORIANOS (PE2L64) 1 copy
Slutet på visan 1 copy
Symons Julian 1 copy
Drohende Schatten 1 copy
Associated Works
The New Bedside, Bathtub, and Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie (1986) — Foreword, some editions; Introduction — 607 copies, 5 reviews
The Bedside, Bathtub, and Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie (1979) — Introduction, some editions — 228 copies, 3 reviews
Murder by the Book: Literary Mysteries from Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (1995) — Contributor — 73 copies
The Murder Book: An Illustrated History of the Detective Story (1971) — Foreword, some editions — 69 copies, 3 reviews
Murder at Teatime: Mysteries in the Classic Cozy Tradition (1996) — Contributor — 56 copies, 2 reviews
Bodies from the Library 5: Forgotten Stories of Mystery and Suspense from the Golden Age of Detection (2022) — Contributor — 45 copies, 1 review
All but Impossible! An Anthology of Locked Room and Impossible Crime Stories by Members of the Mystery Writers of America (1981) — Contributor — 30 copies
Ellery Queen's murdercade: 23 stories from Ellery Queen's mystery magazine (Mystery annual ; 29) (1975) — Contributor — 25 copies
Agenda : Wyndham Lewis special issue — Contributor — 6 copies
Killers of the Mind: A Collection of Stories by the Mystery Writers of America (1974) — Contributor — 5 copies
Den lystige bedemand og andre hårrejsende historier af gæster i Poe-klubben (1975) — Author, some editions — 3 copies, 1 review
New poems 1944. An anthology of American and British verse with a selection of poems from the armed forces. (1944) — Contributor — 2 copies
Appendici in giallo 1 — Contributor — 1 copy
Ellery Queen's Mysterie Magazine 5 — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Symons, Julian
- Legal name
- Symons, Julian Gustave
- Birthdate
- 1912-05-30
- Date of death
- 1994-11-19
- Gender
- male
- Occupations
- crime novelist
editor
literary critic
historical novelist
essayist
biographer (show all 8)
teacher
poet - Organizations
- Detection Club
Amherst College
British Army (WWII) - Awards and honors
- MWA Grand Master (1982)
Cartier Diamond Dagger (1990) - Relationships
- Symons, A. J. A. (brother)
- Short biography
- Julian Symons, born in London, was a younger brother, and later the biographer, of the writer A. J. A. Symons. He left school at 14. He founded the poetry magazine Twentieth Century Verse in 1937 and edited it for two years. He tried crime writing in a light–hearted way before World War II, and later became a leader of the genre. As an early Trotskyite, he applied for recognition as a conscientious objector at the start of WW II, but ended up in the Royal Armoured Corps from 1942 to 1944. After a period as an advertising copywriter, he became a full-time writer in 1947. His use of irony and black humor to show the violence behind the respectable masks of society, and his emphasis on character and psychology, have caused many to consider his books mainstream fiction. During his career, he won two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America and, in 1982, received the MWA's Grand Master Award. Symons served as the president of the Detection Club from 1976 to 1985. His 1972 book Bloody Murder: From the Detective Story to the Crime Novel (published as Mortal Consequences in the USA) is one of the best-known critical works in the field of crime fiction. Symons wrote more than 30 crime novels and story collections and also made occasional forays into historical mystery, such as The Blackheath Poisonings (1978), which was filmed for television in 1992.
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Clapham, London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK
- Place of death
- Walmer, Kent, England, UK
- Map Location
- England, UK
Members
Reviews
Actor Sheridan Haynes is really Sherlock Holmes. Well, not really. But he does play him in a British television program. He has a bit of an obsession about the detective. They share the same initials. He even has a flat on Baker Street. If only life were as simple as it is in the books.
In real life, his Watson is an open homosexual, which bothers the intensely private Haynes. His wife is sleeping with the producer. They've rewritten his scripts to include a hint of romance. Traffic is show more horrible. And everyone seems to be laughing at him.
So when a new series of murders has all of London talking, Holmes - I mean Haynes - is determined to solve the case. Using the great detective's own methods, surely he can identify the murderer before Scotland Yard!
He starts by finding his own set of Baker Street Irregulars. The suspects - none other than his fellow cast members. Haynes seems to be getting close enough in his investigation to get himself into danger. Things escalate until no one - not Haynes, not the police, and not the reader - can tell who to trust.
I really enjoyed this book. The ending and the identity of the murderer was in question almost until the very end of the book. So many people looked guilty. This is more of a psychological mystery than a straight murder. Symons is brilliant at creating this sort of book, where you don't know what to expect at all. If you like cozy mysteries, this is very different, but if you prefer a book where there are more shades of gray than black and white, you will like this one. A well done twist on the classic Holmes story. show less
In real life, his Watson is an open homosexual, which bothers the intensely private Haynes. His wife is sleeping with the producer. They've rewritten his scripts to include a hint of romance. Traffic is show more horrible. And everyone seems to be laughing at him.
So when a new series of murders has all of London talking, Holmes - I mean Haynes - is determined to solve the case. Using the great detective's own methods, surely he can identify the murderer before Scotland Yard!
He starts by finding his own set of Baker Street Irregulars. The suspects - none other than his fellow cast members. Haynes seems to be getting close enough in his investigation to get himself into danger. Things escalate until no one - not Haynes, not the police, and not the reader - can tell who to trust.
I really enjoyed this book. The ending and the identity of the murderer was in question almost until the very end of the book. So many people looked guilty. This is more of a psychological mystery than a straight murder. Symons is brilliant at creating this sort of book, where you don't know what to expect at all. If you like cozy mysteries, this is very different, but if you prefer a book where there are more shades of gray than black and white, you will like this one. A well done twist on the classic Holmes story. show less
John Wilkins is an unappealing person and his narrative is the majority of the story in Julian Symons innovative mystery The Colour of Murder. The novel has three parts, John Wilkins’ narrative to his psychiatrist who is doing an assessment on behalf of his lawyers takes up Part One. His personality comes through powerfully, which is too bad for him because he is unlikable. Part Two includes conversations between his lawyers, family, supporters, detractors, and trial proceedings including show more testimony and jury instructions through the verdict. The last part is an epilogue catching you up on reactions and what happened next. It’s an intriguing and unusual format in its formality.
John Wilkins was an unhappy man in an unhappy marriage who became infatuated with a local librarian who happened to be pleasant to him. He constructed a fantasy romance built on a few smiles, politeness, and a single theater date. He was a complete stalker and everything women hate but was he a murderer? Even he wasn’t sure. He was a blackout drunk or maybe, who knows, maybe there is some psychological explanation such a disassociative disorder.
The story focuses mainly on whether Wilkins is guilty, not on whether there were persons known or unknown who could have committed murder. I won’t say who is murdered, because that revelation comes quite far into the story. There are plenty of people whom you can see as potential victims since Wilkins resents people and always sees himself as a victim, one of the reasons he is so irritating.
I had altogether too much of John Wilkins and could understand the desire to convict him. Symons makes us understand exactly how unlikable and hard to believe he is. The Colour of Murder succeeds in demonstrating the fallibility of a trial, how personal biases creep in, how the manipulations by lawyers and their appeals to social biases work, less to seek the truth, and more to get a win. The trial is fascinating and I would have enjoyed the book so much more if there were more trial and less John Wilkins. Poor John Wilkins, will he be judged on the facts or his personal appeal? It’s a good question, not just in this case, but in real life.
The Colour of Murder will be released on February 5th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.
The Colour of Murder at Poisoned Pen Press
Julian Symons at Wikipedia
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/9781464210891/ show less
John Wilkins was an unhappy man in an unhappy marriage who became infatuated with a local librarian who happened to be pleasant to him. He constructed a fantasy romance built on a few smiles, politeness, and a single theater date. He was a complete stalker and everything women hate but was he a murderer? Even he wasn’t sure. He was a blackout drunk or maybe, who knows, maybe there is some psychological explanation such a disassociative disorder.
The story focuses mainly on whether Wilkins is guilty, not on whether there were persons known or unknown who could have committed murder. I won’t say who is murdered, because that revelation comes quite far into the story. There are plenty of people whom you can see as potential victims since Wilkins resents people and always sees himself as a victim, one of the reasons he is so irritating.
I had altogether too much of John Wilkins and could understand the desire to convict him. Symons makes us understand exactly how unlikable and hard to believe he is. The Colour of Murder succeeds in demonstrating the fallibility of a trial, how personal biases creep in, how the manipulations by lawyers and their appeals to social biases work, less to seek the truth, and more to get a win. The trial is fascinating and I would have enjoyed the book so much more if there were more trial and less John Wilkins. Poor John Wilkins, will he be judged on the facts or his personal appeal? It’s a good question, not just in this case, but in real life.
The Colour of Murder will be released on February 5th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.
The Colour of Murder at Poisoned Pen Press
Julian Symons at Wikipedia
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/9781464210891/ show less
The Progress of a Crime: A Fireworks Night Mystery (British Library Crime Classics) by Julian Symons
‘’They went out into the streets of the city where it seemed always to be raining, the soft rain of autumn that made the few cars now moving around the city centre suck and lick out the shiny black roads.’’
A stubbing takes place on Guy Fawkes Night. The bonfire is enough to light the faces of the murderers.
Or is it?
Two young men are accused of the crime, members of one of the local gangs, formed by children - for that is what they are - who are desperate for someone to listen to show more them and their needs. The parents’ utter failure to be there for their children becomes the root of a crime that draws the attention of the Press aka. the vultures with pens and cameras instead of claws. But not all of them are the same. A young journalist becomes involved in the case - in more ways than one - and tries to discover the truth.
Julian Symons’s mystery is a powerful, solemn commentary on how family and society can ostracise a person and drive them to crime and madness. This is what isolation and lack of understanding do to the young members of our societies. This is why parents need to take a good, long look into the mirror before they drive their children to despair. This is why teachers need to educate and nurture and stop treating the classroom as a field to exercise our twisted notion of authority over young souls. In Symons’s story, the crime takes a secondary role. What really counts is the psychological impact of being the accused in a secretive community that points the finger without a second thought.
We witness the machinations of the trial process, the intrigues and calculations of seeking the sensational material for the first page, the battle of Labour VS Tories, two parties that don’t give a fig about the people, and the changes that defined England during the 60s. The beautiful relationship between Jill (I loved her!) and Hugh made this excellent courtroom drama even more striking. And don’t tell me there is no such thing as love at first sight because THERE IS and you are utterly clueless. Pun intended.
Poignant Introduction - as always - by Martin Edwards.
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ show less
A stubbing takes place on Guy Fawkes Night. The bonfire is enough to light the faces of the murderers.
Or is it?
Two young men are accused of the crime, members of one of the local gangs, formed by children - for that is what they are - who are desperate for someone to listen to show more them and their needs. The parents’ utter failure to be there for their children becomes the root of a crime that draws the attention of the Press aka. the vultures with pens and cameras instead of claws. But not all of them are the same. A young journalist becomes involved in the case - in more ways than one - and tries to discover the truth.
Julian Symons’s mystery is a powerful, solemn commentary on how family and society can ostracise a person and drive them to crime and madness. This is what isolation and lack of understanding do to the young members of our societies. This is why parents need to take a good, long look into the mirror before they drive their children to despair. This is why teachers need to educate and nurture and stop treating the classroom as a field to exercise our twisted notion of authority over young souls. In Symons’s story, the crime takes a secondary role. What really counts is the psychological impact of being the accused in a secretive community that points the finger without a second thought.
We witness the machinations of the trial process, the intrigues and calculations of seeking the sensational material for the first page, the battle of Labour VS Tories, two parties that don’t give a fig about the people, and the changes that defined England during the 60s. The beautiful relationship between Jill (I loved her!) and Hugh made this excellent courtroom drama even more striking. And don’t tell me there is no such thing as love at first sight because THERE IS and you are utterly clueless. Pun intended.
Poignant Introduction - as always - by Martin Edwards.
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ show less
I'm always tempted by these British Library Crime Classics editions; they promise nostalgic tales of detection where Cambridge dons lace their rivals' tea with arsenic. The Colour of Murder comes from a later, less comforting period of British history – the postwar years of the Profumo scandal. There are more peroxide blondes and seedy bars than high tables and gowns in this squalid modern environment. At the centre of the book is a relationship that starts out as fantasy and takes a sour show more turn, not dissimilar from the Thompson/Bywaters murder of the 1920s. Minor characters are clearly important to Symons, and he peoples his suburban and seaside locations with callous and self-centred individuals who would be at home in one of Balzac's grimmer novels. The book is well-written; Julian Symons was the brother of AJA Symons, whose biography he wrote, but he has a more 'social realist' bent than his aesthetic sibling. The Colour of Murder is not much fun as a novel, but better than many in the genre – just don't expect anything in the Poirot/Whimsey/Allen/Campion line. show less
Lists
Edgar Award (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 115
- Also by
- 137
- Members
- 3,576
- Popularity
- #7,090
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 78
- ISBNs
- 401
- Languages
- 10
- Favorited
- 4