Entre la folie du renoncement et celle de la persévérance, entre l'absurdité de la vie et la logique du destin, j'ai rencontré Barnabé, un singe bleu comme la maison qu'il habite, j'ai rencontré Simon, maître incontesté d'un cerf-volant aux rubans multicolores et du jeu de tarots, Nicolas, maître de sa force tranquille, et la mère, la mer et cette Falaise qui la surplombe. Le vide est plein d'images douloureusement tendres, d'odeurs de varech et d'amour, de couleurs qui font vibrer une absence trop présente et tout se met à tourner comme (...)
Critiques
The secret of the League
Par Les Éditions de Londres, 9 novembre 2014 dans Critiques
The secret of the league is a dystopian novel written by Ernest Bramah, which is widely credited for having inspired George Orwell and his 1984 for its realistic, detailed and vivid depiction of the rise of Fascism as a response to the climb to power of a Labour government. Written in 1907 in the aftermath of the 1906 General elections, which saw Labour move from 2 to 29 seats and become a powerful force in British politics, the book's ambivalence with regards to its description of the overthrow of a democratically-elected government sheds some light into the psychology and malaise of (...)
Max Carrados
Par Les Éditions de Londres, 9 novembre 2014 dans Critiques
Max Carrados is a compilation of short stories published in 1914 by the English author Ernest Bramah. It is the first appearance of the blind sleuth Max Carrados, accompanied by his faithful but not always insightful Carlyle. “Carrados” was created as a rival to Sherlock Holmes and quickly found a strong following amongst the readers of The Strand. Watch out for our favourite short stories of this compilation: “The coin of Dionysius”, “The last exploit of Harry the actor”, “The game played in the dark”. Discover Carrados, the once rival to Sherlock Holmes!
The Absent-minded Coterie
Par Les Éditions de Londres, 9 novembre 2014 dans Critiques
The absent-minded coterie is a crime short story written in 1906 by Scottish writer Robert Barr. It features French detective Eugène Valmont, born out of a compilation of short stories titled “The triumphs of Eugène Valmont”, originally published in 1904 and 1905 in the Saturday Evening Post. The story tells of a cunning scam devised by crooked counterfeiters. Of course, Valmont will eventually discover the truth. The absent-minded coterie is widely recognised as one of the best crime short stories of the time. A gem of a book!
The Big Bow mystery
Par Les Éditions de Londres, 9 novembre 2014 dans Critiques
The Big bow mystery is a crime novel written in 1892 by the writer Israel Zangwill, otherwise famous for his humorous works and his political engagement towards the cause of Zionism. Considered to be the first “locked-room mystery”, written several years before Le mystère de la chambre jaune by Gaston Leroux, it is also one of the best known English crime classics. A great novel full of ingenuity and humour, social satire, it is a must-read!
The Leavenworth case
Par Les Éditions de Londres, 9 novembre 2014 dans Critiques
The Leavenworth case is a crime novel written in 1878 by American writer Anna Katharine Green. This book, often referred to as a criminal romance, is considered to be the first crime novel written by a female writer, and to have influenced Agatha Christie to follow the path of crime-writing. This is the story of two sisters, a rich uncle found mysteriously dead in his beautiful New York mansion, and a detective answering by the strange name of Ebenezer Gryce, of the New York Metropolitan police force. He will reappear in further adventures, this time accompanied by female sleuth (...)
The mystery of a Hansom cab
Par Les Éditions de Londres, 9 novembre 2014 dans Critiques
The mystery of a Hansom cab is an 1886 crime novel by New Zealander writer Fergus Hume, often considered to be one of the most famous crime classics of the Victorian era. Set in 1880s Melbourne, the novel tells the story of a man murdered mysteriously whilst alone in the back of a Hansom cab. Inspired by the works, famous at the time throughout the English-speaking world of Gaboriau and Boisgobey, Fergus Hume created a great novel from the original Le crime de l'Omnibus. A must-read classic!