Diva, Thanks for the tip! I'm looking forward to loving Sayers!

Dianna

Has anyone read Sayers "mind of the Maker"? If so please tell me your critical evaluation on it . thank you

Can someone tell me what the heck either Lord Peter or Harriet said when she agreed to marry him. Something in Latin! Of all the infuriating things - how many of the average reader is going to know what it is? I've only read one novel - something to do with bell ringing, but I found it pretty heavy going. I did read some short stories, though, and they were good. The thing that really puts me off though is Lord Peter - he's way too perfect. I think Sayers definitely did fall in love with her character!!

Fiona,

When Peter asks “Placetne, magistra?” to Harriet, it can be translated as “Does it please, magistra?” (Magistra is the term used in Oxford for women who have achieved a Masters degree. It can be translated as directress, instructress, teacher.) She responds “Placet.” translated as “It pleases.”

Hope this helps.

Thanks for that. I always wondered!!

Fiona, I would recommend you to read the DLS biography written by Barabara Reynolds. It's called "Her life and soul". It will help you find some of the answers concerning the DLS books. It helped me. Besides it's a very good book. Who doesn't fall in love with Lord Peter? You can't blame Dorothy L. Sayers for that. / Annika

Dorothy L Sayers' "Strong Poison" will be showing in NFT3 at the National Film Theatre in London on Thursday 7th October at 7pm. It lasts about 3 hours. This is the 1980s BBC tv adaptation starring Harriet Walter and Edward Petherbridge. You can buy tickets from the NFT box office on 0171 928 3535. They will be £6.20 each. For blurb on how to get to the NFT, see http://www.kidsnet.co.uk/arts/nft.shtml

Fiona - Yes, it bothered me too, for about 5 years, until I had read more of the DLS books, and pondered over them... Hearing some of them read as audio books has made a difference, too. Don't be surprised if you are even more addicted to them.

Has anyone read "The adventurous exploits of the cave of ali baba"?? If so how do you think it fits in as a typical sayers story?? I have to do a seminar on her and this story and I don't quite know how to go about it. Should i deal with the history of the genre or analyze the work in contrast to her other works?? If anyone has any ideas feel free to contact me and give me your two cents because i'm sure it's better thatn mine!! thanks for your time.(e-mail at: williescotch@yahoo.com)

M

Did you ever get the tapes and if so, what did they include? I taped both the Carmichael and Petherbridge shows when they ran on PBS Mystery series and feel blessed that I can go back and view them at anytime. I like Murder Must Advertise for the Carmichael ones and Gaudy Night for the Petherbridge ones. To me, Petherbridge seems truer to the books, but Carmichael does capture some of the flavor of the earlier, pre-Harriet, books.

Willie, Why not just read a few more of the Lord Peter short stories as well as Ali Baba? I'd say it fits in with the one called (I think) the Undignified Elopement, but in general, Lord Peter does his work as himself, not undercover. This should be pretty painless research... these stories are fun!