It's been a delight from start to finish, The Toast. Godspeed! Godspeed to us all!
What lovely writing. Thank you.
For a new reader, I'd advise leaving Nine Tailors until after MMA and the Harriet books- it really is DEEP esoterica.
I'm wildly jealous- believe me, I've scoured the Chicago Public Library system for all the Sayers content it has. Also regrettably internet pirate culture doesn't do much in the way of this sort of thing.
"The glass showed her her own face, rather pale, with black brows fronting squarely either side of a strong nose, a little too broad for beauty. Her own eyes looked back at her--rather tired, rather defiant--eyes that had looked upon fear and were still wary. The mouth was the mouth of one who has been generous and repented of generosity; its wide corners were tucked back to give nothing away. With the thick, waving hair folded beneath the black cloth, the face seemed somehow stripped for action. " From the first chater of Gaudy, still very much the appearance as a personal history, and less of a physical description.
Fantastic essay, I always come back to these books when I want something that makes me feel very tender and romantic and awful inside, and Peter/Harriet is a huge part of that.
The Carmichael audiobooks are my favorites- I've only ever been able to find him doing full versions of Strong Poison and Gaudy Night, but there is an adapted radio play version of Busman's Honeymoon with him in it. Hearing him read the sitting room love scene is almost Too Much.
I'll have to check out "The Nines," my only exposure to her has been the lol loud fat girl bit and it pains me to be so unenthusiastic about my favorite movie franchise.
I don't know how far of a drive to San Francisco it is for Mallory but I once took a bus from Chicago to Columbus, OH (8 hours, as the megabus flies) to a convention that was actually being held a full week later.
A full week!!
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