Jeff Cohen's books always make me laugh. His sense of humor is somewhat similar to mine, so I usually get a kick out of what he has to say, or more importantly perhaps, what his characters have to say. (Isn't that the same thing you might ask...hmmm, maybe.) Hey, how could you not like a guy who is the Numero Uno Marx Brothers fan in the world? He's big on Mel Brooks too. (Though we have a bit of a taste difference in the film, Young Frankenstein: he LOVES it, I merely like it. But hey, no body's perfect.)Here's a link to his latest blog tirade...well, not so much a tirade, as a, well, yeah, what the heck, it is a tirade. Sort of. Hey, There's A Dead Guy in the Living Room is the name of the blog, Let's Talk About Sex is the post.
Jeff is talking about sex in cozy mysteries, that invisible occurrence - we do agree it must occur somewhere, sometime, or else where do all the little kiddies come from? Just no writing about it. No sex in cozies, no curse words, no dead dogs or cats or other furry creatures. There, Jeff and I agree wholeheartedly. A dead dog is the kiss of death. The wise cozy writer will refrain. Even if it would make a cat laugh.
I love cozy mysteries. Especially in this heightened anniversary year of the greatest dame of all, Agatha Christie. Not that she should be thought of as strictly a cozy writer - she is, was, a Grande Dame of the Golden Age of Mystery, after all. But you know what I mean.
It's not that cozies aren't seething with stirrings of sex. Cozies very much can be...seething, but usually only in a jolly kind of way. (Not that ALL cozies are necessarily funny, but in general, quite a lot of them can be.) Just no talking about sex. And yet, bumping someone off does indicate, in as drastic a way as possible, that some sort of dark emotion (maybe even sexual) lurks, at least in the bosom of the killer. But in cozies, any sex must be handled off-stage (along with the murder), imagined by the reader. It's there all right, just slightly off in the shadows somewhere. I don't know about you but I don't mind that at all. I have a rather vivid imagination after all.
And don't get me started on cursing, dammit.
P.S. Lee Child's stalwart, intimidating, stop-at-nothing, take-no-prisoners hero, Jack Reacher doesn't curse either.
Hello Yvette...found your blog on The Reading Ape, and enjoyed your remarks. I had forgotten about Barbara Havers, good point! I wish she had her own series...she's always a bridesmaid, never a bride!
ReplyDeleteSo, per the post above, do you like Lee Child? I was given 3 of his books and don't know what to expect.
Great blog! (New follower)
Hi Amy, so glad you saw my blog and decided to stop by. Yeah, poor Barbara Havers. I wish Lindley would wake up and make her an honest woman. Ha! (At least in the tv series. I liked the actress who played Havers.) In the books though, it would probably be impossible.
ReplyDeleteI love Lee Child's books. But I will tell you that they can be and often are, very violent. They are THRILLERS to the nth degree. But there's just something special about them. You can't stop turning the pages. Jack Reacher is a great character. I was never one for reading 'thrillers' (I still read only a select few) but Lee Child turned me on to the dark side. HA!!
...argh! Looks like I Lynley's name wrong again. (Working from memory is the pits!) Obviously I'm having a bad spelling Monday.
ReplyDeleteExcept it's Tuesday. Help! :)
ReplyDeleteyour follower button isn't loading..maybe it's me? I keep reloading the page but it's a blank white box.
ReplyDeleteI have to make clear, in case I wasn't on Ape's page, that I do like both the female authors you mentioned, and I've read all of the George books and almost all of the Grimes. The last few George ones did drive me nuts because Barbara ISRIGHTTHEREUNDERHISNOSE. How can he miss her? The last Jury I read I gave up on...Dust. It was just too much for me.
I will definitely read the Lee Child books now. I'll let you know. Should they be read in any particular order?
Take care,
Amy
Amy, you're right DUST was a dud. But THE BLACK CAT, this year's book was almost back to normal for Grimes. (Mongo the dog is back!) Not as good as years past, but I'll keep reading her.
ReplyDeleteI think, in some elemental way, Linley doesn't regard Barbara as a 'woman', in the same way he sees other women. That's his major fault, I think. I always disliked his wife, by the way.
Talk about High Maintenance!
Lee's books do not have to be read in any special order. At least in my opinion. I began in the middle and worked my way out from there.
He has a good forum too, where you can post your opinions.
http://www.hwforums.com/2149/
Yvette,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to have found your blog...I stop in every day and really like the links to new blogs you provide, like the one for unknown/overlooked artists...very interesting. I wonder, with all the excellent art out there, what truly makes a masterpiece? Eye of the auctioneer?
Anyway, thanks for your daily posts.
Nancy
Nancy, thanks so much for stopping by my blog. And thanks for liking what I'm doing. I may not know much about computers (and I don't) but I sure as heck am having fun. :)
ReplyDeletePeople have been debating 'what makes a masterpiece' for centuries. I doubt there is a definitive answer. But it sure makes for great conversation.