There’s an appealing irony in the assertion that you know an author has hit the big time when everyone remembers the name of their characters over that of the creator themself: Lisbeth Salander, Jack Reacher, Tarzan, Jason Bourne, we erudite types remember them, of course, but the world at large – fuelled no doubt by TV and films – associates more with their representations than their origins. Erle Stanley Gardner – a King of Crime, lest we forget – is not just less well-known than his character, but also the piece of music that character is himself overshadowed by; all together now… Frankly, he must be like the biggest-selling author in the world on those terms. Well, uh, yeah, he kinda is, actually. And yet, despite my avowed love of the man and his writing, it’s taken me 70 posts to get round to reviewing him here; what gives?
Well, two things. Firstly, I’d read a lot of Gardner before starting this blog and had sort of lost track of exactly what I had and hadn’t already encountered, and secondly a lot of it was written at high speed and with, er, some quality control issues and so some of what I’ve read since hasn’t exactly covered him in glory. However, The Case of the Borrowed Brunette is about as classic a Perry Mason – oh, yeah, that’s the famous character, but the way – novel as you’ll get, and showcases a lot of what Gardner did extremely well and also a lot of the flaws in his process.
What’s great is the hook: Mason spots identically-dressed brunettes standing on street corners for several blocks and, upon investigating, finds they’re replying to an advert asking for someone of their really rather specific description. When one of these women is hired for the still somewhat-nebulous job, he is asked to look into things to check the setup is all above-board. Shenanigans ensue, someone dies, and before long Mason, Della Street, and Paul Drake are trying to get their client exonerated on a murder charge. It is simple, clean, direct, and crammed full of the rattling prose and borderline-hardboiled dialogue that make Gardner such a joy:
“You’re a lawyer?”
“That’s right”
“You have clients?”
“Exactly.”
“They pay you?”
“Yes.”
“You represent their interests?”
“Naturally.”
“I’m not your client. Somebody else is. Therefore you’re representing somebody else. Those interests may be adverse to mine. If they are, you’re my enemy. Why the hell should I answer your questions?”
Crime King, Shmime King . . . When you review your next Ellery Queen, are you going to introduce him as “not a Crime King?” And maybe I woke up crabby, but couldn’t you find a better rendition of the theme song? That one was so tinny.
I read many of these long enough ago that I don’t remember anything but that they were fun, yet I feel no need to read them again. I DO remember a lot of the episodes from the TV series (which I own in its entirety.) No matter how accurate or inaccurate it may be, Raymond Burr will always be Perry Mason to me.
Now I’m going to go work on crowning my four Crime Emperors. Pah!
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I read many of these long enough ago that I don’t remember anything but that they were fun
Same here. I find one of the joys of ESG/Perry Mason is that very forgettability: I’ve occasionally found myself rereading one by accident and, while the basic setup may ring a bell or two, all the rest — including whodunnit — is as if brand-new.
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Ah, Realthog, were that only the case for me with Christie or Queen!
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Yeah, actually, you could be onto something there…
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Apologies; the speakers on my laptop are so cruddy that everything sounds tinny…I just had to take a punt 🙂
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Straight off the show, this one’s better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA9t1nSGXXE
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