Thu 22 Jul 2010
Reviewed by Marvin Lachman: EARL BARGAINNIER, Editor – Comic Crime.
Posted by Steve under Reference works / Biographies , Reviews[5] Comments
by Marv Lachman
EARL BARGAINNIER, Editor – Comic Crime. Popular Press, hardcover, 1987; trade paperback, 1988.
Vol. 10, No. 2, Spring 1988.
As the title implies, this collection of essays deals with comedy in the mystery and is the first book on the subject in my memory.
It is also one which is far-reaching, covering humor in the Sherlock Holmes canon (Holmes and Watson were really the first “Odd Couple”), the academic mysteries, in mysteries set in quaint little villages, and in those featuring little old lady and gentlemen detectives.
Even the hardboiled mystery gets its due in “Laughing with the Corpses,” by Frederick Isaac. Unfortunately, Craig Rice is virtually ignored throughout, but there is an excellent piece on Donald Westlake by Michael Dunne.
There are fourteen essays in the book and not a bad one in the lot. Some.of the examples the authors quote will make you laugh again if they are familiar; others will make you want to seek out the books from which they were taken.
Editorial Comment: This is the sixth in a series of reviews in which Marv covered reference works published in 1987, books about the field of mystery and crime fiction. Preceding this one was Corridors of Deceit, by Peter Wolfe. You can find it here.
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:06 pm
This is not a book I knew about before this evening. In the late 1980s I had drifted away from mystery fandom and was not even a subscriber to The MYSTERY FANcier.
Be that as it may, this looks like a “must have” now, and I have a copy on its way to me even as I speak.
One question, though, which I won’t be able to answer myself until the book arrives. Is the author Frederick Isaac whose story Marv mentions in his review really Fred MacIsaac?
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Humorous mysteries without Craig Rice? Sounds good, but still, that’s like doing spinster sleuths without Miss Marple.
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:31 am
It is a slip. By the way, can you tell me more about Lachman? I just got a book with his book plate in it.
July 23rd, 2010 at 1:03 am
Marv lives in Sante Fe NM now, after moving from New York State (Westchester County, I believe) quite a few years ago. I have his permission to post his reviews, but I don’t believe he spends much time online.
But if you’d like to get in touch with him, I can give you his email address, privately.
— Steve
July 23rd, 2010 at 1:57 am
Oh, no, I was just wondering because I now have a book with his book plate in it, thanks.