Wed 5 May 2010
A 1001 MIDNIGHTS review: PETER O’DONNELL – Pieces of Modesty.
Posted by Steve under 1001 Midnights , Obituaries / Deaths Noted , Reviews[2] Comments
by Bill Crider:
PETER O’DONNELL – Pieces of Modesty. Pan, UK, paperback, 1972. Mysterious Press, US, hc, 1987; Tor, US, pb, 1990.
Modesty Blaise first appeared as a comic-strip character in 1962, and the first novelization of her exploits was published in 1965. She is often thought of as a female James Bond, but her wildly entertaining adventures certainly entitle her to stand alone as a fascinating fictional character.
A good way to make Modesty’s acquaintance is to read the stories collected in Pieces of Modesty, each of which reveals something of her background and philosophy.
At the age of eighteen, Modesty commanded the Network, the most successful crime organization outside the United States. After dismantling the Network, she occasionally found herself working for the intelligence section of the British Foreign Office, as she does in “The Gigglewrecker,” in which a very reluctant defector is transferred from East to West Berlin.
A better story is “I Had a Date with Lady Janet,” narrated in the first person by Modesty’s formidable associate Willie Garvin, who comes to Modesty’s rescue when she is held captive by an old enemy ensconced in a Scottish castle.
“A Better Day to Die” and “Salamander Four” might be read as companion pieces. In the former, Modesty finds herself captured by guerrillas, along with the other passengers on a bus. One of the passengers, a minister who believes strongly in nonviolence, sees the results of brutality and is changed by them.
In “Salamander Four,” a sculptor given to non-involvement finds himself involved against his will when Modesty helps a wounded man, but the ending is is predictable. “The Soo Girl Charity” features Modesty and Willie in a robbery for charity and has an amusing twist at the end.
For colorful writing and nonstop action, the books about Modesty Blaise are hard to beat, especially such titles as Modesty Blaise (1965), Sabre-Tooth (1966), I, Lucifer (1967), and two titles published for the first time in the United States in 1984: The Silver Mistress (1973) and The Xanadu Talisman (1981).
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Reprinted with permission from 1001 Midnights, edited by Bill Pronzini & Marcia Muller and published by The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box, 2007. Copyright � 1986, 2007 by the Pronzini-Muller Family Trust.
PETER O’DONNELL, R. I. P. (1920-2010). He was in ill health — he had had Parkinson’s disease for several years — so the reporting of Peter O’Donnell’s death on Monday, May 3rd, at the age of 90, was not surprising news, but it was still difficult to accept.
It is remarkable (or perhaps not) that the opening paragraph of his obituary in The Times begins with a description of Modesty Blaise’s most famous tactic in distracting the enemy, the so-called “Nailer,” described here on one of the earliest posts on this blog, as well as much more (as they say) about both Modesty and her creator.
And for even more on Peter O’Donnell and his career, including a complete bibliography, check out Steve Holland’s recent post on his Bear Alley blog.
May 5th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
A favorite of mine from the 1960s. Coincidentally within the last month I have ordered five of the series. But not PIECES OF MODESTY: I’m ordering it now.
I wish I enjoyed the Joseph Losey film MODESTY BLAISE, but I hate Monica Vitti’s look and performance as Modesty.
I thought perhaps I had been too callow to appreciate Vitti in my salad days; but I watched the film again about seven years ago and still loathed her in it.
Terrance Stamp is Willy Garvin perfectly incarnated, I think.
I also admire Dirk Bogarde as an alarmingly lethal fey villian. (A scene on a balcony patio with Bogarde in silver hair, sipping lavender wine from an enormous wine goblet that has a live goldfish swimming in it is an image that remains glittering in my memory…)
The books are great fun….
May 5th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Modesty, how do I love thee …
The second set of Modesty shorts is COBRA TRAP and includes the final adventure of Modesty and Willie, a perfect farewell to the duo and O’Donnell.
Over the years Modesty and Willie and that whole incredible cast of characters that weave in and out of the stories (I don’t know how he kept up with them all or worked them into the books so often) have been among my favorites. Like Rex Stout, O’Donnell creates an entire world for us to spend time in.
Rick, the Joseph Losey movie is famously bad. A little better, though made only so Quentin Tarentino could keep the rights, is a recent film with Alexandra Staden MY NAME IS MODESTY released straight to video — Willie isn’t in it, and it is a prequel of sorts set just before she took over the NETWORK. Staden got some criticism, but I thought she did well. The ABC pilot film with Ann Turkel is best forgotten but not as bad as the Losey film. In retrospect moving Modesty and Willie to the States was a really bad idea.
I don’t know who could play Modesty. Over the years a lot of actresses have wanted to play the part, but so far the film stays just out of reach. Angela Jolie wanted to do it for a while and I think there was even talk of Penelope Cruz, but Modesty remains stubbornly herself.
O’Donnell kept the books and the strip separate to some extent, but the writing is remarkably consistent on both. A few of the strip stories would translate perfectly well into prose. At least one of the strip stories where she and Willie have to team with a cranky retired Brit soldier to save kidnapped nuns from South American bandits actually had my eyes misting at the end — which is something no other comic strip ever managed.
And as it was revealed a few years ago O’Donnell was also a damn good writer of gothic novels as Madeline Brent.
If you don’t know it, look up the light hearted comic strip he did with Modesty artist Jim Holdway just before creating Modesty, ROMEO BROWN. Aside from being well written, funny, and beautifully drawn it is also a showcase for some of the best cheesecake art in the business, though in a much different style than Modesty (O’Donnell also wrote several other strips including a stint on the classic Garth).
On a related matter, though not by O’Donnell, the legendary British strip CAROL DAY by David Wright has it’s own site and you can read many of the original stories complete on line. The art is gorgeous and the stories of the dark romantic suspense variety. Go to http://carol-day.com/ . It’s one of the greats and the strip was virtually never seen here in the States. As of now this is the only place you can see these.