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Miss Pym Disposes
Lucy Pym, best-selling author of a book on psychology (though she is not a psychologist), arrives at a physical training college for young women, where her school friend is headmistress, to give a lecture. She likes the college and the girls, and ends up staying on past the lecture, observing the relationships between the girls and the staff members and some outsiders. One of the girls is killed--is it an accident, or the result of jealousy, ambition, or something else?
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1946
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About the author
Josephine Tey
140 books851 followersJosephine Tey was a pseudonym of Elizabeth Mackintosh. Josephine was her mother's first name and Tey the surname of an English Grandmother. As Josephine Tey, she wrote six mystery novels featuring Scotland Yard's Inspector Alan Grant.
The first of these, The Man in the Queue (1929) was published under the pseudonym of Gordon Daviot , whose name also appears on the title page of another of her 1929 novels, Kif; An Unvarnished History. She also used the Daviot by-line for a biography of the 17th century cavalry leader John Graham, which was entitled Claverhouse (1937).
Mackintosh also wrote plays (both one act and full length), some of which were produced during her lifetime, under the pseudonym Gordon Daviot. The district of Daviot, near her home of Inverness in Scotland, was a location her family had vacationed. The name Gordon does not appear in either her family or her history.
Elizabeth Mackintosh came of age during World War I, attending Anstey Physical Training College in Birmingham, England during the years 1915 - 1918. Upon graduation, she became a physical training instructor for eight years. In 1926, her mother died and she returned home to Inverness to care for her invalid father. Busy with household duties, she turned to writing as a diversion, and was successful in creating a second career.
Alfred Hitchcock filmed one of her novels, A Shilling for Candles (1936) as Young and Innocent in 1937 and two other of her novels have been made into films, The Franchise Affair (1948), filmed in 1950, and 'Brat Farrar' (1949), filmed as Paranoiac in 1963. In addition, a number of her works have been dramatised for radio.
Her novel The Daughter of Time (1951) was voted the greatest mystery novel of all time by the Crime Writers' Association in 1990.
Miss Mackintosh never married, and died at the age of 55, in London. A shy woman, she is reported to have been somewhat of a mystery even to her intimate friends. While her death seems to have been a surprise, there is some indication she may have known she was fatally ill for some time prior to her passing.
The first of these, The Man in the Queue (1929) was published under the pseudonym of Gordon Daviot , whose name also appears on the title page of another of her 1929 novels, Kif; An Unvarnished History. She also used the Daviot by-line for a biography of the 17th century cavalry leader John Graham, which was entitled Claverhouse (1937).
Mackintosh also wrote plays (both one act and full length), some of which were produced during her lifetime, under the pseudonym Gordon Daviot. The district of Daviot, near her home of Inverness in Scotland, was a location her family had vacationed. The name Gordon does not appear in either her family or her history.
Elizabeth Mackintosh came of age during World War I, attending Anstey Physical Training College in Birmingham, England during the years 1915 - 1918. Upon graduation, she became a physical training instructor for eight years. In 1926, her mother died and she returned home to Inverness to care for her invalid father. Busy with household duties, she turned to writing as a diversion, and was successful in creating a second career.
Alfred Hitchcock filmed one of her novels, A Shilling for Candles (1936) as Young and Innocent in 1937 and two other of her novels have been made into films, The Franchise Affair (1948), filmed in 1950, and 'Brat Farrar' (1949), filmed as Paranoiac in 1963. In addition, a number of her works have been dramatised for radio.
Her novel The Daughter of Time (1951) was voted the greatest mystery novel of all time by the Crime Writers' Association in 1990.
Miss Mackintosh never married, and died at the age of 55, in London. A shy woman, she is reported to have been somewhat of a mystery even to her intimate friends. While her death seems to have been a surprise, there is some indication she may have known she was fatally ill for some time prior to her passing.
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June 6, 2020
3,5/5
Creo que lo ideal es leer este libro disfrutando del estilo de la autora y olvidando que está catalogada como "novela de misterio".
La historia nos presenta a Lucy Pym una ex-profesora reconvertira en escritora de éxito tras el lanzamiento de su libro sobre psicología. La visita a una escuela de educación física tendrá entretenida durante dos semanas a Lucy ahondando en los intereses ocultos que hay en cada una de las alumnas y lo que esconden bajo esa fachada de salud y buena voluntad.
Es una novela ligera, entretenida y con un toque feel good que sabrán disfrutar los fans de D.E. Stevenson o Barbara Pym... con un poco más de intriga, eso sí, pero sin el malrollismo genial de novelas como 'La plenitud de la Señorita Brodie' de Muriel Spark.
Me ha gustado mucho el estilo de la autora, que como su protagonista hace un agudo estudio de la mente de los personajes con el añadido de un toque de ironía inglesa que le viene de lujo.... Seguro que volveré a leer alguna obra de Josephine Tey :)
*** Como siempre la edición de Hoja de Lata fantabulosa.
Creo que lo ideal es leer este libro disfrutando del estilo de la autora y olvidando que está catalogada como "novela de misterio".
La historia nos presenta a Lucy Pym una ex-profesora reconvertira en escritora de éxito tras el lanzamiento de su libro sobre psicología. La visita a una escuela de educación física tendrá entretenida durante dos semanas a Lucy ahondando en los intereses ocultos que hay en cada una de las alumnas y lo que esconden bajo esa fachada de salud y buena voluntad.
Es una novela ligera, entretenida y con un toque feel good que sabrán disfrutar los fans de D.E. Stevenson o Barbara Pym... con un poco más de intriga, eso sí, pero sin el malrollismo genial de novelas como 'La plenitud de la Señorita Brodie' de Muriel Spark.
Me ha gustado mucho el estilo de la autora, que como su protagonista hace un agudo estudio de la mente de los personajes con el añadido de un toque de ironía inglesa que le viene de lujo.... Seguro que volveré a leer alguna obra de Josephine Tey :)
*** Como siempre la edición de Hoja de Lata fantabulosa.
October 22, 2017
Having seen Josephine Tey recommended as one of the generation of golden age crime writers that often goes underread and is not given the credit she deserves, I was keen to read some of her work after several enjoyable experiences with Agatha Christie. Miss Pym Disposes is my starting point and is not strictly a crime novel in the traditional sense, with the fateful incident that comes to define it part accident and not occurring until eighty percent of the way through the novel, although the build up offers plenty of hints as to what to expect. Written in 1946, I did notice rather more dated references in contrast to some of Agatha Christie’s 1930 novels but I was surprised how relevant some of the issues raised still remain.
The story begins when a legacy leaves French teacher, Miss Lucy Pym, in a comfortable position to become a lady of leisure and sees her set her mind to writing a treatise of psychology, which becomes an unexpected bestseller. Prized as a guest speaker, when she is invited to lecture by a sixth-former who once saved her blushes as a timid fourth-form student and is now the principal of a college of physical training she is happy to repay the kindness. Not that Miss Pym feels she has much to offer the students of Leys Physical Training College, a community that rouses at 5:30 a.m. and moves seamlessly through a series of exhaustive physical pursuits and works the Seniors into a heightened state of anxiety in the week of Final Examinations and the Demonstration. Housed in the student block and eagerly welcomed as a refreshingly interesting, modern and entertaining guest speaker, the Seniors are buoyed by Miss Pym’s presence and implore her to stay until the day of the Demonstration. Accepted amongst their number and is no shortage of demand, Miss Pym finds it rather pleasant to be a novelty and wanted item, in contrast to her relatively lonely London existence. As she moves between the staff room and student numbers, Lucy observes all of the Seniors at close quarters and becomes almost as invested in their hopes for the examinations and future employment postings as any of the staff.
Head Senior, Pamela (“Beau”) Nash is a wealthy girl with grace and good fortune, best friend Mary Innes a self-contained, intelligent and somewhat aloof individual and fanciful Teresa Desterro (The Nut Tart) a fiery Brazilian dance student. Tey devotes much of the early proportion of the novel to fleshing out the entire group in detail offering plenty of pithy amusement and drawing self-deprecating comparisons from Miss Pym. However as Miss Pym unobtrusively goes about her day she is well positioned to observe the claustrophobic environment which causes her to wonder if it is quite as sound for the mind as it is for the body. Principal Henrietta Hodge tells Lucy that, “when a human being works as hard as these girls do, it has neither the spare interest to devise a crime nor the energy to undertake it”. However Miss Pym, a keen interpreter of facial expressions, recognises the tired and emotional state where the potential for a careless comment to become a grievance nursed looms large. She herself comes to subscribes to the view of Miss Lux, “Sweating oneself into a coma may stultify the reason, but it doesn’t destroy the emotions.”
With principal Miss Hodge is charge of directing job postings repercussions are set in motion when at unpopular girl and undoubtedly not the most suitable candidate is selected for a prestigious vacancy at Arlinghurst, the female equivalent of Eton, much to the chagrin of students and staff alike. Lucy Pym is a compassionate and sensitive character, able to sympathise with the girls and offer them an adult sounding board outside of the teaching staff. As she finds herself caught up in examination week and this revelation that shoo-in candidate Mary Innes has been passed over, Lucy has seen enough to know where her sympathies lie. The ensuing moral questions leave law abiding Miss Pym in a position to offer up her own knowledge and potentially incriminate a young girl who meant no permanent harm or keep her counsel and let God dispose. The mental gymnastics are fraught with difficulty and despite the world of academia having changed, basic human emotions such as rivalry and jealousy ensure that this novel is still pertinent. I did detect several hints towards what could be interpreted as lesbianism within the novel but these are never explored and I did have lingering questions as to whether this was a factor in Miss Hodge’s decision.
Readily absorbing, the reader is able to see from the off where the story is heading but this does nothing to spoil a gloriously entertaining read and within the space of 250 pages Josephine Tey manages to bring an English country summer to life, provide a distinct cast of students and teachers and infuse a growing sense of angst into events. The moral questions and one final twist make for a breathtakingly good finish. Not obviously as comfortable or seductive reading as the Agatha Christie that I have read, I am glad that I persevered through the early usage of dated references, as there is a witty, increasingly gripping and thought-provoking read waiting to be discovered.
The story begins when a legacy leaves French teacher, Miss Lucy Pym, in a comfortable position to become a lady of leisure and sees her set her mind to writing a treatise of psychology, which becomes an unexpected bestseller. Prized as a guest speaker, when she is invited to lecture by a sixth-former who once saved her blushes as a timid fourth-form student and is now the principal of a college of physical training she is happy to repay the kindness. Not that Miss Pym feels she has much to offer the students of Leys Physical Training College, a community that rouses at 5:30 a.m. and moves seamlessly through a series of exhaustive physical pursuits and works the Seniors into a heightened state of anxiety in the week of Final Examinations and the Demonstration. Housed in the student block and eagerly welcomed as a refreshingly interesting, modern and entertaining guest speaker, the Seniors are buoyed by Miss Pym’s presence and implore her to stay until the day of the Demonstration. Accepted amongst their number and is no shortage of demand, Miss Pym finds it rather pleasant to be a novelty and wanted item, in contrast to her relatively lonely London existence. As she moves between the staff room and student numbers, Lucy observes all of the Seniors at close quarters and becomes almost as invested in their hopes for the examinations and future employment postings as any of the staff.
Head Senior, Pamela (“Beau”) Nash is a wealthy girl with grace and good fortune, best friend Mary Innes a self-contained, intelligent and somewhat aloof individual and fanciful Teresa Desterro (The Nut Tart) a fiery Brazilian dance student. Tey devotes much of the early proportion of the novel to fleshing out the entire group in detail offering plenty of pithy amusement and drawing self-deprecating comparisons from Miss Pym. However as Miss Pym unobtrusively goes about her day she is well positioned to observe the claustrophobic environment which causes her to wonder if it is quite as sound for the mind as it is for the body. Principal Henrietta Hodge tells Lucy that, “when a human being works as hard as these girls do, it has neither the spare interest to devise a crime nor the energy to undertake it”. However Miss Pym, a keen interpreter of facial expressions, recognises the tired and emotional state where the potential for a careless comment to become a grievance nursed looms large. She herself comes to subscribes to the view of Miss Lux, “Sweating oneself into a coma may stultify the reason, but it doesn’t destroy the emotions.”
With principal Miss Hodge is charge of directing job postings repercussions are set in motion when at unpopular girl and undoubtedly not the most suitable candidate is selected for a prestigious vacancy at Arlinghurst, the female equivalent of Eton, much to the chagrin of students and staff alike. Lucy Pym is a compassionate and sensitive character, able to sympathise with the girls and offer them an adult sounding board outside of the teaching staff. As she finds herself caught up in examination week and this revelation that shoo-in candidate Mary Innes has been passed over, Lucy has seen enough to know where her sympathies lie. The ensuing moral questions leave law abiding Miss Pym in a position to offer up her own knowledge and potentially incriminate a young girl who meant no permanent harm or keep her counsel and let God dispose. The mental gymnastics are fraught with difficulty and despite the world of academia having changed, basic human emotions such as rivalry and jealousy ensure that this novel is still pertinent. I did detect several hints towards what could be interpreted as lesbianism within the novel but these are never explored and I did have lingering questions as to whether this was a factor in Miss Hodge’s decision.
Readily absorbing, the reader is able to see from the off where the story is heading but this does nothing to spoil a gloriously entertaining read and within the space of 250 pages Josephine Tey manages to bring an English country summer to life, provide a distinct cast of students and teachers and infuse a growing sense of angst into events. The moral questions and one final twist make for a breathtakingly good finish. Not obviously as comfortable or seductive reading as the Agatha Christie that I have read, I am glad that I persevered through the early usage of dated references, as there is a witty, increasingly gripping and thought-provoking read waiting to be discovered.
December 15, 2012
First published in 1946, this novel isn't a conventional murder mystery and doesn't feature Tey's detective Inspector Alan Grant. Rather, the Miss Pym of the title serves the function of detective, without actually being one - either amateur or professional - at all. Rather, she's a high school teacher turned best-selling author of a pop psychology book who visits an old friend who is now the principal of a women's physical training college. Miss Pym becomes interested in the lives and personalities of the college students and their teachers and ultimately becomes embroiled in what on the surface appears to be an accident, but which which may well prove to be a crime.
This particular incident does not take place until about three quarters of the way through the novel. Tey builds up to it slowly, through a series of psychological portraits of the characters as they interact with each other and with Miss Pym. Tey's prose is witty and sharp and and her character development is excellent.* In addition, the narrative contains touches which will mean something to readers who know about Tey and her interests. For example, the description of Shakespeare's Richard III as "[a] criminal libel on a fine man, a blatant piece of political propaganda, and an extremely silly play" reflects Tey's views about Richard III, later set out in her 1951 novel The Daughter of Time. There are also references to actors and acting, something with which Tey, who also wrote plays using the name Gordon Daviot, was very familiar.
In reading this novel I learned a lot about women's physical training colleges in England in the early part of the 20th century. It's interesting to learn about something I hadn't known existed before, but after reading this book it's arguable that I now know too much about the subject. Tey attended a physical training college and taught physical training at schools in England and Scotland before becoming a writer, so I suppose she wrote about what she knew.
A novel which features apparently criminal behaviour set in a women's college and having as its central characters a number of students and teachers invites comparison with Dorothy L Sayers'Gaudy Night. Frankly, this novel comes off very much second best in that comparison: it lacks the depth and passion which Sayers brought to her work. That said, characterising the novel as Gaudy Night-lite does Tey an injustice. It's an engaging read, although quite slow-paced, with an interesting central protagonist and an unexpected twist at the end. (Well, I thought that there probably would be a twist, but I didn't anticipate that particular one.)
I read the book with my friend Jemidar, which is always a delight. It gets 3 stars for the plot and an extra half star for the excellence of the writing.
*That said, I think it could be argued that in developing the psychological portraits of her characters, Tey relied much too heavily on physiognomy as a reliable indicator of character. This is also very much a factor in The Daughter of Time.
December 26, 2023
By this point in my reread of Josephine Tey it's more than clear that she did not write ordinary books. The cover blurb clearly gives out that Disposes is a murder mystery, but the story is in no rush to do anyone in. And that is brilliant, and cruel. We are introduced to Miss Pym, and become friends. It didn't take long at all to come to care about her – still surprised and honestly delighted at her completely unanticipated fame and relative fortune, at her still-new ability to go wherever and do whatever she pleases. There are times and circumstances in which it is almost as nice (almost) to see good things happen to good people as to have them to oneself; it's lovely to watch Miss Pym as written by Josephine Tey exploring the sort of freedom I'd wish for my own life – and which, come to think of it, may have been a glimpse into Miss Tey's own feelings; there is, apparently, much of Josephine Tey (pseudonym of Elizabeth Mackintosh) in Miss Pym and the girls and ladies of the school: Elizabeth Mackintosh was, according to the Times obituary (via http://www.josephinetey.net/) "born and brought up at Inverness and was trained as a physical training instructress at the Anstey Physical Training College, Birmingham".
Along with Miss Pym we meet the inmates of the Leys school for young women, and seeing through her eyes there are perhaps two students who are less than lovely, and one instructor; everyone else is charming, and indispensable. Which is when the memory that this is a murder mystery begins to niggle … Which of these will be the victim? Worse – which will be the killer? For once there is no hint in the blurb (at least in my edition); the hideous cover of my copy makes it look like a student, but covers are notoriously unreliable. It's a different sort of suspense than is often found in the genre – rather than being kept waiting to find out whodunnit or whether this one will escape the murderer or that one escape the law, here it is a wait to see which of these people I've quickly come to like will a) die and b) be responsible. Neither is a more appealing prospect than the other; it didn't take long before I really didn't want any of them dead, nor did I want any of them to be capable of killing anyone. It is sadly rare to read a book in which the characters are so well-made that their plotline becomes genuinely distressing.
Not a negligible accomplishment for the first hundred pages. Tey is amazing.
I maunder on a bit more on my blog.
Along with Miss Pym we meet the inmates of the Leys school for young women, and seeing through her eyes there are perhaps two students who are less than lovely, and one instructor; everyone else is charming, and indispensable. Which is when the memory that this is a murder mystery begins to niggle … Which of these will be the victim? Worse – which will be the killer? For once there is no hint in the blurb (at least in my edition); the hideous cover of my copy makes it look like a student, but covers are notoriously unreliable. It's a different sort of suspense than is often found in the genre – rather than being kept waiting to find out whodunnit or whether this one will escape the murderer or that one escape the law, here it is a wait to see which of these people I've quickly come to like will a) die and b) be responsible. Neither is a more appealing prospect than the other; it didn't take long before I really didn't want any of them dead, nor did I want any of them to be capable of killing anyone. It is sadly rare to read a book in which the characters are so well-made that their plotline becomes genuinely distressing.
Not a negligible accomplishment for the first hundred pages. Tey is amazing.
I maunder on a bit more on my blog.
November 25, 2021
¡A mis brazos, Josephine Tey! ¿Le voy a dar cinco estrellas porque la autora hace exactamente lo que yo hubiera hecho? Por supuesto. Hay que darle un premio por esa deliciosa crueldad.
Josephine Tey tiene el don de crear tensión de la forma más sutil. No pasa nada, pero hace que sientas esa atmósfera ominosa donde sabes que va a pasar algo malo. Porque el crimen no ocurre hasta el último tercio del libro. Hasta entonces el ambiente se ha ido enrareciendo hasta el momento en el que sabes que algo malo va a ocurrir y a quién. Todo en una apacible escuela femenina con simpáticas jovencitas que parecen no haber roto un plato en su vida.
Y por cierto, eso es terminar en todo lo alto.
Josephine Tey tiene el don de crear tensión de la forma más sutil. No pasa nada, pero hace que sientas esa atmósfera ominosa donde sabes que va a pasar algo malo. Porque el crimen no ocurre hasta el último tercio del libro. Hasta entonces el ambiente se ha ido enrareciendo hasta el momento en el que sabes que algo malo va a ocurrir y a quién. Todo en una apacible escuela femenina con simpáticas jovencitas que parecen no haber roto un plato en su vida.
Y por cierto, eso es terminar en todo lo alto.
March 31, 2021
First and foremost, this book is not a typical mystery. Miss Pym, a well known writer of a psychology book, comes to lecture at Ley’s College. She is so enthralled to be among these young enthusiastic girls, and they are equally enamoured by her. Miss Pym decides to prolong her stay for a while longer.
What follows is a thorough character study of these girls. At first, it was confusing as she introduces so many people, between the girls and the teachers. Once I became familiarized with them, the story just took off.
By the time the crime takes place, you know these people and are loathe to imagine any being so evil.
Miss Tey is a wonderful writer. I had recently listened to a discussion of this book on a podcast “Backlisted”. Val McDermid ranked Josephine Tey so highly, I had to discover her for myself. So glad I did!
What follows is a thorough character study of these girls. At first, it was confusing as she introduces so many people, between the girls and the teachers. Once I became familiarized with them, the story just took off.
By the time the crime takes place, you know these people and are loathe to imagine any being so evil.
Miss Tey is a wonderful writer. I had recently listened to a discussion of this book on a podcast “Backlisted”. Val McDermid ranked Josephine Tey so highly, I had to discover her for myself. So glad I did!
July 19, 2019
On the surface this looks like a classic Golden Age cosy... but actually Tey disrupts the genre by subtly posing all kinds of ethical and moral dilemmas. The most obvious is about what Miss Pym should do when she discovers a murderess in the elite girls' school she's visiting - but actually there are earlier sticking points: what to do about finding someone cheating in exams? Or how to call out a miscarriage of social justice? And should jobs and careers be at the mercy of head-teacher favouritism in the first place? And how do all these events and decisions interconnect? Tracing back, there are a series of judgments and decisions that are made by characters which lead inevitably, step-by-step, to the final outcome which forces us to think about consequences, guilt and reparation. And, uncomfortingly, some people walk away untouched...
Another elegantly written mystery, then, from Tey, which probes more deeply into questions of justice than is often the case in this period.
Another elegantly written mystery, then, from Tey, which probes more deeply into questions of justice than is often the case in this period.
September 18, 2022
Halloween Bingo 2022
Freshly finished Miss Pym, and I'm still processing exactly what is was that grabbed me so firmly and refused to let me go. Partly, I'm sure, it's because I identify a bit with Miss P. A mature woman who has managed to escape a job that had become unpleasant and has time to do her own thing. Someone who is a talented amateur in the field of psychology. I also confess that I liked the light tone of the first half of the book. It seemed that the most problematic situation would be school gossip.
Then, surprise! Miss Hodge offers the “plum position“ to an unexpected student and the tone turns suddenly dark. There is resentment and outrage, but what could possibly be the outcome of it? Very late in the game (the 88% mark), there is finally a body. So much build up, letting us get to know all the players in the drama. Could one of these young women truly be responsible?
Then, we get to witness Miss Pym's struggle with her conscience. How she wishes that she had left earlier or hadn't gone anywhere near the gymnasium! But, as the old saying goes, man proposes and God disposes. So why does she make the choices that she does? I can follow them emotionally, but she does seem to be taking on God's role in the whole affair. The ending was completely unexpected. Well written, Ms. Tey.
I'm pleased to have finally read this book--it's been one of my Halloween Bingo possibilities for several years. This year, I decided to use my Lottery wild card to convert the Creepy Carnivals square into Dark Academia to accommodate Miss Pym. It was a good choice.
Freshly finished Miss Pym, and I'm still processing exactly what is was that grabbed me so firmly and refused to let me go. Partly, I'm sure, it's because I identify a bit with Miss P. A mature woman who has managed to escape a job that had become unpleasant and has time to do her own thing. Someone who is a talented amateur in the field of psychology. I also confess that I liked the light tone of the first half of the book. It seemed that the most problematic situation would be school gossip.
Then, surprise! Miss Hodge offers the “plum position“ to an unexpected student and the tone turns suddenly dark. There is resentment and outrage, but what could possibly be the outcome of it? Very late in the game (the 88% mark), there is finally a body. So much build up, letting us get to know all the players in the drama. Could one of these young women truly be responsible?
Then, we get to witness Miss Pym's struggle with her conscience. How she wishes that she had left earlier or hadn't gone anywhere near the gymnasium! But, as the old saying goes, man proposes and God disposes. So why does she make the choices that she does? I can follow them emotionally, but she does seem to be taking on God's role in the whole affair. The ending was completely unexpected. Well written, Ms. Tey.
I'm pleased to have finally read this book--it's been one of my Halloween Bingo possibilities for several years. This year, I decided to use my Lottery wild card to convert the Creepy Carnivals square into Dark Academia to accommodate Miss Pym. It was a good choice.
May 3, 2014
Wow, just wow! I thought Daughter of Time was the masterpiece. Now I'm not so sure. What a loss that this incredible wit and writer of the most subtle social psychology aware mystery crossover was gone so quickly. No plot summary here. Girls and young women being full humans with barely any love interest in the mix at all. Tey was 80 years ahead of her own time. At least. Oh yes, it does plod- uphill all the way. It was very good when I was almost 30, better when I was just past 50 and great now. And I understand Henrietta's original job offer decision IMMENSELY better now too. Highly recommend. The girls are worth the patience.
September 13, 2021
En esta obra la autora nos sumerge en el ambiente de una escuela de educación física para chicas en Inglaterra en los años 40. Elizabeth Mackintosh – nombre real de la autora – estudió en el Anstey Physical Training College de Birmingham y trabajó como profesora de gimnasia y enfermera, por tanto conocía perfectamente los entornos que describe.
Toda la obra gira en torno a las relaciones interpersonales, tanto a nivel de las alumnas como de las profesoras, y el ambiente altamente competitivo y estresante de los exámenes finales. La señorita Pym visita la escuela para dar una conferencia de psicología y se queda unos cuantos días disfrutando de su enclave en la campiña inglesa y participando en la vida escolar. La psicología tiene una parte muy importante en la narración, hay una observación detallada de las personas y sus motivaciones individuales, así como de las dinámicas de grupo que se establecen. Al haber tantos personajes, este estudio psicológico que ocupa la mayor parte del libro resulta algo exhaustivo, pero mantiene el interés.
Hay que decir que a quien espere una trama detectivesca al uso – un asesinato seguido de una investigación - le espera la decepción: no pasa nada destacable hasta el 75% del libro y el desarrollo posterior es muy poco convencional, con un final bastante previsible. De hecho, el misterio no es tal, es una situación que se va fraguando a lo largo de toda la novela y que se produce de manera inevitable. La parte positiva es la coherencia y el realismo del conjunto, más que intriga es tragedia.
Un valor de la obra es el retrato tan detallado que ofrece de la escuela y sus habitantes, lleno del encanto de las novelas clásicas de la campiña inglesa. También el carácter y la personalidad de a señorita Pym, mujer independiente y llena de humanidad y humor.
La parte negativa es que profundiza tanto en el retrato, que hacia la mitad la narración se hace reiterativa, con conversaciones y situaciones que se repiten, sin que suceda nada especial.
En conjunto, un clásico curioso y lleno de encanto, de género inclasificable.
3,5*
Toda la obra gira en torno a las relaciones interpersonales, tanto a nivel de las alumnas como de las profesoras, y el ambiente altamente competitivo y estresante de los exámenes finales. La señorita Pym visita la escuela para dar una conferencia de psicología y se queda unos cuantos días disfrutando de su enclave en la campiña inglesa y participando en la vida escolar. La psicología tiene una parte muy importante en la narración, hay una observación detallada de las personas y sus motivaciones individuales, así como de las dinámicas de grupo que se establecen. Al haber tantos personajes, este estudio psicológico que ocupa la mayor parte del libro resulta algo exhaustivo, pero mantiene el interés.
Hay que decir que a quien espere una trama detectivesca al uso – un asesinato seguido de una investigación - le espera la decepción: no pasa nada destacable hasta el 75% del libro y el desarrollo posterior es muy poco convencional, con un final bastante previsible. De hecho, el misterio no es tal, es una situación que se va fraguando a lo largo de toda la novela y que se produce de manera inevitable. La parte positiva es la coherencia y el realismo del conjunto, más que intriga es tragedia.
Un valor de la obra es el retrato tan detallado que ofrece de la escuela y sus habitantes, lleno del encanto de las novelas clásicas de la campiña inglesa. También el carácter y la personalidad de a señorita Pym, mujer independiente y llena de humanidad y humor.
La parte negativa es que profundiza tanto en el retrato, que hacia la mitad la narración se hace reiterativa, con conversaciones y situaciones que se repiten, sin que suceda nada especial.
En conjunto, un clásico curioso y lleno de encanto, de género inclasificable.
3,5*
June 19, 2019
Despite many people telling me that Josephine Tey is their favourite Golden Age author, I have struggled with the books I tried previously. As such, I was a little dubious about this, but I am glad that I gave it a try. Published in 1946, this is a stand-alone mystery, set in Leys Physical Training College. Indeed, Tey herself attended a similar college and taught physical education in various schools, so this is a world she knew well.
The Miss Pym of the title is Lucy Pym, who – to her own surprise – wrote a successful psychology book and finds herself a sudden success. When an old school friend, now head of Leys, asks her to come and speak, she remembers how Henrietta Hodge once stepped in when she was being teased, and agrees to come.
Although this is a crime novel, it is much more a character study. Although, at first, Miss Pym is eager to leave, she gradually finds herself drawn in to the life of the College and to get to know the students and staff. Miss Hodge has the task of matching students to possible positions and, with the students about to leave, there is always much excitement when she reads out a name. However, when a brilliant student is passed over for a plum position, it creates a bad feeling and leaves Miss Pym with a feeling of danger.
I don’t think that Tey will ever be my favourite author – but I am pleased that I read this mature, intelligent and well written novel and glad that I gave her work another chance.
The Miss Pym of the title is Lucy Pym, who – to her own surprise – wrote a successful psychology book and finds herself a sudden success. When an old school friend, now head of Leys, asks her to come and speak, she remembers how Henrietta Hodge once stepped in when she was being teased, and agrees to come.
Although this is a crime novel, it is much more a character study. Although, at first, Miss Pym is eager to leave, she gradually finds herself drawn in to the life of the College and to get to know the students and staff. Miss Hodge has the task of matching students to possible positions and, with the students about to leave, there is always much excitement when she reads out a name. However, when a brilliant student is passed over for a plum position, it creates a bad feeling and leaves Miss Pym with a feeling of danger.
I don’t think that Tey will ever be my favourite author – but I am pleased that I read this mature, intelligent and well written novel and glad that I gave her work another chance.
November 28, 2023
Josephine Tey's first book is not as riveting as her latter mysteries. However it is an excellent first book. The setting is a girls' school for the training of what I suppose would now be called physical therapists. Fine character development had me worried about the identities of both the future victim and murderer.
February 12, 2021
Puede que no sea una novela con grandes pretensiones literarias, misterios o apabullantes altibajos en la trama y, sin embargo, ¡me ha gustado tanto leerla! En justicia, sería un libro correcto (3*), pero resulta tan agradable leerlo, es escapista y un poco palomitero... y he tomado tanto té con esta novela (¡e incluso una copa de vino!) que ya es casi una encantadora conocida.
Inglaterra, años 40, escuela Leys de educación física para señoritas. Lucy Pym, escritora de un existoso libro de psicología, llega para dar una charla a las alumnas y es testigo de ciertos hechos que la invitan a prolongar su estancia una y otra vez. Toda la carga reposa en las observaciones lúcidas y agudas de Lucy Pym sobre lo que ve a su alrededor y sobre sí misma:
Lucy decidió olvidarse de su peso por esta vez y disfrutar del momento. Esa era una decisión que tomaba con lamentable frecuencia.
Describe muy bien el ambiente en la escuela de señoritas y hace que pongas cara a multitud de personajes secundarios que para mí, por lo general, no suelen ser más que un borrón en casi todas las historias. Apenas aparece un puñado de personajes masculinos a los que apenas presta atención y no trata de forma muy amable: el "gigoló", el actor famoso enamorado de una amiga de juventud, el bedel...
Qué agradable debía ser vivir entre algodones y a salvo de la cruda realidad. Ni siquiera habían salido del vientre de su madre, seguían flotando en líquido amniótico.
...porque en realidad hay una cantidad de personajes femeninos veladamente homosexuales que es una maravilla, un soplo de aire fresco después de haber estado leyendo clásicos demasiado inocentes en este sentido. A Lucy le encantan las piernas de las muchachas (no deja de hacer insinuaciones sobre ellas), aborrece la nuez de Adán de su pretendiente, y qué decir de su atracción por la brasileña y sus vestidos floreados; la directora tiene una clara favorita cuya preferencia no se explica sin un vínculo sentimental, y todas las alumnas tienen una relación de codependencia bestial con alguna de sus compañeras. El cuarteto de las Discípulas es extraordinario, muy atrevido para estar publicado en 1946.
Lo que más me ha gustado son las descripciones de la campiña inglesa y el uso del clima atmosférico como reflejo del clima emocional de la escuela.
No es una novela de misterio como tal, aunque la sinopsis así lo indique, y si lo leéis bajo esa premisa seguro que salís decepcionados: la "intriga" no es para tanto y no dura más que unas pocas páginas, aunque creo que se resuelve correctamente. En sus últimas páginas, tiene más mérito la reflexión de la protagonista sobre la justicia que el suceso en sí.
Inglaterra, años 40, escuela Leys de educación física para señoritas. Lucy Pym, escritora de un existoso libro de psicología, llega para dar una charla a las alumnas y es testigo de ciertos hechos que la invitan a prolongar su estancia una y otra vez. Toda la carga reposa en las observaciones lúcidas y agudas de Lucy Pym sobre lo que ve a su alrededor y sobre sí misma:
Lucy decidió olvidarse de su peso por esta vez y disfrutar del momento. Esa era una decisión que tomaba con lamentable frecuencia.
Describe muy bien el ambiente en la escuela de señoritas y hace que pongas cara a multitud de personajes secundarios que para mí, por lo general, no suelen ser más que un borrón en casi todas las historias. Apenas aparece un puñado de personajes masculinos a los que apenas presta atención y no trata de forma muy amable: el "gigoló", el actor famoso enamorado de una amiga de juventud, el bedel...
Qué agradable debía ser vivir entre algodones y a salvo de la cruda realidad. Ni siquiera habían salido del vientre de su madre, seguían flotando en líquido amniótico.
...porque en realidad hay una cantidad de personajes femeninos veladamente homosexuales que es una maravilla, un soplo de aire fresco después de haber estado leyendo clásicos demasiado inocentes en este sentido. A Lucy le encantan las piernas de las muchachas (no deja de hacer insinuaciones sobre ellas), aborrece la nuez de Adán de su pretendiente, y qué decir de su atracción por la brasileña y sus vestidos floreados; la directora tiene una clara favorita cuya preferencia no se explica sin un vínculo sentimental, y todas las alumnas tienen una relación de codependencia bestial con alguna de sus compañeras. El cuarteto de las Discípulas es extraordinario, muy atrevido para estar publicado en 1946.
Lo que más me ha gustado son las descripciones de la campiña inglesa y el uso del clima atmosférico como reflejo del clima emocional de la escuela.
No es una novela de misterio como tal, aunque la sinopsis así lo indique, y si lo leéis bajo esa premisa seguro que salís decepcionados: la "intriga" no es para tanto y no dura más que unas pocas páginas, aunque creo que se resuelve correctamente. En sus últimas páginas, tiene más mérito la reflexión de la protagonista sobre la justicia que el suceso en sí.
August 1, 2025
Reread in 2025 - my goodness what an extraordinary book. The writing is incredibly immersive, you really feel like part of this group of girls at this physical college. The mystery is extremely clever and the psychological study is honestly wonderful. I will forever remember the minutiae with which Tey depicts this world, it’s very impressive. I haven’t felt this immersed in a book in a long time.
Original review in 2013 - This is excellent and utterly different from anything I've read before. The psychological study is minute, the humour sharp and quotable, the characters detached yet devatastingly human. I don't know what to call this insofar as this is as much a character study of various female students in the forties as it is a mystery novel that advocates applied psychology and body language reading to solve crimes. It is a good whodunnit (though I'd guessed the final twist, it was still quite smart) but it's not its primary purpose, its primary purpose is to look at the consequences of murder on people's lives. It's a pity Tey doesn't delve into more politics with such material and such quality writing, there was so much potential of scope there what with the setting with girls being sent to various positions around the country without having any kind of say into it, but I suppose that's why Dorothy L. Sayers' Gaudy Night is a masterpiece and Miss Pym Disposes is a Really Good Book.
Original review in 2013 - This is excellent and utterly different from anything I've read before. The psychological study is minute, the humour sharp and quotable, the characters detached yet devatastingly human. I don't know what to call this insofar as this is as much a character study of various female students in the forties as it is a mystery novel that advocates applied psychology and body language reading to solve crimes. It is a good whodunnit (though I'd guessed the final twist, it was still quite smart) but it's not its primary purpose, its primary purpose is to look at the consequences of murder on people's lives. It's a pity Tey doesn't delve into more politics with such material and such quality writing, there was so much potential of scope there what with the setting with girls being sent to various positions around the country without having any kind of say into it, but I suppose that's why Dorothy L. Sayers' Gaudy Night is a masterpiece and Miss Pym Disposes is a Really Good Book.
December 13, 2015
Ludo zabavna knjiga. Nominalno, ovo je krimić, ali zločin se desi tek negde na tri četvrtine knjige i odmah je jasno (čitaocima, ne pripovedačici) ko je počinilac - ali ne zbog nekakvih gusto posejanih nagoveštaja nego zbog motivacije likova koja je vrlo brižljivo razrađena u prethodne tri četvrtine teksta.
U međuvremenu možemo da uživamo u:
a) retko zabavnoj junakinji - gđica Pim je usedelica koja je bukvalno slučajno napisala bestseler iz oblasti popularne psihologije, retko duhovita (često na svoj račun), oštrog oka za detalje, ali mnogo fleksibilnija i tolerantnija nego npr. gđica Marpl, i, avaj, manje autoritativna,
b) ambijentu - engleski ženski internat u međuratnom periodu (neka kombinacija DIF-a i Više medicinske), sa živo prikazanim učenicama i nastavnicama, blago nezdravom atmosferom neprekidnog takmičenja i krajnjeg telesnog i umnog naprezanja,
c) vrlo realističnom adolescentskom beskrajnom loženju na pojedine nastavnice i/ili drugarice - ovde striktno platonsko ali svejedno *beskrajno* loženje sa (naravno. roman je ipak iz 1946. godine) stravičnim posledicama,
d) engleštini koja varira od onog simpatičnog ponošenja domaćom kuhinjom (domaćom. kuhinjom. domaćom ENGLESKOM kuhinjom. To vam je pravi patriotizam.) do ničim izazvanih "a sad pola strane predrasuda o lenjim Velšanima" momenata.
Sve u svemu, preporuka za kišni dan uz šolju... ne mora čaja, može i tople čokolade... i obavezno neki keks.
PS Muških likova ima nešto malo (2,5) i *totalno* su nebitni.
U međuvremenu možemo da uživamo u:
a) retko zabavnoj junakinji - gđica Pim je usedelica koja je bukvalno slučajno napisala bestseler iz oblasti popularne psihologije, retko duhovita (često na svoj račun), oštrog oka za detalje, ali mnogo fleksibilnija i tolerantnija nego npr. gđica Marpl, i, avaj, manje autoritativna,
b) ambijentu - engleski ženski internat u međuratnom periodu (neka kombinacija DIF-a i Više medicinske), sa živo prikazanim učenicama i nastavnicama, blago nezdravom atmosferom neprekidnog takmičenja i krajnjeg telesnog i umnog naprezanja,
c) vrlo realističnom adolescentskom beskrajnom loženju na pojedine nastavnice i/ili drugarice - ovde striktno platonsko ali svejedno *beskrajno* loženje sa (naravno. roman je ipak iz 1946. godine) stravičnim posledicama,
d) engleštini koja varira od onog simpatičnog ponošenja domaćom kuhinjom (domaćom. kuhinjom. domaćom ENGLESKOM kuhinjom. To vam je pravi patriotizam.) do ničim izazvanih "a sad pola strane predrasuda o lenjim Velšanima" momenata.
Sve u svemu, preporuka za kišni dan uz šolju... ne mora čaja, može i tople čokolade... i obavezno neki keks.
PS Muških likova ima nešto malo (2,5) i *totalno* su nebitni.
February 8, 2021
La señorita Pym es una ex profesora de francés reconvertida en una celebridad debido a haber escrito un libro sobre psicología; su libro se convirtió en una especie de bestseller y ella en una conferenciante muy disputada, tanto, que es invitada por una amiga suya, Henrietta Hodge, que dirige una prestigiosa escuela femenina de Educación Física para dar una clase magistral sobre el tema que domina.
Lucy Pym, primero reticente a aceptar la invitación, cuando la acepta y visita esta escuela, enseguida es conquistada por el ambiente, las chicas y este clima universitario sano y bucólico. Una visita que en un principio iba a ser de 24 horas, se va alargando a medida que se encuentra más y cómoda hasta las dos semanas, conociendo a las estudiantes y las profesoras, y convirtiéndose en una especie de intermediaria entre unas y otras.
Ante todo tengo que decir que ésta es una novela rara. Claro que la publicidad te la vende como una novela de detectives o de misterio o no sé, pero no es nada de eso; es una novela de costumbres dónde la trama consiste en eso precisamente, en ver pasar un personaje tras otro, perfectamente analizado por la pluma de Josephine Tey. Los dos primeros tercios de la novela transcurren entre paseos, picnics en el césped, y sorbitos de té y degustación de pastelitos mientras sus personajes se dedican a comentar esto y lo otro. Pero tampoco nos engañemos, no es una banalidad porque Josephine Tey hace una descripción perfecta del estilo de vida inglés en esos internados y su pluma es aguda, irónica y está de repleta de análisis de personajes.
“Resonó un fortísimo aplauso, Una vez más, los ingleses se mostraban fácilmente conmovidos ante un elegante fracaso cuando por lo general el éxito fácil los dejaba indiferentes”.
Leyéndola se me ocurrió que Josephine Tey, en esta novela y comparándola con alguna escritora de hoy en dia, podría ser Megan Abbott que es una autora que que también ha recreado algunos ambientes femeninos en institutos aderezándolas de dosis de suspense, y convirtiéndolos en exítosos thrillers. Y hablo solo de esta novela de Josephine Tey, porque las demás no las he leido. Pero decía que era una novela rara por el ambiente porque la novela fue escrita en 1946 y publicada en 1947, osea en plena posguerra, y sin embargo en ningún momento percibo nada relacionado con el trauma de la guerra pasada, o con cualquier restricción o racionamiento al que se veían abocados los británicos tras la guerra, todo lo contrario, la Escuela Leys parece suspendida en una especie de limbo, irreal y perdido, sin apenas lazos con el mundo exterior.
Lucy Pym es un personaje interesante, una mujer nada convencional que se ve a sí misma con un toque de ironía, con sentido del humor, de edad indefinida, quizás en torno a la cuarentena, una observadora nata y picando de aquí y allá se va haciendo un retrato de los comportamientos de los habitantes de ese internado. El último tercio de la novela, lo dedica Josephine Tey a crear y desarrollar ya el misterio y si soy sincera le agradezco esa estructura porque no convierte el misterio en algo lleno de detalles, con tramas y giros que van y vienen; el conflicto surge y solo somos testigos de un giro, que además me pareció de lo más acertado, imprevisible. Decía que era una novela rara, porque durante la lectura la iba disfrutando, pero al mismo tiempo la autora convierte al lector en cómplice de esos análisis que hace Lucy Pym de los personajes que se va encontrando, con lo cual, es una historia que engaña, porque aunque simple vista parece que no pasa nada, los retazos psicológicos son realmente lo que da actividad a esta novela. Y el dato más importante, Josephine Tey escribe muy bien. 3 estrellitas y media.
"Se aplicó crema en la cara y observándose en el espejo, bajo aquella luz dura y brillante y toda embadurnada, juzgó su aspecto con desacostumbrada tolerancia. No había duda de que la edad aún mantenía las arrugas a raya. Y si Dios te ha dado cara de torta, al menos que la torta esté tersa durante el mayor tiempo posible. Si tuviera la nariz de Greta Garbo se vería obligada a estar a la altura de las circunstancias."
Lucy Pym, primero reticente a aceptar la invitación, cuando la acepta y visita esta escuela, enseguida es conquistada por el ambiente, las chicas y este clima universitario sano y bucólico. Una visita que en un principio iba a ser de 24 horas, se va alargando a medida que se encuentra más y cómoda hasta las dos semanas, conociendo a las estudiantes y las profesoras, y convirtiéndose en una especie de intermediaria entre unas y otras.
Ante todo tengo que decir que ésta es una novela rara. Claro que la publicidad te la vende como una novela de detectives o de misterio o no sé, pero no es nada de eso; es una novela de costumbres dónde la trama consiste en eso precisamente, en ver pasar un personaje tras otro, perfectamente analizado por la pluma de Josephine Tey. Los dos primeros tercios de la novela transcurren entre paseos, picnics en el césped, y sorbitos de té y degustación de pastelitos mientras sus personajes se dedican a comentar esto y lo otro. Pero tampoco nos engañemos, no es una banalidad porque Josephine Tey hace una descripción perfecta del estilo de vida inglés en esos internados y su pluma es aguda, irónica y está de repleta de análisis de personajes.
“Resonó un fortísimo aplauso, Una vez más, los ingleses se mostraban fácilmente conmovidos ante un elegante fracaso cuando por lo general el éxito fácil los dejaba indiferentes”.
Leyéndola se me ocurrió que Josephine Tey, en esta novela y comparándola con alguna escritora de hoy en dia, podría ser Megan Abbott que es una autora que que también ha recreado algunos ambientes femeninos en institutos aderezándolas de dosis de suspense, y convirtiéndolos en exítosos thrillers. Y hablo solo de esta novela de Josephine Tey, porque las demás no las he leido. Pero decía que era una novela rara por el ambiente porque la novela fue escrita en 1946 y publicada en 1947, osea en plena posguerra, y sin embargo en ningún momento percibo nada relacionado con el trauma de la guerra pasada, o con cualquier restricción o racionamiento al que se veían abocados los británicos tras la guerra, todo lo contrario, la Escuela Leys parece suspendida en una especie de limbo, irreal y perdido, sin apenas lazos con el mundo exterior.
Lucy Pym es un personaje interesante, una mujer nada convencional que se ve a sí misma con un toque de ironía, con sentido del humor, de edad indefinida, quizás en torno a la cuarentena, una observadora nata y picando de aquí y allá se va haciendo un retrato de los comportamientos de los habitantes de ese internado. El último tercio de la novela, lo dedica Josephine Tey a crear y desarrollar ya el misterio y si soy sincera le agradezco esa estructura porque no convierte el misterio en algo lleno de detalles, con tramas y giros que van y vienen; el conflicto surge y solo somos testigos de un giro, que además me pareció de lo más acertado, imprevisible. Decía que era una novela rara, porque durante la lectura la iba disfrutando, pero al mismo tiempo la autora convierte al lector en cómplice de esos análisis que hace Lucy Pym de los personajes que se va encontrando, con lo cual, es una historia que engaña, porque aunque simple vista parece que no pasa nada, los retazos psicológicos son realmente lo que da actividad a esta novela. Y el dato más importante, Josephine Tey escribe muy bien. 3 estrellitas y media.
"Se aplicó crema en la cara y observándose en el espejo, bajo aquella luz dura y brillante y toda embadurnada, juzgó su aspecto con desacostumbrada tolerancia. No había duda de que la edad aún mantenía las arrugas a raya. Y si Dios te ha dado cara de torta, al menos que la torta esté tersa durante el mayor tiempo posible. Si tuviera la nariz de Greta Garbo se vería obligada a estar a la altura de las circunstancias."
April 13, 2020
I thought this book was superb, but it was described as a cosy crime. I think it was more a psychological thriller, because the crime occurred about three-quarters of the way through the plot. I think the genre classification matters because if you were expecting a conventional cosy crime, this would not meet your expectations and could interfere with your enjoyment of this book.
Before the crime occurred, this was a study of the staff and pupils at a physical education college, as seen by an outsider (Miss Pym) who had been invited to give a lecture at the college by her friend, the principle. That sounds boring, but it was funny, fascinating and essential to the plot. I think this was because her characters were all fully-rounded and believable and I enjoyed the perceptive way she described them and their interactions.
I was really impressed with how Josephine Tey created a light, humorous feel at the start of the book. She deftly turned the tone darker and more serious as the book progressed, until at the end she was dealing with quite profound aspects of justice, morality and ethics. She even managed to do this in a natural way, so it was easy to engage with this part of the book without feeling that you were being lectured to.
I loved her turn of phrase. At the start of the book I kept reading sentences and thinking "Oh! I can picture that exactly!" This didn't happen for long because I quickly became engaged with the plot and wasn't thinking about how she crafted her sentences. She was also very skilled at the "show, don't tell" school of writing and she would describe something - a field filled with buttercups, for example - in a way that gave you some information about the area surrounding the school and also the character who was observing the field too.
It is quite possible that this will be the best book I will read this year. I wish I could write a review that really did it justice.
Before the crime occurred, this was a study of the staff and pupils at a physical education college, as seen by an outsider (Miss Pym) who had been invited to give a lecture at the college by her friend, the principle. That sounds boring, but it was funny, fascinating and essential to the plot. I think this was because her characters were all fully-rounded and believable and I enjoyed the perceptive way she described them and their interactions.
I was really impressed with how Josephine Tey created a light, humorous feel at the start of the book. She deftly turned the tone darker and more serious as the book progressed, until at the end she was dealing with quite profound aspects of justice, morality and ethics. She even managed to do this in a natural way, so it was easy to engage with this part of the book without feeling that you were being lectured to.
I loved her turn of phrase. At the start of the book I kept reading sentences and thinking "Oh! I can picture that exactly!" This didn't happen for long because I quickly became engaged with the plot and wasn't thinking about how she crafted her sentences. She was also very skilled at the "show, don't tell" school of writing and she would describe something - a field filled with buttercups, for example - in a way that gave you some information about the area surrounding the school and also the character who was observing the field too.
It is quite possible that this will be the best book I will read this year. I wish I could write a review that really did it justice.
October 4, 2013
If this had been the first book I'de ever read, by Josephine Tey, I'd never had read another one. The reader should be aware this is not representative of her usual work.
It was, in terms of language, well written, although missing some of Tey's usually faultless description. The characters were very well drawn, one of Tey's greatest strengths. However the narrative... oh, the narrative! Editors failed Tey in allowing this one to pass. For a whodunnit it takes FOREVER to get to the crime. And I mean, forever. We're well over two thirds of the way through the book before 'it' happens, and as 'it' has been signalled since chapter one... oh how boring the wait gets. You're tempted to put the book down and walk away because it's all so obvious, and yet at the same time, you never get there.
The structure of the book is completely out of whack. Ploughing through more and more description of the people and doings of a physical training college wanes as you lose hope that you're ever going to get anywhere. And then when you do get there, it's tired and worn and Not Very Interesting. The denouement (such as it is) leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Very disappointing read
One can't help wondering if it would have been better written as a play. It certainly fails as a novel. Sorry Miss Tey: Could Do Better.
It was, in terms of language, well written, although missing some of Tey's usually faultless description. The characters were very well drawn, one of Tey's greatest strengths. However the narrative... oh, the narrative! Editors failed Tey in allowing this one to pass. For a whodunnit it takes FOREVER to get to the crime. And I mean, forever. We're well over two thirds of the way through the book before 'it' happens, and as 'it' has been signalled since chapter one... oh how boring the wait gets. You're tempted to put the book down and walk away because it's all so obvious, and yet at the same time, you never get there.
The structure of the book is completely out of whack. Ploughing through more and more description of the people and doings of a physical training college wanes as you lose hope that you're ever going to get anywhere. And then when you do get there, it's tired and worn and Not Very Interesting. The denouement (such as it is) leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Very disappointing read
One can't help wondering if it would have been better written as a play. It certainly fails as a novel. Sorry Miss Tey: Could Do Better.
May 8, 2021
In the 1930s and 40s Josephine Tey wrote quintessentially English mysteries, the most famous of which is The Daughter of Time, in which hospitalized Chief Inspector Alan Grant reviews the murder of the princes of York in the Tower of London and decides that the villain was not uncle Richard III, but his successor, Henry VII. I’m with her on this, but not as fanatically as some of my former acquaintance (different city, different time) who used to wear Richards colours as a sign of loyalty. This was in Australia in the 1980s.
Anyway, this 1946 book is set in a very English girls school in very English countryside and her mystery solver is a very English Miss Pym.
I’m unlikely to read anything to help me to learn more about Tey but I do wonder about the very Englishness of most of her fiction when she was a Scottish author, her true name Elizabeth MacKintosh.
You don’t often see her books around now, and I found this one on the Freebies trolley of our local community second hand book shop, very broken and battered but a perfect light read.
Anyway, this 1946 book is set in a very English girls school in very English countryside and her mystery solver is a very English Miss Pym.
I’m unlikely to read anything to help me to learn more about Tey but I do wonder about the very Englishness of most of her fiction when she was a Scottish author, her true name Elizabeth MacKintosh.
You don’t often see her books around now, and I found this one on the Freebies trolley of our local community second hand book shop, very broken and battered but a perfect light read.
November 15, 2018
3.5 Stars
July 4, 2019
Josephine Tey is often a rather bloodless master of the mystery genre--her stories are often technically sharp but lacking a certain personality, or emotion. But that is not the case here, perhaps because the setting is a personal one for her. (The story takes place at a physical training college for women, and Tey had attended such a college in her youth.)
The titular Lucy Pym has written a critique of psychological theories that has turned her into a celebrity, and in that capacity she is invited by an old schoolmate to visit Leys College, of which the schoolmate is headmistress, to give a lecture. The students are charmed by her and urge her to stay on longer; as she become charmed by them, she gradually decides to comply. So we follow her on her deep dive into the activities and culture of the college, and the personalities of students and faculty. This insular world is brought vividly to life, and I became absorbed in the minutiae of the training, the daily routine, and the stresses of college life at the end of a school year.
Gradually, almost imperceptibly, Tey draws the reader into the claustrophobia of such an enclosed and intense world, and the suspense ratchets up even as no crime has been committed. One just knows something bad is going to happen. When it finally does, the identity of the victim comes as no surprise. And although there is a twist at the very end, I would argue that the identity of the perpetrator comes as no surprise either, so thoroughly has the foundation been laid for the crime. In fact, the logical flaws that knocked a star off my rating come in the climactic scenes that initially mislead and then correct the misdirection. The outcome makes perfect sense to me even though the steps that brought us there can be challenged.
In the end, though, I'd say that the details of the crime and its explication are not the main point: the author is clearly more absorbed by the journey being taken by our (slightly unreliable, or at least misguided) narrator, Miss Pym herself. Her relation to the events seems to matter more to Tey than the events themselves. That focus leaves me a tad queasy, but I was there to read a story, not to decide what ought to happen in real life. And the story I read definitely caught and held my interest. An almost masterful storytelling performance, and a book showing deeper and more complex emotion than I have found in most of Tey's novels (Brat Farrar being a sterling exception).
The titular Lucy Pym has written a critique of psychological theories that has turned her into a celebrity, and in that capacity she is invited by an old schoolmate to visit Leys College, of which the schoolmate is headmistress, to give a lecture. The students are charmed by her and urge her to stay on longer; as she become charmed by them, she gradually decides to comply. So we follow her on her deep dive into the activities and culture of the college, and the personalities of students and faculty. This insular world is brought vividly to life, and I became absorbed in the minutiae of the training, the daily routine, and the stresses of college life at the end of a school year.
Gradually, almost imperceptibly, Tey draws the reader into the claustrophobia of such an enclosed and intense world, and the suspense ratchets up even as no crime has been committed. One just knows something bad is going to happen. When it finally does, the identity of the victim comes as no surprise. And although there is a twist at the very end, I would argue that the identity of the perpetrator comes as no surprise either, so thoroughly has the foundation been laid for the crime. In fact, the logical flaws that knocked a star off my rating come in the climactic scenes that initially mislead and then correct the misdirection. The outcome makes perfect sense to me even though the steps that brought us there can be challenged.
In the end, though, I'd say that the details of the crime and its explication are not the main point: the author is clearly more absorbed by the journey being taken by our (slightly unreliable, or at least misguided) narrator, Miss Pym herself. Her relation to the events seems to matter more to Tey than the events themselves. That focus leaves me a tad queasy, but I was there to read a story, not to decide what ought to happen in real life. And the story I read definitely caught and held my interest. An almost masterful storytelling performance, and a book showing deeper and more complex emotion than I have found in most of Tey's novels (Brat Farrar being a sterling exception).
August 11, 2015
Qué absurdo me suele parecer el esfuerzo de algunas editoriales con elogiar los autores que publican poniendo a parir los que sacan otras de similares características; aquí Hoja de Lata viene a decir que todo el Detection club era muy convencional en cuanto a tramas (sigh) y claro, Tey era la más original con respecto a todo el club; lo cual demuestra un desconocimiento importante por su parte que se solucionaría con conocer un poco de la obra de Berkeley, Sayers, Bentley, Crispin y compañía, además, Tey habría pertenecido al club si hubiera conocido a las personas adecuadas, la inclusión en el club no excluía a ningún autor en este sentido, su simple problema fue no vivir más cerca de la capital (eso especula Edwards en el ensayo del que hable anteriormente); de todos modos, esto no debe ensombrecer que nos hayan traído esta magnífica obra, un policíaco diferente que en sus primeras dos terceras partes tiene un desarrollo no demasiado alejado de las novelas costumbristas británicas (en este caso en un internado femenino) y le sirve como marco al crimen que se produce en la parte final; con una entrometida maravillosa (la señorita Pym) y uno de esos finales que no se suelen olvidar por el vuelco que suponen. Una verdadera delicia.
June 11, 2019
1946 book by a respected author who gave us entry to a uniquely British physical training school for girls in this book, a study of the female psyche. Lucy Pym has attained fame with the publication of a popular psychology book and is invited to lecture the girls as a guest and then leave. She intended to leave the next day, returning to London...but circumstances conspired. There were so many girls who adored her...how could she possibly leave so soon?
It gets interesting, of course and then a death. She knows what happened. How will she handle it?
I read this book some years ago and can't say this one is my favorite Tey, but it is unique. This book is not similar to her later murder mysteries and could easily put off anyone impatient with females and how they think and behave in their formative years.
Library Loan
It gets interesting, of course and then a death. She knows what happened. How will she handle it?
I read this book some years ago and can't say this one is my favorite Tey, but it is unique. This book is not similar to her later murder mysteries and could easily put off anyone impatient with females and how they think and behave in their formative years.
Library Loan
January 20, 2013
According to the cover of the book "Josephine Tey is one of the best known and best loved of all crime writers." She is "the classic mystery writer." Yet I had never heard of her or her books before this recommendation, and by halfway through the book I was still waiting for a crime to happen and the biggest mystery to me was why I was still reading.
I think your impression of any book you read has a lot to do with your expectations ahead of ever turning that first page. I had been recommended this book as something I would really enjoy and from the blurb I was expecting crime and mystery. I was, to be honest, expecting something with a bit more action and pace than this. The story is very slow, or "leisurely" as the Saturday Review would apparently have it. In fact the first major event, beyond the lack of a bedside table in Miss Lucy Pym's bedroom or the shock of the school 5.30am alarm bell, seemed to be Lucy invigilating an exam and foiling Rouse's suspected plan of cheating and then Lucy finding and subsequently drowning the tiny cheat book which was to have been used. I felt more like I was reading an Enid Blyton Malory Towers book at times. Now that is not necessarily a bad thing - I used to love the Malory Towers books, but I knew what to expect, what I would be getting when I turned their pages. The difficulty with describing this as a crime or mystery story is that the crime only actually happens right near the end of the book once I had begun to give up all hope. The final part of the book I found more enjoyable and the slowness and feeling of tameness throughout the rest of the book did mean that the story twist at the very end did manage to catch me out.
All of that said it was not a bad book and it was not badly written. I almost wish I could go back and start again with a different expectation so that I could read the book which so many others have given 4 stars to. But I know I can't and I know I won't. Sorry Josephine Tey.
I think your impression of any book you read has a lot to do with your expectations ahead of ever turning that first page. I had been recommended this book as something I would really enjoy and from the blurb I was expecting crime and mystery. I was, to be honest, expecting something with a bit more action and pace than this. The story is very slow, or "leisurely" as the Saturday Review would apparently have it. In fact the first major event, beyond the lack of a bedside table in Miss Lucy Pym's bedroom or the shock of the school 5.30am alarm bell, seemed to be Lucy invigilating an exam and foiling Rouse's suspected plan of cheating and then Lucy finding and subsequently drowning the tiny cheat book which was to have been used. I felt more like I was reading an Enid Blyton Malory Towers book at times. Now that is not necessarily a bad thing - I used to love the Malory Towers books, but I knew what to expect, what I would be getting when I turned their pages. The difficulty with describing this as a crime or mystery story is that the crime only actually happens right near the end of the book once I had begun to give up all hope. The final part of the book I found more enjoyable and the slowness and feeling of tameness throughout the rest of the book did mean that the story twist at the very end did manage to catch me out.
All of that said it was not a bad book and it was not badly written. I almost wish I could go back and start again with a different expectation so that I could read the book which so many others have given 4 stars to. But I know I can't and I know I won't. Sorry Josephine Tey.
March 5, 2020
I've been really busy, so this slender book took me a much longer time to read than I expected. And not because it wasn't good, because it was good. Quite good.
This is my fourth Tey - I've already read Brat Farrar, The Franchise Affair & The Singing Sands. What a sadness it is that she died so young. I'm directly in the middle of her oevre - I've read four and have four left to read.
Miss Pym is not my favorite of the bunch - that honor goes to Brat Farrar. But there hasn't been a Tey that I disliked, although I was least impressed by The Singing Sands. I'm going to have to give that one another chance, though, now that I've warmed to Tey so much more.
I really liked this one. The setting at the school was delightful, and the characters of the Seniors were drawn with perspicacity laced with generosity. Like Tigus, I loved Nut Tart. Tey captured that moment in life when school is ending and youth is moving onto, and into, its future. The anticipation, the desperation, the uncertainty, the sense of standing on a precipice.
Did Miss Pym do the right thing? That's a question that remains. I tend to think not, because her decision absolved a character who is dangerously unbalanced. Perhaps if Tey had lived longer, a sequel would have required Miss Pym to reckon with the consequences of her decision.
I'm reminded of Hickory Dickory Dock, or even Crooked House, a little bit here. Who takes responsibility for the next victim. And the victim after that? Because if there's one thing that Agatha Christie teaches us, it's that a murderer who has gotten away with it doesn't stop at one - especially when the murder is cold-bloodedly motivated by gain.
Anyway, great read!
This is my fourth Tey - I've already read Brat Farrar, The Franchise Affair & The Singing Sands. What a sadness it is that she died so young. I'm directly in the middle of her oevre - I've read four and have four left to read.
Miss Pym is not my favorite of the bunch - that honor goes to Brat Farrar. But there hasn't been a Tey that I disliked, although I was least impressed by The Singing Sands. I'm going to have to give that one another chance, though, now that I've warmed to Tey so much more.
I really liked this one. The setting at the school was delightful, and the characters of the Seniors were drawn with perspicacity laced with generosity. Like Tigus, I loved Nut Tart. Tey captured that moment in life when school is ending and youth is moving onto, and into, its future. The anticipation, the desperation, the uncertainty, the sense of standing on a precipice.
Did Miss Pym do the right thing? That's a question that remains. I tend to think not, because her decision absolved a character who is dangerously unbalanced. Perhaps if Tey had lived longer, a sequel would have required Miss Pym to reckon with the consequences of her decision.
I'm reminded of Hickory Dickory Dock, or even Crooked House, a little bit here. Who takes responsibility for the next victim. And the victim after that? Because if there's one thing that Agatha Christie teaches us, it's that a murderer who has gotten away with it doesn't stop at one - especially when the murder is cold-bloodedly motivated by gain.
Anyway, great read!
June 26, 2019
I think this book isn't for me. I haven't gotten very far, but I was already hoping the setting was going to change. I find that it is not and the characters that populate this girls college are not ones I want to spend time with.
March 22, 2023
El primer título que leo de esta escritora, aunque está presentada como un libro del género detectivesco enmarcado en la llamada era de oro del género, después de leerlo, me llama la atención que no cumple con ninguna de las reglas que los escritores británicos famosos como Ágatha o Dorothy habían impuesto y seguido, por eso creo que dificulta ponerlo en esa caja.
La protagonista es Lucy Pym ex maestra de francés que renunció a su trabajo, al heredar un modesto capital, en su tiempo libro se leyó un montón de libros de psicología, decidió escribir uno con sus propias teorías, y pum 💥, éxito en ventas, a partir de ahí es invitada para dar conferencias sobre el tema.
Una antigua compañera de colegio llamada Herriette y que ahora es directora de una escuela de educación física solo para chicas, la invita para dar una charla a sus alumnas 👩🎓.
Lucy es soltera, menuda, golosa pero siempre cuidándose de no comer de más y muy pagada de si misma en cuanto a conocer el carácter de las personas, lo cual le da cierta diversión al libro, pues generalmente falla en cuanto a catar a una u otra persona.
Aunque sólo va por un día, cae en el hechizo de la juventud, de el interés que provoca en las chicas, sobre todo en las de último año y sobre todo en ese ambiente sano, idílico, donde parece que nada malo puede pasar.
Pero aunque Lucy está encantada, conforme la lectura avanza y vamos conociendo a cada muchacha, vemos que existen varios detonantes que están en el ambiente y solo buscan una chispa para explotar, aquí no faltan los cotilleos, la hermosura, las reuniones, pero tampoco las jornadas extenuantes, la competitividad entre las alumnas, las jerarquías entre ellas, la incertidumbre de si saldrán con un puesto seguro para enfrentar la vida, todos estos detalles hacen que el desarrollo se vaya volviendo complejo y que cuando la chispa ⚡️ salte, las cosas se pongan muy serias.
Cuando conocía más a fondo la vida escolar de estas chicas, me doy cuenta que ninguna etapa de la vida es fácil y la juventud menos que ninguna, envueltos en una piel radiante y en una belleza que da la lozanía, los corazones y los espíritus pueden estar atormentados, atribulados y librar batallas que ni en 100 años los padres, profesores o externos comprenderían y yo me pregunto por qué, si todos pasamos por esa ruta 🧭, como es que cribamos y nos hacemos un cuento de que la juventud es sólo felicidad cuando no hay nada más alejado de la realidad.
Gran historia que me deja con ganas de leer otros libros de la autora.
👩🏻💻🎩🕶La anécdota: Elizabeth MacKintosh, Gordon Daviot, y Josephine Tey fueron la misma persona, esta escritora era una persona muy privada, no daba entrevistas, no tenía contacto con otros escritores, vivía alejada cuidando a su padre viudo, de hecho murió meses después que el padre.
✔️🔝Pros: la forma diferente de abordar el género detectivesco, la profundidad de los personajes, los pequeños dramas que se desarrollan son intensos y bien logrados.
‼️❌Contras: faltó respuesta a algunos porqués.
🎬🫣La escena: cuando Lucy va a una cafetería del pueblo cercano a la escuela, y ve a una pareja de mediana edad, al ver las cejas del hombre, le recuerdan a Innes una de las alumnas, y si, son los padres de ella, quienes se muestran felices de conocer a alguien cercano a su hija, y Lucy define este momento como de perfecta felicidad.
📚📖La cita: “Si pudiera usted salvar a una persona en la cima de una montaña nevada aun a riesgo de provocar una avalancha que sepultase a un pueblo entero, ¿lo haría de todos modos? ”
⚡️💥Bonus: El tituló no me decía nada, pero al parecer tiene que ver con el refrán: el hombre pone, Dios dispone …….. Y ahí, si que hace sentido 🤓😵💫🧐
La protagonista es Lucy Pym ex maestra de francés que renunció a su trabajo, al heredar un modesto capital, en su tiempo libro se leyó un montón de libros de psicología, decidió escribir uno con sus propias teorías, y pum 💥, éxito en ventas, a partir de ahí es invitada para dar conferencias sobre el tema.
Una antigua compañera de colegio llamada Herriette y que ahora es directora de una escuela de educación física solo para chicas, la invita para dar una charla a sus alumnas 👩🎓.
Lucy es soltera, menuda, golosa pero siempre cuidándose de no comer de más y muy pagada de si misma en cuanto a conocer el carácter de las personas, lo cual le da cierta diversión al libro, pues generalmente falla en cuanto a catar a una u otra persona.
Aunque sólo va por un día, cae en el hechizo de la juventud, de el interés que provoca en las chicas, sobre todo en las de último año y sobre todo en ese ambiente sano, idílico, donde parece que nada malo puede pasar.
Pero aunque Lucy está encantada, conforme la lectura avanza y vamos conociendo a cada muchacha, vemos que existen varios detonantes que están en el ambiente y solo buscan una chispa para explotar, aquí no faltan los cotilleos, la hermosura, las reuniones, pero tampoco las jornadas extenuantes, la competitividad entre las alumnas, las jerarquías entre ellas, la incertidumbre de si saldrán con un puesto seguro para enfrentar la vida, todos estos detalles hacen que el desarrollo se vaya volviendo complejo y que cuando la chispa ⚡️ salte, las cosas se pongan muy serias.
Cuando conocía más a fondo la vida escolar de estas chicas, me doy cuenta que ninguna etapa de la vida es fácil y la juventud menos que ninguna, envueltos en una piel radiante y en una belleza que da la lozanía, los corazones y los espíritus pueden estar atormentados, atribulados y librar batallas que ni en 100 años los padres, profesores o externos comprenderían y yo me pregunto por qué, si todos pasamos por esa ruta 🧭, como es que cribamos y nos hacemos un cuento de que la juventud es sólo felicidad cuando no hay nada más alejado de la realidad.
Gran historia que me deja con ganas de leer otros libros de la autora.
👩🏻💻🎩🕶La anécdota: Elizabeth MacKintosh, Gordon Daviot, y Josephine Tey fueron la misma persona, esta escritora era una persona muy privada, no daba entrevistas, no tenía contacto con otros escritores, vivía alejada cuidando a su padre viudo, de hecho murió meses después que el padre.
✔️🔝Pros: la forma diferente de abordar el género detectivesco, la profundidad de los personajes, los pequeños dramas que se desarrollan son intensos y bien logrados.
‼️❌Contras: faltó respuesta a algunos porqués.
🎬🫣La escena: cuando Lucy va a una cafetería del pueblo cercano a la escuela, y ve a una pareja de mediana edad, al ver las cejas del hombre, le recuerdan a Innes una de las alumnas, y si, son los padres de ella, quienes se muestran felices de conocer a alguien cercano a su hija, y Lucy define este momento como de perfecta felicidad.
📚📖La cita: “Si pudiera usted salvar a una persona en la cima de una montaña nevada aun a riesgo de provocar una avalancha que sepultase a un pueblo entero, ¿lo haría de todos modos? ”
⚡️💥Bonus: El tituló no me decía nada, pero al parecer tiene que ver con el refrán: el hombre pone, Dios dispone …….. Y ahí, si que hace sentido 🤓😵💫🧐
Read
March 3, 2023a lil awestruck at the cojones involved in having the murder take place 180pp into a 220pp murder mystery. concur w/ the prevailing opinion that tey leans snooty. you could see her writing one of those uk newspaper editorials like "why don't they simply construct the council estates out of crisps packets?" she gets real antiquated & freaky too re facial features being a predictor of personality. prose is just too too good tho, sumptuous w/ a predilection for offbeat similes that puts me in mind of babs comyns. read alongside robert barnard's school for murder for an "oh dear, a spot of bother in academia" double feature
June 16, 2018
This cozy mystery doesn't really get going till three fourths into the book. The ending will knock you out of the boat. I finished this two days ago and am still recovering.
July 4, 2024
4,5 estrellas
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