John Dickson Carr: The Man Who Explained Miracles

by Douglas G. Greene

John Dickson Carr made his reputation through the art of bafflement. Creator of such legendary sleuths as the boisterous Sir Henry Merrivale and the imposing Dr. Gideon Fell, he claimed the "locked-room" puzzle as his own and virtually threw away the key for all time. Now Douglas G. Greene has brought forth, after more than a decade of research, the definitive biography of this unique writer. In it we see how, starting with the earliest efforts of his small-town Pennsylvania boyhood, Carr was destined to gain fame as a storyteller. Moreover, John Carr (who also wrote as Carter Dickson) knew instinctively that he had an affinity for "impossible" crimes and quite precociously set about exploring this phenomenon, the techniques of which he was to perfect over the course of seventy novels, along with dozens of short stories and radio plays. The history of the mystery genre in the middle of the twentieth century is here as well - for Carr's life spanned two continents and the writing cultures of both America and Britain. His friends and connections form a Who's Who of Golden Age giants: Dorothy L. Sayers, Ellery Queen, and Agatha Christie, among others. John Dickson Carr: The Man Who Explained Miracles is a portrait of a shining era in the literature of imaginative crime and of the complex man who was one of its towering figures.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Mystery

537 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

Douglas G. Greene is an American historian, editor, and author. Greene is Emeritus Professor of History at Old Dominion University, specializing in Tudor and Stuart Britain.

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carr is widely recognized by Golden age fans as a grand master when it comes to locked rooms and impossible crimes. He spent his writing life coming up with more ways to kill people in impossible situations than just about anybody. And he did it while (mostly) playing fair with his readers. He believed, as did most of the Golden Age detective novelists, that all of the clues should be fairly displayed--that the reader should have every chance to beat the detective to the solution. Or at least arrive there at the same time. Even when he was writing his historical novels, he still included a bit (or more) of mystery and followed the same rule.

Greene has given mystery fans a detailed, intensely researched look at Carr's life, but more importantly a detailed look at the books he wrote. The themes, the tricks, the process, and the evolution of Carr's series characters. If you haven't read all of Carr's books, then there are parts you'll want to skip because in talking about the author's writing process and themes Greene often needs to spoil a plot or two. But he gives ample warning so no one will read a spoiler unawares.

I will say that this isn't really a book to sit down and read straight through (though I did). It will be far more useful as a reference book to have handy when I read the Carr novels still left on my TBR pile. I'll enjoy reading The Unicorn Murders, for instance, and then turning to Greene's book to see what I missed and how things came together for Carr as he was writing.

A fine literary biography. Recommended for mystery fans--especially those who enjoy impossible crimes and those written by a master.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[Patrick\ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as amany Carr books as you can, before the paperbacks left in used book stores fall apart.

[Keith Boynton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scattered and almost numbingly conscientious, but with enough lively moments to offer us a few tantalizing glimpses of the man behind the miracles.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the life and works of Carr. Greene is quite readable, and manages to make Carr's somewhat sad and kind of annoying life and opinions interesting. I'm pretty sure he considers Carr's wife to be a saint, and I think I agree.

Greene's even better when talking about Carr's books. He's perhaps a touch too nice to some of the late, awful ones (maybe he really didn't want to offend the family). And I just don't find even the "good" comic ones as amusing as he claims to. But he's perceptive and thorough about every one he discusses. He made me want to try again with some of the 50s mysteries and a few of the historicals. And I will return to those written during his best period (late 30s/early 40s).

Goes without saying that this is for Carr fans only. If you like realistic characters, and dislike Romanticism, G.K. Chesterton, or insanely complicated puzzles, don't read John Dickson Carr.