Dorothy L. Sayers: The Centenary Celebration

by Alzina Stone Dale

1993 marked the 100th birthday of Dorothy L. Sayers and in her honor Dale gathered a baker's dozen of the finest and most popular mystery writers from the United States and United Kingdom who discuss the way Sayers taught them their trade. The collection was nominated for Malice Domestic's non-fiction Agatha Award.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

182 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 1993

Reviews

[Beth Cato · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of essays on Sayers works felt inconsistent, the tone from academic to kinda-academic. Two essays on the subject of her Dante translation, and it was mentioned in many of the other entries, which felt like too much emphasis on an effort than many readers wouldn't have even read. The editing was sketchy, too, with one essay misspelling Sayers' major character throughout. In the end, I learned more about Sayers and her work, but I don't think this is a resource worth keeping.

[Rick Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the essays in this book are quite good. Some of the writers, however, seem to have a hard time grasping Sayers as a whole person, particularly as it relates to her Catholicism.