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The Black Widowers #1
I racconti dei Vedovi Neri
I Vedovi Neri sono un gruppetto di rispettabili signori che una volta al mese si riuniscono a cena, senza le mogli, per risolvere un piccolo o grande mistero. Che cosa è stato rubato a un collezionista sicuro di aver subito un furto, ma incapace di individuare l'oggetto mancante? Quale segreto nasconde una collezione di bustine di fiammiferi? Come fa una ragazza a "vedere" un incendio mezz'ora prima che scoppi, a migliaia di chilometri di distanza? Come può servire l'ora legale a commettere qualcosa di molto illegale? In questi racconti uno dei più grandi scrittori di fantascienza di tutti i tempi si cimenta con il giallo creando dodici gioielli di logica, il cui deus ex machina, degno della miglior tradizione degli Sherlock Holmes e dei Poirot, è un impagabile maggiordomo che porge la sorprendente soluzione dei misteri con la stessa grazia discreta con cui versa vino d'annata.
263 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,337 books27.8k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
February 6, 2021
An elite group gathers once a month for dinner, dessert, good bourbon, and cigars. The chit chat runs through various topics, and frequently the gang, in between witty bon mots and droll repartee, manages to solve more mysteries than the Scooby Doo crew in this collection of short tales, many of which originally appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
Though I can't help bemoaning the fact that the club is for men only, I do love Asimov's sense of humor, and it is certainly on display here. Take this little snatch of conversation, for instance:
"A good reference book, the Columbia Encyclopedia. Best one-volume all-round reference in the world and more useful than the Britannica, even if it does waste an entry on Isaac Asimov."
"On whom?" asked Gonzalo.
"Asimov. Friend of mine. Science fiction writer and pathologically conceited. He carries a copy of the Encyclopedia to parties and says, 'Talking of concrete, the Columbia Encyclopedia has an excellent article on it only 249 pages after their article on me. Let me show you.' Then he shows them the article on himself."
(Polite chuckle.)
Though I can't help bemoaning the fact that the club is for men only, I do love Asimov's sense of humor, and it is certainly on display here. Take this little snatch of conversation, for instance:
"A good reference book, the Columbia Encyclopedia. Best one-volume all-round reference in the world and more useful than the Britannica, even if it does waste an entry on Isaac Asimov."
"On whom?" asked Gonzalo.
"Asimov. Friend of mine. Science fiction writer and pathologically conceited. He carries a copy of the Encyclopedia to parties and says, 'Talking of concrete, the Columbia Encyclopedia has an excellent article on it only 249 pages after their article on me. Let me show you.' Then he shows them the article on himself."
(Polite chuckle.)
February 13, 2013
Towards the end of his life, Asimov became obsessive about publishing as much as possible: he'd brag about having published his age in years and his weight in pounds and stuff like that. He ended up with several hundred books to his credit, but, unsurprisingly, the standard suffered.
This collection, an impulse buy at an airport bookstall, was one of the last ones I read. It's a bunch of extremely dull little mysteries; the most noteworthy point is that Asimov, apparently as interested in the proceedings as the reader is, forgets what he's doing to the extent of repeating the same very poor plot twist within a hundred pages. To add insult to injury, he even includes a note saying that he'd been told about it, but couldn't be bothered to remove or change the later chapter.
I hope he achieved his target, whatever it was. But I didn't see why I needed to carry on helping him.
This collection, an impulse buy at an airport bookstall, was one of the last ones I read. It's a bunch of extremely dull little mysteries; the most noteworthy point is that Asimov, apparently as interested in the proceedings as the reader is, forgets what he's doing to the extent of repeating the same very poor plot twist within a hundred pages. To add insult to injury, he even includes a note saying that he'd been told about it, but couldn't be bothered to remove or change the later chapter.
I hope he achieved his target, whatever it was. But I didn't see why I needed to carry on helping him.
June 3, 2021
از 26 سال پیش تا حالا، از زمانی که برای اولین بار ترجمه فارسی این کتاب رو خوندم، تا حالا که ترجمه دوباره اون رو به فارسی تموم کردم، راه تقریباً درازی رو طی کردم و میشه گفت به نوعی موقعیتی رو که الآن دارم مدیون آسیموف و بیوه مردان سیاه هستم
April 5, 2017
I was in the mood to read something light, so I picked this up, even though I do not have much of an opinion of Dr. Asimov as a mystery writer. I had read one of these collections during my early twenties, when I was a hardcore fan of Asimov and was less exacting in terms of expectations from the books I read: therefore I had found them mildly interesting. But alas, the magic has worn off.
I did not finish these book, but dropped it after four or five stories. These are just parlour puzzles, plots revolving around simplistic (and sometimes, outright silly) devices - the kind you can ask as riddles to your friends in after dinner conversations. It is evident that Asimov was a fan of Agatha Christie, and the tales are reminiscent of The Thirteen Problems, but comes nowhere near them in whodunit quality.
I wish the good doctor had stuck to writing what he was good at. Agatha Christie never tried her hand at science fiction.
I did not finish these book, but dropped it after four or five stories. These are just parlour puzzles, plots revolving around simplistic (and sometimes, outright silly) devices - the kind you can ask as riddles to your friends in after dinner conversations. It is evident that Asimov was a fan of Agatha Christie, and the tales are reminiscent of The Thirteen Problems, but comes nowhere near them in whodunit quality.
I wish the good doctor had stuck to writing what he was good at. Agatha Christie never tried her hand at science fiction.
October 28, 2023
و تمام!
خیلی بیشتر از اون چیزی که انتظار داشتم از خوندنش لذت بردم👌🏻
حس و حال جنایی کلاسیکش دوستداشتنی بود. درسته معماها به پیچیدگی که توی کتابهای دیگه آسیموف و کتاب های جنایی دیگه نبود ولی باید حواسمون باشه که داریم داستان کوتاه می خونیم نه رمان!
ماجرا حول بیوه مردان سیاه میگذره دوستانی که ماهانه دور هم جمع می شن و میزبان هر ماه حق دعوت کردن یک مهمان رو داره. هر دفعه در این گردهمایی یک معما مطرح میشه که توسط اعضا تحلیل و توسط هنری شرلوکِ این کتاب حل می شه.
دلم برای جمع بیوه مردان سیاه تنگ میشه همراهی باهاشون خیلی لذت بخش بود.
خیلی بیشتر از اون چیزی که انتظار داشتم از خوندنش لذت بردم👌🏻
حس و حال جنایی کلاسیکش دوستداشتنی بود. درسته معماها به پیچیدگی که توی کتابهای دیگه آسیموف و کتاب های جنایی دیگه نبود ولی باید حواسمون باشه که داریم داستان کوتاه می خونیم نه رمان!
ماجرا حول بیوه مردان سیاه میگذره دوستانی که ماهانه دور هم جمع می شن و میزبان هر ماه حق دعوت کردن یک مهمان رو داره. هر دفعه در این گردهمایی یک معما مطرح میشه که توسط اعضا تحلیل و توسط هنری شرلوکِ این کتاب حل می شه.
دلم برای جمع بیوه مردان سیاه تنگ میشه همراهی باهاشون خیلی لذت بخش بود.
July 14, 2023
This is the first of six volumes of mystery short stories that Asimov wrote featuring a group of men who call themselves the Black Widowers who meet for lunch monthly and discuss a mysterious occurrence presented by a guest-of-the-month that they end up solving, usually due to the input of their waiter, Henry. They're fun puzzle stories in the tradition of Agatha Christie; most were originally published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine beginning in their January 1972 issue. The stories are quite obviously formulaic, and the solutions sometimes rely on some obscure bit of arcane trivia, and Asimov was notoriously egocentric and a proud and devout womanizer and some of his attitudes aren't condonable in current social attitudes... but they're fun, occasionally quite funny, and still fine mental exercise.
September 10, 2018
Seis amigos formam um clube, interdito a mulheres, intitulado os Viúvos Negros. Reunem-se uma vez por mês para jantar e resolver um enigma proposto pelo convidado de um deles.
Neste livro estão incluídos doze jantares e igual número de crimes ou mistérios, que após aceso debate entre todos, são solucionados pelo empregado de mesa. O sucesso das deduções deste "Sherlock de terrina" deve-se à sua técnica de ouvir e simplificar cada situação.
Diz na capa que "é um espantoso e emocionante jogo de lógica.". Pode ser, mas nada que não tenha já sido feito por Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie e outros (mais) especialistas neste género literário.
Neste livro estão incluídos doze jantares e igual número de crimes ou mistérios, que após aceso debate entre todos, são solucionados pelo empregado de mesa. O sucesso das deduções deste "Sherlock de terrina" deve-se à sua técnica de ouvir e simplificar cada situação.
Diz na capa que "é um espantoso e emocionante jogo de lógica.". Pode ser, mas nada que não tenha já sido feito por Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie e outros (mais) especialistas neste género literário.
April 20, 2015
مجموعه داستان جنایی معمایی از نویسنده ی محبوب دوره ی نوجوانیم.
گروهی از مردها، هر ماه مهمونی مجردی میگیرن و حرف میزنن و خاطره نقل میکنن. توی بعضی از این مهمونی ها، معماهای جنایی و غیر جنایی مطرح میشه و گروه سعی میکنن براش جوابی پیدا کنن. معماها معمولاً ساده و راجع به مسائل زندگی (ارثیه ی متوفی یا امثال اون) هستن، و بعضی وقت ها راجع به مسائل مهم تر (قتل).
با نام "باشگاه معما" به فارسی ترجمه شده.
گروهی از مردها، هر ماه مهمونی مجردی میگیرن و حرف میزنن و خاطره نقل میکنن. توی بعضی از این مهمونی ها، معماهای جنایی و غیر جنایی مطرح میشه و گروه سعی میکنن براش جوابی پیدا کنن. معماها معمولاً ساده و راجع به مسائل زندگی (ارثیه ی متوفی یا امثال اون) هستن، و بعضی وقت ها راجع به مسائل مهم تر (قتل).
با نام "باشگاه معما" به فارسی ترجمه شده.
December 15, 2022
Tényleg az az egy szerencséje van ennek a könyvnek, hogy megdöbbentően alacsony elvárásokkal fogadtam magamba. Csak annyit vártam el tőle, hogy szórakoztasson, és kapcsolja ki az agyamat. Mondjuk krimiről lévén szó, az agykikapcsolás feladatát talán teljesíthette volna kissé kevésbé alaposan is.
Előbb kriminek neveztem, de talán helyesebb volna valami más kifejezést használni, tekintve, hogy az elbeszélésekben előforduló "bűnesetek" zöme elég piszlicsáré ügy, egy vérbeli krimi kikérné magának, hogy velük bibelődjön. Inkább rejtvénynovelláknak neveznem őket, a logi-sztorik irodalmi rokonainak. A keret annyira életszerűtlen, hogy az már-már angolos bájt ad a szövegnek: van hat ürge, akik együtt vacsorálnak havonta egyszer, csajok nélkül, és közben furfangosnak szánt feladványokon törik a fejüket, amelyeket jellemzően vacsoravendégeik szállítanak nekik. Fekete Özvegyeknek nevezik magukat, fene se tudja, miért - ilyen erővel egy két hónapos macskakölyök is nevezhetné magát Bengáli Tigrisnek. Merthogy szegények annyira együgyűek, annyira leköti őket egymás basztatása meg a napi menü, hogy az összes kitalálóst Henrynek, a felszolgálónak kell megoldania. Mégpedig ingyen. (De azért remélem, a számlához hozzácsap valami rejtvényfejtői felárat.)
Szóval lehetett volna az is a címe, hogy "Az okos pincér meg a hat hülye", ilyen népmesei ízzel. Az összes elbeszélés arra a vázra épül, hogy az asztaltársaság irreleváns témákon pörög, majd hülyeségeket kérdez a vendégtől, végül jön az arisztokratikusan higgadt Henry, és séróból megmondja a tutit. Olyan Sherlock Holmes ő, aki nagyon félreértett valamit a pályaválasztási tanácsadónál. Mindenesetre rendelkezik a lehető legidegesítőbb sherlock-i skillel: képes egy rosszul bekötött cipőfűzőből intuitíve levezetni, hogy én raboltam el tegnap éjjel a grófnő smaragdnyakékét. Ami persze nonszensz, erőltetett és életszerűtlen (egyáltalán milyen grófnő? hisz nem egy Dumas-regényben vagyunk!), de a szerző mindent megtesz azért, hogy ezt a nyakatekert marhaságot logikus okfejtésnek állítsa be. Pedig nem az.
Végigolvasva magamat nem is értem, miért kerekedik a három és fél csillag inkább felfelé, mint lefelé. Miért nem húztam le, mint szódás a lovát? Erre tényleg nehéz válaszolni. Van benne valami játékos báj, ami miatt kellemes időtöltésként fogok emlékezni rá még akkor is, amikor magukról a konkrét novellákról már egy mukk se rémlik majd.
Előbb kriminek neveztem, de talán helyesebb volna valami más kifejezést használni, tekintve, hogy az elbeszélésekben előforduló "bűnesetek" zöme elég piszlicsáré ügy, egy vérbeli krimi kikérné magának, hogy velük bibelődjön. Inkább rejtvénynovelláknak neveznem őket, a logi-sztorik irodalmi rokonainak. A keret annyira életszerűtlen, hogy az már-már angolos bájt ad a szövegnek: van hat ürge, akik együtt vacsorálnak havonta egyszer, csajok nélkül, és közben furfangosnak szánt feladványokon törik a fejüket, amelyeket jellemzően vacsoravendégeik szállítanak nekik. Fekete Özvegyeknek nevezik magukat, fene se tudja, miért - ilyen erővel egy két hónapos macskakölyök is nevezhetné magát Bengáli Tigrisnek. Merthogy szegények annyira együgyűek, annyira leköti őket egymás basztatása meg a napi menü, hogy az összes kitalálóst Henrynek, a felszolgálónak kell megoldania. Mégpedig ingyen. (De azért remélem, a számlához hozzácsap valami rejtvényfejtői felárat.)
Szóval lehetett volna az is a címe, hogy "Az okos pincér meg a hat hülye", ilyen népmesei ízzel. Az összes elbeszélés arra a vázra épül, hogy az asztaltársaság irreleváns témákon pörög, majd hülyeségeket kérdez a vendégtől, végül jön az arisztokratikusan higgadt Henry, és séróból megmondja a tutit. Olyan Sherlock Holmes ő, aki nagyon félreértett valamit a pályaválasztási tanácsadónál. Mindenesetre rendelkezik a lehető legidegesítőbb sherlock-i skillel: képes egy rosszul bekötött cipőfűzőből intuitíve levezetni, hogy én raboltam el tegnap éjjel a grófnő smaragdnyakékét. Ami persze nonszensz, erőltetett és életszerűtlen (egyáltalán milyen grófnő? hisz nem egy Dumas-regényben vagyunk!), de a szerző mindent megtesz azért, hogy ezt a nyakatekert marhaságot logikus okfejtésnek állítsa be. Pedig nem az.
Végigolvasva magamat nem is értem, miért kerekedik a három és fél csillag inkább felfelé, mint lefelé. Miért nem húztam le, mint szódás a lovát? Erre tényleg nehéz válaszolni. Van benne valami játékos báj, ami miatt kellemes időtöltésként fogok emlékezni rá még akkor is, amikor magukról a konkrét novellákról már egy mukk se rémlik majd.
August 19, 2021
Unlike probably most people, this is my first foray with Isaac Asimov. While it isn't what he's best known for (science fiction), murder mysteries are completely up my alley and I'm actually really glad that this is how I got introduced to him. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would certainly continue on to the rest of the Black Widowers series.
Tales of the Black Widowers is a collection of short stories that are technically standalone problems but feature the same group of armchair detectives (the titular Black Widowers) and their enigmatic waiter, Henry. The format of this isn't new: Asimov takes inspiration from the likes of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, and he acknowledges that in his preface. I'm particularly reminded of Agatha Christie's The Twelve Problems in this one. Unlike Christie, though, Asimov's problems aren't mostly about dramatic murders, adultery, and the like. There's one about a potential cheat during an examination, a leaked speech containing classified information, and just plain ol' unsolved puzzles to get through to wills and bequests.
Not all the problems are created equal, however. Some were more interesting or had smarter solutions, while others had conclusions that left me a little dissatisfied. Another shortcoming of the book was that I frequently got confused between the Black Widowers. There are 7 of them, and the only one I could really tell apart from the start was Henry, the waiter, purely by dint of his profession and the role that he usually plays in each story. Even after I was done with the book, I could really only tell apart Tom Trumbull because of his boisterousness, and maybe Rubin the writer and Halsted the mathematician. I'm still a little confused between Avalon, Gonzalo, and Drake. Asimov doesn't make things easier either, when he uses last names in the narrative, but quite often first names in dialogue (and there's a lot of that), so I'm often wondering who they're referring to when speaking to each other.
What really shines in this book, however, is just how witty Asimov is. The preface was interesting enough on its own, but Asimov also inserts afterwords after each mystery, briefly explaining its original publication title and perhaps some circumstances surrounding his inspiration for that story or when he wrote it. Man had some dry humour that I somehow wouldn't have associated with him. Makes me that much more excited to check out his more famous works now.
If you're a fan of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes, check this one out. If you love murder mysteries, especially in short story form, definitely check this one out.
Tales of the Black Widowers is a collection of short stories that are technically standalone problems but feature the same group of armchair detectives (the titular Black Widowers) and their enigmatic waiter, Henry. The format of this isn't new: Asimov takes inspiration from the likes of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, and he acknowledges that in his preface. I'm particularly reminded of Agatha Christie's The Twelve Problems in this one. Unlike Christie, though, Asimov's problems aren't mostly about dramatic murders, adultery, and the like. There's one about a potential cheat during an examination, a leaked speech containing classified information, and just plain ol' unsolved puzzles to get through to wills and bequests.
Not all the problems are created equal, however. Some were more interesting or had smarter solutions, while others had conclusions that left me a little dissatisfied. Another shortcoming of the book was that I frequently got confused between the Black Widowers. There are 7 of them, and the only one I could really tell apart from the start was Henry, the waiter, purely by dint of his profession and the role that he usually plays in each story. Even after I was done with the book, I could really only tell apart Tom Trumbull because of his boisterousness, and maybe Rubin the writer and Halsted the mathematician. I'm still a little confused between Avalon, Gonzalo, and Drake. Asimov doesn't make things easier either, when he uses last names in the narrative, but quite often first names in dialogue (and there's a lot of that), so I'm often wondering who they're referring to when speaking to each other.
What really shines in this book, however, is just how witty Asimov is. The preface was interesting enough on its own, but Asimov also inserts afterwords after each mystery, briefly explaining its original publication title and perhaps some circumstances surrounding his inspiration for that story or when he wrote it. Man had some dry humour that I somehow wouldn't have associated with him. Makes me that much more excited to check out his more famous works now.
If you're a fan of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes, check this one out. If you love murder mysteries, especially in short story form, definitely check this one out.
January 16, 2020
Tales of the Black Widowers is the first book in Isaac Asimov's Black Widowers mystery series. I've read one other but wanted to start from the beginning. I've enjoyed many of Asimov's Sci-Fi series, some of which crossed over into mysteries. The Black Widowers stories are strictly mysteries.
The Black Widowers are six acquaintances who meet once a month at the Milano Restaurant for dinner and to have friendly, often raucous discussions. Each night one of the members brings along a guest who is interrogated and regularly presents a mystery that the six members discuss and try solve the mystery. In the background, and the person who brings everything together is their waiter, Henry.
The six main characters are all curmudgeonly; Thomas Trumbull (a code analyst if I've got it correct), Geoffrey Avalon, patent attorney, Emmanuel Rubin, noted writer and butt of the others' jokes and acquaintance of Isaac Asimov, James Drake, organic chemist, Mario Gonzalo, an artist who draws characters of each guest and Roger Halsted, high school math teacher who is trying to turn each chapter of the Iliad and maybe the Odyssey into a limerick.
The book contains 12 stories with an afterword for each one with Asimov's comments on when it was originally published, original title and sometimes the inspiration for the story. I'd call the mysteries cozy as nobody is hurt and the people never leave the restaurant (with one notable exception). After some loud joking and discussion, the group settle down to dinner and then while they relax over coffee, one of the members interrogates the guest and gets him to tell the story that the members will weigh in on. At the end of each story, the group after trying to solve the mystery will defer to Henry who gathers in their clues and questions and provides a solution.
You'd think the format would grow old pretty quickly but actually each story is interesting and unique and the characters are funny and quirky. It makes for a short entertaining story. I've got another of the books on my shelf and look forward to continuing to have dinner with this little group. (4 stars)
The Black Widowers are six acquaintances who meet once a month at the Milano Restaurant for dinner and to have friendly, often raucous discussions. Each night one of the members brings along a guest who is interrogated and regularly presents a mystery that the six members discuss and try solve the mystery. In the background, and the person who brings everything together is their waiter, Henry.
The six main characters are all curmudgeonly; Thomas Trumbull (a code analyst if I've got it correct), Geoffrey Avalon, patent attorney, Emmanuel Rubin, noted writer and butt of the others' jokes and acquaintance of Isaac Asimov, James Drake, organic chemist, Mario Gonzalo, an artist who draws characters of each guest and Roger Halsted, high school math teacher who is trying to turn each chapter of the Iliad and maybe the Odyssey into a limerick.
The book contains 12 stories with an afterword for each one with Asimov's comments on when it was originally published, original title and sometimes the inspiration for the story. I'd call the mysteries cozy as nobody is hurt and the people never leave the restaurant (with one notable exception). After some loud joking and discussion, the group settle down to dinner and then while they relax over coffee, one of the members interrogates the guest and gets him to tell the story that the members will weigh in on. At the end of each story, the group after trying to solve the mystery will defer to Henry who gathers in their clues and questions and provides a solution.
You'd think the format would grow old pretty quickly but actually each story is interesting and unique and the characters are funny and quirky. It makes for a short entertaining story. I've got another of the books on my shelf and look forward to continuing to have dinner with this little group. (4 stars)
October 2, 2018
Asimov turned his hand at writing many genres and styles - some better than others (after all he is known for his science fiction after all) BUT I think mysteries come a close second.
The tales of the black widowers (and the subsequent equals which I will read once I find them, along with the Union Club mysteries) are perfect examples of the after dinner who dunnit story. Each one is presented as a tale from one of the diners for the pleasure and confusion of the rest of he attendees. The stories are short and entertaining and never controversial usually with the conclusion presented in a manner of fact way. In the modern world of complex conspiracies and deplorable schemes these stories can be seen as antiquated and out classed but to me they are what they are after dinner entertainment. I have been reading and re-reading Asimov for almost as long as I have been reading and I have never grown bored or jaded with either his style or composition. In fact if anything I have grown more and more fond of his work as the years go by.
Though this book will never win and accolades in the mystery genre it does bring back fond memories which for me at least is more than enough motivation I need to read them.
The tales of the black widowers (and the subsequent equals which I will read once I find them, along with the Union Club mysteries) are perfect examples of the after dinner who dunnit story. Each one is presented as a tale from one of the diners for the pleasure and confusion of the rest of he attendees. The stories are short and entertaining and never controversial usually with the conclusion presented in a manner of fact way. In the modern world of complex conspiracies and deplorable schemes these stories can be seen as antiquated and out classed but to me they are what they are after dinner entertainment. I have been reading and re-reading Asimov for almost as long as I have been reading and I have never grown bored or jaded with either his style or composition. In fact if anything I have grown more and more fond of his work as the years go by.
Though this book will never win and accolades in the mystery genre it does bring back fond memories which for me at least is more than enough motivation I need to read them.
May 29, 2018
The Black Widowers are an amusing (if chauvinistically all-male) group of bickering friends who meet once a month for dinner, with an invited guest to provide variety. Over the twelve courses presented, they develop a tradition of solving (invariably Henry the waiter) some problem or mystery for the guest. Some of the twists are better than others but the setting adds charm to the stories, all of which I found eminently enjoyable. 4.5/5🌟
February 1, 2025
For some reason I thought I had never read this before. And since I have read and loved the other books of the Black Widower’s series, I felt that this was a misfortune. I tried to get the book, but the hard covers available are really expensive. And I could not bring myself to go for a paperback.
And then I found that I had the book in my collection after all. And of course, I had read it before.
So I read it again and as I knew it would be: it was utterly wonderful.
I am a huge Asimov fan (having read about 200 of his books). And I like his autobiographical stuff best. (Then his histories, then his mysteries and only then his SF and science books.)
Now, the Black Widowers are a club based on a club that Asimov was a member of. They meet and just talk, and somehow they, or rather, the waiter Henry, solve crimes. Or at least puzzles. The members of the club are all to some extent incarnations of the author himself, so it does have autobiographical character. I can understand, that some people will not like this. I just love it. [It starts with the preface, by the way, where Asimov tells us about the questions he receives by letters.
Why do you, a lowly sf writer think you can write about Shakespeare? Why do you, a Shakespeare scholar write science fiction thrillers? What makes you, a mere historian think you know anything about science?]
The puzzles themselves and the solutions are sometimes not really up to Ackroyd standard. But even if they are silly (and some of them, I admit, are - like Lullaybye of Broadway, a story with a grotesquely ridiculous plot) they are at least charming.
And he does manage to come up with an original twist every now and then. I loved Ph as in Phony.
And even more Truth to Tell (probably because I knew the solution immediately - and I doubt I had any memories - I tend to totally forget what I read within a couple of days.) In here you find some deep truths about the nature of truth (I am quite serious). Why e.g. some dishonesty can be more truthful than the "literal" truth.
The best one is The Obvious Factor. Where it all leads to a Jefferson quotation that was wrong at the time and is still of timeless value.
I also liked The Courious Omission because the Game of Go is mentioned at least, although it is about chess.
And did I mention that we get some marvellous limericks about the Iliad? I know I did not. But these limericks alone would have earned this book easy five stars.
And then I found that I had the book in my collection after all. And of course, I had read it before.
So I read it again and as I knew it would be: it was utterly wonderful.
I am a huge Asimov fan (having read about 200 of his books). And I like his autobiographical stuff best. (Then his histories, then his mysteries and only then his SF and science books.)
Now, the Black Widowers are a club based on a club that Asimov was a member of. They meet and just talk, and somehow they, or rather, the waiter Henry, solve crimes. Or at least puzzles. The members of the club are all to some extent incarnations of the author himself, so it does have autobiographical character. I can understand, that some people will not like this. I just love it. [It starts with the preface, by the way, where Asimov tells us about the questions he receives by letters.
Why do you, a lowly sf writer think you can write about Shakespeare? Why do you, a Shakespeare scholar write science fiction thrillers? What makes you, a mere historian think you know anything about science?]
The puzzles themselves and the solutions are sometimes not really up to Ackroyd standard. But even if they are silly (and some of them, I admit, are - like Lullaybye of Broadway, a story with a grotesquely ridiculous plot) they are at least charming.
And he does manage to come up with an original twist every now and then. I loved Ph as in Phony.
And even more Truth to Tell (probably because I knew the solution immediately - and I doubt I had any memories - I tend to totally forget what I read within a couple of days.) In here you find some deep truths about the nature of truth (I am quite serious). Why e.g. some dishonesty can be more truthful than the "literal" truth.
The best one is The Obvious Factor. Where it all leads to a Jefferson quotation that was wrong at the time and is still of timeless value.
I also liked The Courious Omission because the Game of Go is mentioned at least, although it is about chess.
And did I mention that we get some marvellous limericks about the Iliad? I know I did not. But these limericks alone would have earned this book easy five stars.
April 15, 2008
Isaac Asimov - writing mysteries! What more can I say? When I found this book at the library, it was like a personal present from the universe to me. Asimov's style is highly influence (he admits this himself) by Agatha Christie, with each mystery serving as a puzzle.
Each of the short stories in this volume (and its sequels) deals with the Black Widowers' Club, a fictional group of men who meet monthly for dinner with one guest. Invariably, the guest has some puzzle; in variably, the intellectual Widowers try to solve it; invariably, they fail to do so, but Henry, the Jeeves-esque waiter, comes through with the solution. The repetition of the same pattern does not make the stories tiresome, but instead brings the focus onto the puzzle of the mystery itself. Asimov states that he wants to give the reader a fair shot at solving the mystery before the story's end - no last-minute revelations of long-lost cousins, etc. - makes them clever enough that only sometimes did I beat Henry to the answer.
As with many of his short story collections, Asimov introduces each story with a paragraph or so about its writing. In these personal glimpses, he is witty, tongue-in-cheek arrogant, and insightful.
Each of the short stories in this volume (and its sequels) deals with the Black Widowers' Club, a fictional group of men who meet monthly for dinner with one guest. Invariably, the guest has some puzzle; in variably, the intellectual Widowers try to solve it; invariably, they fail to do so, but Henry, the Jeeves-esque waiter, comes through with the solution. The repetition of the same pattern does not make the stories tiresome, but instead brings the focus onto the puzzle of the mystery itself. Asimov states that he wants to give the reader a fair shot at solving the mystery before the story's end - no last-minute revelations of long-lost cousins, etc. - makes them clever enough that only sometimes did I beat Henry to the answer.
As with many of his short story collections, Asimov introduces each story with a paragraph or so about its writing. In these personal glimpses, he is witty, tongue-in-cheek arrogant, and insightful.
Read
February 24, 2019Piacevole
October 22, 2018
3.5 Estrelas
A forma como o livro está escrito torna esta leitura compulsiva. O sentido de humor dos viúvos negros, juntamente com os mistérios apresentados são muitíssimo interessantes. Apenas acho que o autor devia ter variado na forma como todos os mistérios são resolvidos. Aplicar sempre a mesma receita tornou a leitura mais previsível.
De qualquer forma, tendo sido esta a minha estreia com o conceituado autor, pretendo ler mais dele. Provavelmente irei aventurar-me numa obra de ficção científica, género em que é considerado um dos mestres dos mestres.
A forma como o livro está escrito torna esta leitura compulsiva. O sentido de humor dos viúvos negros, juntamente com os mistérios apresentados são muitíssimo interessantes. Apenas acho que o autor devia ter variado na forma como todos os mistérios são resolvidos. Aplicar sempre a mesma receita tornou a leitura mais previsível.
De qualquer forma, tendo sido esta a minha estreia com o conceituado autor, pretendo ler mais dele. Provavelmente irei aventurar-me numa obra de ficção científica, género em que é considerado um dos mestres dos mestres.
June 17, 2010
Contains the short story "The Curious Omission" which in turn contains a brief go reference.
This short story started life as a bibliographic oddity, and without a go reference. The Union Carbide corporation held a "super-sleuth" contest for their customers. The company published, and distributed to "packagers, formulators, and marketers of soap and/or detergent products, chemical specialty products, and cosmetic chemicals", special editions of three of the canonical collections of Sherlock Holmes short stories. Each of the volumes had on the back of the dust jacket an unfinished mystery by a then-popular author. Contestants were to provide solutions to the mystery, for a chance to win a night in a Scottish castle. Hints as to the author's intended solution would be found in Union Carbide adverts in various trade magazines.
One of the three contest short stories was "The Case of the Dying Hint" by noted science fictioneer and less noted mystery writer Isaac Asimov. This story appeared on the jacket of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. Solution hints were to be found in ten issues of trade mags "Detergents and Specialties" and "Soap and Chemical Specialties". The story contained the line "We've talked together, drank together, played chess and two-handed pinochle together, fished together".
Also in 1971, Asimov began his series of Black Widower mysteries for Ellery Queen's mystery magazine. Loosely inspired by the Trap Door Spiders, a real life dinner group to which Asimov belonged, the stories featured six regular dinner companions who would take turns inviting a guest to their monthly get-togethers. As is the way of such mystery series, each guest turned out to have a mystery in need of unraveling. The group members would each take a stab at it, then they would turn to Henry, their waiter, who would invariably come up with the solution.
Tales of the Black Widowers, the first of several Doubleday collections of these stories, was published in 1974. Asimov, ever reluctant to let any of his writings go so nearly unread, lengthened and adapted the Union Carbide piece to a Black Widowers story, retitled "The Curious Omission", for inclusion in the book. The game reference quoted above was changed to "He was a master at Chinese checkers, parcheesi, backgammon, Monopoly, chess, checkers, go, three-dimensional tick-tack-toe". Neither go nor any other specific game is central to the plot. However the mutual interest in games generally on the part of deceased and the narrater play a substantial role.
The Black Widower version of the story is typical of the series, with an excellent twist providing the basis for a well-crafted story. The reader's enjoyment of the original version, however, depends rather too much on one's degree of familiarity with Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.This is presumably intentional. Although I haven't seen the adverts which gave the solution hints, the original story pretty clearly implies that any "super sleuth" hoping to win the contest ought to start by reading or rereading Alice.
This short story started life as a bibliographic oddity, and without a go reference. The Union Carbide corporation held a "super-sleuth" contest for their customers. The company published, and distributed to "packagers, formulators, and marketers of soap and/or detergent products, chemical specialty products, and cosmetic chemicals", special editions of three of the canonical collections of Sherlock Holmes short stories. Each of the volumes had on the back of the dust jacket an unfinished mystery by a then-popular author. Contestants were to provide solutions to the mystery, for a chance to win a night in a Scottish castle. Hints as to the author's intended solution would be found in Union Carbide adverts in various trade magazines.
One of the three contest short stories was "The Case of the Dying Hint" by noted science fictioneer and less noted mystery writer Isaac Asimov. This story appeared on the jacket of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. Solution hints were to be found in ten issues of trade mags "Detergents and Specialties" and "Soap and Chemical Specialties". The story contained the line "We've talked together, drank together, played chess and two-handed pinochle together, fished together".
Also in 1971, Asimov began his series of Black Widower mysteries for Ellery Queen's mystery magazine. Loosely inspired by the Trap Door Spiders, a real life dinner group to which Asimov belonged, the stories featured six regular dinner companions who would take turns inviting a guest to their monthly get-togethers. As is the way of such mystery series, each guest turned out to have a mystery in need of unraveling. The group members would each take a stab at it, then they would turn to Henry, their waiter, who would invariably come up with the solution.
Tales of the Black Widowers, the first of several Doubleday collections of these stories, was published in 1974. Asimov, ever reluctant to let any of his writings go so nearly unread, lengthened and adapted the Union Carbide piece to a Black Widowers story, retitled "The Curious Omission", for inclusion in the book. The game reference quoted above was changed to "He was a master at Chinese checkers, parcheesi, backgammon, Monopoly, chess, checkers, go, three-dimensional tick-tack-toe". Neither go nor any other specific game is central to the plot. However the mutual interest in games generally on the part of deceased and the narrater play a substantial role.
The Black Widower version of the story is typical of the series, with an excellent twist providing the basis for a well-crafted story. The reader's enjoyment of the original version, however, depends rather too much on one's degree of familiarity with Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.This is presumably intentional. Although I haven't seen the adverts which gave the solution hints, the original story pretty clearly implies that any "super sleuth" hoping to win the contest ought to start by reading or rereading Alice.
October 6, 2022
If you're looking for traditional murder mysteries, this is not the short story collection for you. It is, however, a collection of mystery puzzles solved by logic. Asimov reveals much about himself through his various characters with the same group, The Black Widowers, in each story.
I found them intriguing and as with most mystery stories, tried my best to get to the solution before it was revealed at story's end. I surprised myself by doing just that once in this collection. How will you fare?
I found them intriguing and as with most mystery stories, tried my best to get to the solution before it was revealed at story's end. I surprised myself by doing just that once in this collection. How will you fare?
August 17, 2025
میخوام تک تک جلداشو بخرم
اول ناراحت بودم که فقط فایل یه کتابشو هست
بعد تو ایران کتاب دیدم مجموعشو هست و مترجمشم تو ریویو ها بود
حتما میخرمش(متاسفانه نمیشه همهی پولتو خرج کتاب کنی، رسما در عذابم این تایم هایی که کتاب نمیخرم)
اول ناراحت بودم که فقط فایل یه کتابشو هست
بعد تو ایران کتاب دیدم مجموعشو هست و مترجمشم تو ریویو ها بود
حتما میخرمش(متاسفانه نمیشه همهی پولتو خرج کتاب کنی، رسما در عذابم این تایم هایی که کتاب نمیخرم)
September 19, 2017
نسخه پی دی اف این کتاب را ظهرها وقت استراحت و ناهار در شرکت
میخواندم که لذت بخش بود و مفرح
میخواندم که لذت بخش بود و مفرح
December 3, 2013
"O facto é que em praticamente todos os crimes de que há registo, a pessoa mais suspeita é realmente o criminoso."
Após uma introdução brilhante no início do livro, Isaac Asimov apresenta-nos o Clube dos Viúvos Negros.
Um grupo de seis homens junta-se, uma vez por mês, num jantar privado, deixando as suas mulheres em casa e concentrando-se em usufruir, ao máximo, da companhia uns dos outros. Entre eles encontra-se um escritor, um professor de matemática, um especialista em criptografia, um artista, um advogado e um químico. Em último, mas não menos importante, temos Henry, o empregado que serve, com profissionalismo e elegância, o clube mensal. O homem mais honesto que alguma vez conhecerão, tem um papel de destaque no conjunto de contos de mistério.
Cada sessão do Clube dos Viúvos Negros tem um anfitrião, e este pode trazer um convidado à sua escolha que, após um sublime jantar, é sujeito a um interrogatório por parte dos membros. Porém, este interrogatório de praxe é substituído pela resolução de mistérios incomuns e é neles que se foca este livro único.
Tanto os viúvos negros, como Henry, são personagens complexas e intrigantes e as suas histórias e personalidades são reveladas, cuidadosamente, ao longo da série de contos. Isaac Asimov dá-nos a conhecer os membros do clube até sentirmos que são um velho grupo de amigos, do qual sempre fizemos parte. À medida que avançamos na leitura, esta torna-se mais elaborada e, consequentemente, mais saborosa.
Asimov era um escritor fantástico e um mestre da ficção que tinha o dom de despertar a mente do leitor e de a manter alerta até ao último ponto final de cada história. Através deste livro, o primeiro que li do autor, mas não o último, posso afirmar que a autoconfiança e segurança de Asimov, como escritor, elevam ainda mais o estatuto dos seus contos.
Com uma boa dose de humor, jogos mentais e exercícios de lógica, Asimov expõe mistérios que eu nunca ousei imaginar e soluções às quais seria incapaz de chegar, mesmo com um empurrãozinho dos viúvos negros. Além disso, o autor usa as suas histórias para vasculhar nos temas da Ciência, História, Literatura, Política e outros assuntos de interesse.
Foi com um enorme prazer que acompanhei as vidas dos viúvos negros e os pequenos detalhes só seus, sem nunca perder o fio à meada nos mistérios, que são o coração de cada uma das histórias. Da mesma forma, foi com uma imensa tristeza que li o último conto. O meu desejo era de que o clube dos viúvos negros durasse por tempo indeterminado e partilhasse os seus mistérios, nem que fosse só comigo. Iria mesmo mais longe e atrevo-me afirmar que não me importaria de ser do sexo masculino, para ter a honra de fazer parte deste clube!
"Todos queremos que coisas dramáticas sejam verdadeiras. Queremos que seja possível pedir um desejo a uma estrela, ter poderes estranhos, ser irresistíveis para as mulheres...e, no nosso intimo, somos capazes de conspirar para acreditar nessas coisas, por mais que proclamemos uma racionalidade total."
Após uma introdução brilhante no início do livro, Isaac Asimov apresenta-nos o Clube dos Viúvos Negros.
Um grupo de seis homens junta-se, uma vez por mês, num jantar privado, deixando as suas mulheres em casa e concentrando-se em usufruir, ao máximo, da companhia uns dos outros. Entre eles encontra-se um escritor, um professor de matemática, um especialista em criptografia, um artista, um advogado e um químico. Em último, mas não menos importante, temos Henry, o empregado que serve, com profissionalismo e elegância, o clube mensal. O homem mais honesto que alguma vez conhecerão, tem um papel de destaque no conjunto de contos de mistério.
Cada sessão do Clube dos Viúvos Negros tem um anfitrião, e este pode trazer um convidado à sua escolha que, após um sublime jantar, é sujeito a um interrogatório por parte dos membros. Porém, este interrogatório de praxe é substituído pela resolução de mistérios incomuns e é neles que se foca este livro único.
Tanto os viúvos negros, como Henry, são personagens complexas e intrigantes e as suas histórias e personalidades são reveladas, cuidadosamente, ao longo da série de contos. Isaac Asimov dá-nos a conhecer os membros do clube até sentirmos que são um velho grupo de amigos, do qual sempre fizemos parte. À medida que avançamos na leitura, esta torna-se mais elaborada e, consequentemente, mais saborosa.
Asimov era um escritor fantástico e um mestre da ficção que tinha o dom de despertar a mente do leitor e de a manter alerta até ao último ponto final de cada história. Através deste livro, o primeiro que li do autor, mas não o último, posso afirmar que a autoconfiança e segurança de Asimov, como escritor, elevam ainda mais o estatuto dos seus contos.
Com uma boa dose de humor, jogos mentais e exercícios de lógica, Asimov expõe mistérios que eu nunca ousei imaginar e soluções às quais seria incapaz de chegar, mesmo com um empurrãozinho dos viúvos negros. Além disso, o autor usa as suas histórias para vasculhar nos temas da Ciência, História, Literatura, Política e outros assuntos de interesse.
Foi com um enorme prazer que acompanhei as vidas dos viúvos negros e os pequenos detalhes só seus, sem nunca perder o fio à meada nos mistérios, que são o coração de cada uma das histórias. Da mesma forma, foi com uma imensa tristeza que li o último conto. O meu desejo era de que o clube dos viúvos negros durasse por tempo indeterminado e partilhasse os seus mistérios, nem que fosse só comigo. Iria mesmo mais longe e atrevo-me afirmar que não me importaria de ser do sexo masculino, para ter a honra de fazer parte deste clube!
"Todos queremos que coisas dramáticas sejam verdadeiras. Queremos que seja possível pedir um desejo a uma estrela, ter poderes estranhos, ser irresistíveis para as mulheres...e, no nosso intimo, somos capazes de conspirar para acreditar nessas coisas, por mais que proclamemos uma racionalidade total."
November 5, 2020
Aku belum pernah baca karya Pak Asimov sebelumnya (^///^;)> dan kadang-kadang aku menghindari kata pengantar di buku, karena takut kena spoiler. Tapi kata pengantar di buku ini justru bikin semangat baca bukunya. Karena pertama-tama Pak Asimov pasang semacam disclaimer buat menahan komen pembaca yang mungkin bakal ngata-ngatain, "Lho, pengarang sci-fi kok ngarang misteri??"
Semakin dibaca, semakin kocak, karena tanpa malu-malu Pak Asimov ngaku kalau dia penggemar Hercule Poirot dan Agatha Christie o(≧▽≦)o Tos lah!
Jadi kumcer ini tadinya dimuat secara berkala (tanpa jadwal yang teratur) di majalah Ellery Queen, lalu dikumpulkan dalam bentuk buku. Di setiap akhir bab, Pak Asimov menaruh afterword yang ga kalah kocak dari kata pengantarnya. Seperti judul cerita yang diubah sesuai selera dia, yang berbeda dari judul yang di-acc editor majalah ｡ﾟ( ﾟ^∀^ﾟ)ﾟ｡
Black Widowers adalah sekelompok pria yang berbeda profesi, yang kegiatan awalnya adalah makan malam, tapi lama-lama jadighibah ngobrolin hal-hal yang misterius, dan berusaha memecahkannya dengan saling mencurahkan pendapat/analisis.
Ada pengacara hak paten yang anggun berwibawa, penulis yang bawel, ahli kimia yang pendiam, artis yang santai, pemecah kode yang pemarah, guru matematika yang hobi menulis limerick, dan seorang pelayan, yang mendengarkan dengan cermat semua analisis mereka.
Membaca kasus-kasusnya memang belum bikin 'berkobar-kobar' kayak pas baca Thirteen Problems, misalnya, tapi ada rasa senang dan greget sepanjang aksi curah pendapat mereka yang berusaha mengulik kasus dengan logika, karakter, dan kekocakan khas masing-masing. Aku jadi ngerasa kalau keasyikan cerita-cerita ini bukan di ketegangan atau 'siapa pelakunya' seperti khas cerita misteri biasanya, tapi lebih di interaksi sekelompok sahabat yang ngobrol-ngobrol santai tapi seru~
Mudah-mudahan berjumpa lagi, Black Widowers~ ヽ(o^ ^o)ﾉ
Semakin dibaca, semakin kocak, karena tanpa malu-malu Pak Asimov ngaku kalau dia penggemar Hercule Poirot dan Agatha Christie o(≧▽≦)o Tos lah!
Jadi kumcer ini tadinya dimuat secara berkala (tanpa jadwal yang teratur) di majalah Ellery Queen, lalu dikumpulkan dalam bentuk buku. Di setiap akhir bab, Pak Asimov menaruh afterword yang ga kalah kocak dari kata pengantarnya. Seperti judul cerita yang diubah sesuai selera dia, yang berbeda dari judul yang di-acc editor majalah ｡ﾟ( ﾟ^∀^ﾟ)ﾟ｡
Black Widowers adalah sekelompok pria yang berbeda profesi, yang kegiatan awalnya adalah makan malam, tapi lama-lama jadi
Ada pengacara hak paten yang anggun berwibawa, penulis yang bawel, ahli kimia yang pendiam, artis yang santai, pemecah kode yang pemarah, guru matematika yang hobi menulis limerick, dan seorang pelayan, yang mendengarkan dengan cermat semua analisis mereka.
Membaca kasus-kasusnya memang belum bikin 'berkobar-kobar' kayak pas baca Thirteen Problems, misalnya, tapi ada rasa senang dan greget sepanjang aksi curah pendapat mereka yang berusaha mengulik kasus dengan logika, karakter, dan kekocakan khas masing-masing. Aku jadi ngerasa kalau keasyikan cerita-cerita ini bukan di ketegangan atau 'siapa pelakunya' seperti khas cerita misteri biasanya, tapi lebih di interaksi sekelompok sahabat yang ngobrol-ngobrol santai tapi seru~
Mudah-mudahan berjumpa lagi, Black Widowers~ ヽ(o^ ^o)ﾉ
October 26, 2019
Envidio mucho a Isaac Asimov, pero no tanto al leer sus páginas como al revisar la lista de todo lo que escribió. Según Wikipedia, si le podemos creer, la lista incluye un total de 500 libros, qué sé yo cuántos artículos, y 90 mil cartas y postales. Leer todo eso llevaría una vida; escribirlo, no me puedo imaginar cómo fue posible. Asimov, que murió cuando tenía poco más del doble de mi edad (deprimente perspectiva) encontraba siempre tiempo para otra cosa, para explorar otras ideas, para ensayar algún género nuevo. Por ejemplo, escribir nada menos que sesenta y seis relatos cortos y de índole policial.
Las historias de los Viudos Negros reiteran el motivo del detective, o seudo detective, que investiga y resuelve problemas in absentia, sin más que un relato de segunda mano de los acontecimientos (un poco como Miss Marple, o como el Isidro Parodi de Biorges). A esto se suma un staff variopinto –excepto por lo sólidamente masculino- de personajes que parecen reflejar la multiplicidad de intereses y de actividades de su autor. Al igual que en los Trece problemas de Agatha Christie, cada uno aventura varias soluciones sobre el misterio a resolver, y finalmente es el personaje más sencillo de todos, en su intervención última, el que da con la respuesta correcta. Quizás la debilidad de Asimov, sobre todo comparándolo con su precursora, es que su elenco de personajes tiende a sonar bastante monofónico –y tiene lógica, si es que son versiones de él. Más que un verdadero debate, los diálogos de los Viudos parecen una sola argumentación distribuida entre varios personajes. En lo que respecta a los misterios, son piezas sencillas, y a veces un tanto ingenuas, pero no otra cosa se le puede pedir al policial clásico.
Las historias de los Viudos Negros reiteran el motivo del detective, o seudo detective, que investiga y resuelve problemas in absentia, sin más que un relato de segunda mano de los acontecimientos (un poco como Miss Marple, o como el Isidro Parodi de Biorges). A esto se suma un staff variopinto –excepto por lo sólidamente masculino- de personajes que parecen reflejar la multiplicidad de intereses y de actividades de su autor. Al igual que en los Trece problemas de Agatha Christie, cada uno aventura varias soluciones sobre el misterio a resolver, y finalmente es el personaje más sencillo de todos, en su intervención última, el que da con la respuesta correcta. Quizás la debilidad de Asimov, sobre todo comparándolo con su precursora, es que su elenco de personajes tiende a sonar bastante monofónico –y tiene lógica, si es que son versiones de él. Más que un verdadero debate, los diálogos de los Viudos parecen una sola argumentación distribuida entre varios personajes. En lo que respecta a los misterios, son piezas sencillas, y a veces un tanto ingenuas, pero no otra cosa se le puede pedir al policial clásico.
September 26, 2018
Una serie di racconti, pensati per una pubblicazione su periodici, rivisti e inseriti in un unico libro.
Grazie ad un lavoro di rifinitura è possibile notare, anche a distanza di diverse storie, vaghi riferimenti ad episodi precedenti che, seppur pensati per essere autoconclusivi, trovano la loro massima espressione in questo volume unico, che riesce, infatti, a valorizzarli al meglio.
Dopo le prime storie, avrete una certa familiarità con la struttura del racconto ma, nonostante questo, il tutto rimarrà interessante, seppure semplice, anche grazie ad un twist finale che non si rivelerà mai banale e vi prenderà sempre in contropiede, anche quando sarete portati a pensare di essere riusciti ad arrivare ad una soluzione molto prima della fine.
Imparerete ad apprezzare queste riunioni dei Vedovi Neri, a conoscerli meglio, a sentirvi uno di loro, quasi.
Grazie ad un lavoro di rifinitura è possibile notare, anche a distanza di diverse storie, vaghi riferimenti ad episodi precedenti che, seppur pensati per essere autoconclusivi, trovano la loro massima espressione in questo volume unico, che riesce, infatti, a valorizzarli al meglio.
Dopo le prime storie, avrete una certa familiarità con la struttura del racconto ma, nonostante questo, il tutto rimarrà interessante, seppure semplice, anche grazie ad un twist finale che non si rivelerà mai banale e vi prenderà sempre in contropiede, anche quando sarete portati a pensare di essere riusciti ad arrivare ad una soluzione molto prima della fine.
Imparerete ad apprezzare queste riunioni dei Vedovi Neri, a conoscerli meglio, a sentirvi uno di loro, quasi.
February 13, 2021
Raccolta di racconti del club dei Vedovi Neri. Spassosi enigmi da risolvere, sempre con lo stesso schema ma comunque godibili.
Dopo ogni racconto Asimov ne commenta la genesi o racconta aneddoti, con molta ironia.
Dopo ogni racconto Asimov ne commenta la genesi o racconta aneddoti, con molta ironia.
July 14, 2024
Lovely stories and kind of a detective with the stories the gentlemen are telling in their gentlemen club.
November 15, 2010
Questa è la prima volta che leggo qualcosa di Asimov che non sia legato alla fantascienza. Si tratta, infatti, di una raccolta di racconti gialli che vengono esposti, discussi e risolti nell'ambito delle riunioni di un gruppo di conoscenti che si autodefiniscono scherzosamente "Vedovi Neri", anche perché a tali incontri non possono prendere parte le rispettive mogli.
Ad ogni ritrovo, a turno, uno degli appartenenti a tale club ha la possibilità di portare un ospite che dovrà accettare di farsi interrogare dai presenti ed avrà l'obbligo, come tutti, di non far trapelare alcunché di ciò di cui si è parlato al di fuori del luogo in cui si trovano.
Per quanto sia interessante l'idea di fondo, purtroppo il tutto risulta molto un esercizio di stile farcito da citazioni e ragionamenti sicuramente colti, ma che rendono certe soluzioni al limite della realtà, pur essendo coerenti. Inoltre, il fatto di dover risolvere l'enigma di turno rimanendo nell'ambito temporale e spaziale di un singolo incontro limita fortemente le possibilità narrative.
Quindi, per come la vedo io, le qualità più interessanti di questi racconti risiedono nella divertente interazione dei personaggi e nell'utilizzo puntuale della logica, più che nella resa complessiva.
La recensione è presso http://bit.ly/9BzaJ8 .
Ad ogni ritrovo, a turno, uno degli appartenenti a tale club ha la possibilità di portare un ospite che dovrà accettare di farsi interrogare dai presenti ed avrà l'obbligo, come tutti, di non far trapelare alcunché di ciò di cui si è parlato al di fuori del luogo in cui si trovano.
Per quanto sia interessante l'idea di fondo, purtroppo il tutto risulta molto un esercizio di stile farcito da citazioni e ragionamenti sicuramente colti, ma che rendono certe soluzioni al limite della realtà, pur essendo coerenti. Inoltre, il fatto di dover risolvere l'enigma di turno rimanendo nell'ambito temporale e spaziale di un singolo incontro limita fortemente le possibilità narrative.
Quindi, per come la vedo io, le qualità più interessanti di questi racconti risiedono nella divertente interazione dei personaggi e nell'utilizzo puntuale della logica, più che nella resa complessiva.
La recensione è presso http://bit.ly/9BzaJ8 .
July 6, 2009
With the greatest respect and admiration for Dr A, I have to say nevertheless that this has to be the most boring thing I have ever read: a collection of dull and predictable stories. (I hate to say this but: would they have even been published if they hadn't been written by Isaac Asimov?)
No, I mean it: really boring. As boring as cold shit, as boring as watching paint dry, as boring as a six-hour lecture by Isaac Asimov entitled ''Why I Am So Great'' followed by a two-hour session in which Dr A shares some his excruciatingly bad jokes for a new collection of 'humour' (and if you don't laugh, you get dragged outside and shot). Seriously, don't waste your time.
No, I mean it: really boring. As boring as cold shit, as boring as watching paint dry, as boring as a six-hour lecture by Isaac Asimov entitled ''Why I Am So Great'' followed by a two-hour session in which Dr A shares some his excruciatingly bad jokes for a new collection of 'humour' (and if you don't laugh, you get dragged outside and shot). Seriously, don't waste your time.
January 24, 2012
At first, when I started to read this book the content was somewhat hard to understand. The wording may be a little advanced (Book level) for some readers. Regardless to that, the use of descriptive sentences helps the reader picture in their head the ideas of what the book is telling. The author is great with mysteries and the way the characters are described. Each character has a different style (purpose) that makes things clear to the reader. I would recommend this book to someone who is great with, I guess advanced level reading books, and likes mysteries. So far to where I am at, the book has gotten more entertaining and I hope it gets even more.
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