The plots used by P.D.James may seem to travel at a snail's pace, to those of us who are used to 30 minute solutions, but once I looked at it as a commentary on the current issues of her society and the people in it, my focus changed. Quite often one of her characters will make a statement, asserting a strong belief or opinion, that, in my opinion, is the author's opinion. Anyway. I enjoy her characters and feel anemoia (Yep,I looked it up, that's the word for, "nostalgia for a time you never knew.") for that slow time. Hand-written letters and Posties, green fields worked by horses and ancient cottages.Steamships and steam-trains. You've probably watched Poirot and Midsummer Murders and Miss Marple over and over. I can't wait until I've forgotten them all enough to watch them for the umpteenth time.
Phyllis James is the Henry James of her mlieu, London 1960-2010. Please, please get her autobiography "A Time To Be In Earnest." B 1920, delivered one of her children during the bombing of London, didn't start writing until she was in her 40's, first published in 1962. She wrote as a fully mature human being bringing all her life experiences, highly intelligent observations, vast reading , interest in religion and philosophy, music and poetry to her richly written books. It astounds me to realize she wrote her last 4 Dalgliesh novels in her late 70's and across her 80's.. I discovered her only recently and have read my way thru nearly all of her books starting with "Cover Her Face." You have to get them second hand on-line. It isn't necessary to read them in order, but it helps to follow the slender threads of the life of Dalgliesh, which is always only a tiny part of the book. Sorry for writing such an essay, I recognized a kindred spirit in your comment. 💕
same here! its easier with Poirot cause thier are so many episode & different ms.marple adaptions that it's possible. love long drawn out stories that are difficult to figure out who the perpetrator is. the new dalgleish is pretty great too and to me they seem so different
@@cs3742Enjoyed reading your comment. Now, I want to read the books. Perhaps because I’m a retired nurse, Shroud for a Nightingale is my most favorite. I’d love to read it. 🦚🌸🌼🌸🐇
@@laurallama73 How fun to hear from someone out of the blue. I'm agog that PD James wrote 4 more Dalgliesh novels and finally, "Death comes to Pemberley" so late in life. I saw recently that there is a partial manuscript for another Dalgliesh. Oh how I would like to see it. I was hoping for something like Dorothy Sayers "Busman's Honeymoon" in "The Private Patient," but she respected his privacy to the end. No, I will NOT spoil it for you, but you need to read the last 4 in order.
This was the first PD James book that I ever read. I saw it first on PBS “Mystery” and enjoyed it so much that I decided to read the book. PD James became a favorite from then on and I read all of her Dalgliesh mysteries after that.
When someone angrily tells you you're not wanted and brandishes a large kitchen knife in your direction, it certainly takes a good bit of self-possession to respond, "You should be put away."
When someone angrily tells you you're not wanted and brandishes a large kitchen knife in your direction, it certainly takes a good bit of common sense to say "Yikes! I'm outa here!"
Imo, P.D.James and Ruth Rendell are novelists, not “mystery writers.” Goddess bless, their prose is elegant, full of wonderful details, and capture vividly the times in which they are written. Marvelous plots and memorable characters, so very human with all their contradictions, devil on one shoulder, angel on the other. Their books are modern novels that follow the genius of Austen and her literary contemporaries.❤️
Apparently the commenters writing complaints about length of the videos, casting, PD James writing, the pace of the story, and all others were evidently NOT contacted by the producers or the screen writers, PD James, and others prior to the production so their professional input was not given consideration.
lynda renaud nothing at all beautiful about these people to a discerning eye or just a very long nose and curious ears. . Listen at their doors and you will find out just how lousy such people are. Their servants and slaves ( and pets ) always know them for what they are. And who listens to servants and slaves? Not even Marxist’s! But writers of course with that discerning eye have a clue. Btw: I think There is some sexual foreshadowing here. James will leave you with no easy out! Who IS the father of that baby BOY?
S1.E2 ∙ Episode #1.2 / 7.0 Sir Paul Berowne gives his latest anonymous letter to Adam Dalgliesh and the next day visits Father Francis Barnes at St. Matthews Church in Paddington, requesting permission to spend one night alone in a spare room at his church. The next day, Sir Paul's body is found by Mrs. Wharton, a church volunteer, his throat slit. There was also a homeless man, Harry Mack, also dead in the room with him. Dalgliesh takes charge of the case and learns from Father Francis that he had only known Berowne for less than two weeks but had noticed something very peculiar at communion. Mack was a regular often seeking shelter at the church. Inspector Miskin looks into the death of Sir Paul's servant Diana Travers and they are surprised that the post-mortem was performed by the Special Branch pathologist.
"You never heard"? I guess that means it didn´t happen. What an ego. Did you ever hear me call you a MORON? If not, then you may be a genius. Ever hear of, Your Personal Opinion?
@lynda renaud many shows from way back till late 90's everyone is smoking & drinking pregnant or not. I know they don't really drink it's tea but the smoke fills the room the older the movie the smokier. OHHH that woman & her nails & what she can do with them lol.
@@ellamone9998 .... You really should have told Gabrielle about the smoking & drinking. She made the original comment. As for myself, I didn't believe that the woman was pregnant at all.
Yes.Exacly. no one forcing you to watch. P.D. James is wonderful. The charecters so real. So complicated. Dalglesh is pure class. Love Michen. As series progresses she blossoms. The entire thing is so well done. The demon doctor is a clasic. Thank you to all concerned. And to whoever posted. And I have no trouble with sound or picture. Must be your device.
Hmm, never heard of "Lady Peer". Either Lady + forename or Lady + surname...I think the former ranks higher: Daughters of dukes, marquesses or earls: Lady Jane Smith Wives of younger sons of dukes or marquesses: Lady John Smith Wives of baronets and knights: Lady Smith Knight's widows: Lady Smith Widow of a baronet whose son, the present baronet, is married: Jane, Lady Smith Wives or husbands of life peers: Lady Smith; Earliest surviving widow of a peer: The Dowager Lady Smith Daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls who are married to a commoner: Lady Jane Bloggs
If she was the daughter of a Duke, Marquess, or Earl she would have been styled Lady First Name or Lady Full Name. It would have remained the same after her marriage to a Baronet, as baronets and knights are commoners, not peers (though Baronets do inherit their titles). This is why her son was able to sit in the House of Commons even after he inherited his baronetcy. If Ursuala's father hadn't had a title then, as a Baronet's lady, she'd be would be simply Lady Berowne, and after her husband's death she'd be Ursula, Lady Berowne to distinguish her from her daughter-in-law, the current Lady Berowne.
I do want to keep watching, but I'm going to have to resort to double-clicking forward past the B-grade dysfunction tripe. This is a cross between Morse (etc) and Coronation St / Young and the Restless. Such a waste.
numbereightyseven Your comment on a PD James video is very telling. Patience is a virtue. Life cannot be “double clicked forward past” on any part of it. Much of daily living IS “B-Grade,” ho-hum tripe, and much of the grief and pain is dysfunctional, sometimes caused by our own bad decisions or those of our family members and friends around us. IF you thought that little slow moving video was boring, look back at the last 5 years of your life, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year. You will have had A FEW hallmark occasions, many fun times, some sad times, but MOSTLY they were boring, soap opera, every day, double-click forward past ordinary click, click times. But it took you five years to pass through, and they are 5 years gone from your life. Patience helps you LEARN from the experience, as there is SO much to learn. But you will miss experiences, Opportunities, words, wisdom, etc., if you fast forward. You fly right over what there is to see, hear, hints, directions, pointers, a whole new line of discovery. As in this video, as in your life. I hope you haven’t missed too much.
I'm coming to the conclusion that the only theatrical device used in all these series, is antagonism to the investigation. It's almost too much of a bore to continue watching. Nothing clever, original, or intriguing about it. British drama candy at its most overly-processed.