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The Trouble with Harry
"As engaging a tale as I have encountered in months of looking for something really amusing to read.”—Kelsey Guilfoil, Chicago Tribune
“A pleasantly muted mystery that is genuinely funny fantasy as well.”—New York Times
On the outskirts of a small English town, young Arnie discovers the body of a middle-aged man in the woods. Three people are convinced they are responsible for the death: the captain thinks he accidentally shot the man while hunting rabbits; the local spinster thinks she may have done more damage than she intended when she hit him with her shoe—and Abie’s mother, most damningly of all, reveals that the man is her long-lost husband, Harry, and that she had smashed a bottle over his head when he suddenly reappeared.
The police are called in to investigate the crime, but free-thinking artist Sam Marlowe becomes a good-natured sleuth, helping the townspeople to bury, dig up, and rebury the corpse in an effort to evade the authorities and discover the truth. While no one is particularly troubled by Harry’s death, everyone feels some guilt over the apparent murder. In the end, two couples fall in love, Arnie has a new father, and the mystery is happily solved.
First published in 1949, The Trouble with Harry was one of Jack Trevor Story’s early successes. Written with wit and insight, the novel was a bestseller and praised for both its succinct style and its original blend of mystery and humor. The story was adapted by Alfred Hitchcock for his film of the same name in 1955.
“A pleasantly muted mystery that is genuinely funny fantasy as well.”—New York Times
On the outskirts of a small English town, young Arnie discovers the body of a middle-aged man in the woods. Three people are convinced they are responsible for the death: the captain thinks he accidentally shot the man while hunting rabbits; the local spinster thinks she may have done more damage than she intended when she hit him with her shoe—and Abie’s mother, most damningly of all, reveals that the man is her long-lost husband, Harry, and that she had smashed a bottle over his head when he suddenly reappeared.
The police are called in to investigate the crime, but free-thinking artist Sam Marlowe becomes a good-natured sleuth, helping the townspeople to bury, dig up, and rebury the corpse in an effort to evade the authorities and discover the truth. While no one is particularly troubled by Harry’s death, everyone feels some guilt over the apparent murder. In the end, two couples fall in love, Arnie has a new father, and the mystery is happily solved.
First published in 1949, The Trouble with Harry was one of Jack Trevor Story’s early successes. Written with wit and insight, the novel was a bestseller and praised for both its succinct style and its original blend of mystery and humor. The story was adapted by Alfred Hitchcock for his film of the same name in 1955.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
19 people are currently reading
526 people want to read
About the author
Jack Trevor Story
57 books10 followersJack Story was the son of a baker's roundsman and a domestic servant. During the First World War his father was killed and then his mother moved to Cambridge and worked in one of the colleges.
As a youngster he worked as a butcher's lad making local deliveries. He stated that his early education was derived from 'The Modern Boy', 'Melody Maker' and Action publications.
Self-taught, he began his writing in the early 1940s and it was said that he regularly wrote 4,000 words a day and often took only two or three weeks to finish a novel.
He was married three times and had eight children and also gained a reputation as a ladies' man and apparently he was often seen with glamorous women. As a consequence his domestic life was said to be chaotic, owing to his serial infidelity and his bankruptcy, both of which occasionally provided inspiration for some of his work.
He first achieved success as a writer with the Pinetop Jones Western stories (writing under the pseudonym Bret Harding) and he later achieved great fame contributing to the Sexton Blake detective series - he wrote 20 titles for the Sexton Blake Library. He was also well known for his Horace Spurgeon novels and the Albert Argyle trilogy. He also used the pseudonyms Alex Atwell and Rex Riotti.
When he was penniless in the 1970s he moved to the then new town of Milton Keynes, where he was given a flat about the Museum of Rural Life. He meant to stay only one year, but remained there for the rest of his life.
He wrote a weekly column for 'The Guardian' in the 1970s and appeared on television in the series 'Jack on the Box' in 1979. He wrote several screenplays, including the film 'Mix Me a Person', and was heavily involved in the film version of his novel 'Live Now - Pay Later'. His final broadcast was an audio diary entitled 'Jack's Last Tape'. His novel 'The Trouble with Harry' (1949) was filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1955.
When someone once asked him why he didn't write an autobiography. He replied [referring to his novels and other writings], 'What do you think I've been doing all these years?'
He died in Milton Keynes on 5 December 1991.
As a youngster he worked as a butcher's lad making local deliveries. He stated that his early education was derived from 'The Modern Boy', 'Melody Maker' and Action publications.
Self-taught, he began his writing in the early 1940s and it was said that he regularly wrote 4,000 words a day and often took only two or three weeks to finish a novel.
He was married three times and had eight children and also gained a reputation as a ladies' man and apparently he was often seen with glamorous women. As a consequence his domestic life was said to be chaotic, owing to his serial infidelity and his bankruptcy, both of which occasionally provided inspiration for some of his work.
He first achieved success as a writer with the Pinetop Jones Western stories (writing under the pseudonym Bret Harding) and he later achieved great fame contributing to the Sexton Blake detective series - he wrote 20 titles for the Sexton Blake Library. He was also well known for his Horace Spurgeon novels and the Albert Argyle trilogy. He also used the pseudonyms Alex Atwell and Rex Riotti.
When he was penniless in the 1970s he moved to the then new town of Milton Keynes, where he was given a flat about the Museum of Rural Life. He meant to stay only one year, but remained there for the rest of his life.
He wrote a weekly column for 'The Guardian' in the 1970s and appeared on television in the series 'Jack on the Box' in 1979. He wrote several screenplays, including the film 'Mix Me a Person', and was heavily involved in the film version of his novel 'Live Now - Pay Later'. His final broadcast was an audio diary entitled 'Jack's Last Tape'. His novel 'The Trouble with Harry' (1949) was filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1955.
When someone once asked him why he didn't write an autobiography. He replied [referring to his novels and other writings], 'What do you think I've been doing all these years?'
He died in Milton Keynes on 5 December 1991.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 72 reviews
January 23, 2020
¿Quién mató a Harry? A nadie en Sparrowswick Heath parece importarle. Es más, el principal misterio de esta disparatada, surrealista y muy entretenida novelita es por qué, tras aparecer un cadáver, no hay misterio alguno. Por qué esa aceptación del asesinato por parte de todos los personajes, llegando unos cuantos a admitir su culpa sin remordimiento aparente, cómo pueden todos los vecinos de esa pequeña comunidad seguir quedando para tomar el té, persiguiendo mariposas o citándose con sus amantes tras los setos, mientras el cadáver de un hombre es enterrado y desenterrado una y otra vez a solo unos metros de sus hogares.
—¡Capitán Wiles!— exclamó la mujer.
El capitán soltó los tobillos del muerto y se cuadró. En ese momento no era él del todo. Se quedó mirándola sin prestar atención al sudor que le corría por la nariz, aunque le hacía cosquillas.
—Sí, señora— dijo él.
La mujer miró al cadáver. Después miró la escopeta del capitán (la llevaba metida de cualquier manera en la cinturilla de los pantalones) y dijo:
—¿Qué, de caza?
—¡Capitán Wiles!— exclamó la mujer.
El capitán soltó los tobillos del muerto y se cuadró. En ese momento no era él del todo. Se quedó mirándola sin prestar atención al sudor que le corría por la nariz, aunque le hacía cosquillas.
—Sí, señora— dijo él.
La mujer miró al cadáver. Después miró la escopeta del capitán (la llevaba metida de cualquier manera en la cinturilla de los pantalones) y dijo:
—¿Qué, de caza?
August 27, 2025
“But don’t you sometimes feel like gingerbread, Sam?”
If you are a lover of noir and crime books in general, you might want something light, funny and well written for a summer read, or for a palate cleanser after a particularly grim and depressing tome. This ‘gingerbread’ caper by Jack Trevor Story might be exactly what you need.
So let’s buy a ticket to Sparrowswick Heath, meet the oddball characters living in the colourful cottages built by a venal property development, and try to find out qui a tue Harry?
It’s a beautiful summer day on the downs and Abbie, a young boy playing cowboys and Indians in the woods, discovers a corpse laying in the grass, after hearing three shots and a curious conversation between lovers. Eventually, the name of the corpse is identified as Harry and most of the tenants on Sparrowswick heath will stumble over his corpse, pick themselves up and continue on their journey.
It is left to the local artist, Sam Marlow, to try to make sense of the events that led to the demise of the unknown man laying on top of the heath. He has no shortage of suspects, among them the beautiful young mother of Abbie, Jennifer, a retired ship captain named Albert Wise and Miss Graveley, and old spinster that still has some burning fire in her veins.
Sam Marlow the artist and Albert Wise the new captain sat down on the warm earth to discuss the unfortunate happening, while close by Harry the corpse lay bootless and silent.
According to the young artist, who was a realist, prepared for every eventuality and surprised by none, the affair was a simple one and there was no cause for alarm.
The plot is delightfully screwball in the best tradition of the 1930s’ pre-Code comedies. Even readers who are familiar with the Alfred Hitchcock adaptation of the novel might be in for some pleasant surprises, since the author has an incredible flair for satire and for character sketches that only require a paragraph or two to make an impression:
Mark Douglas was a lover of blondes. He was also a lover of brunettes, red-heads, albinos, negresses, Mulattoes, Eurasians, Asiatics and hotel receptionists. Mark Douglas loved everything in skirts that didn’t play bagpipes. He was a small man, full of unpleasant energy.
For such a short book, it packs a lot of action, including the interment and exhumation of Harry the corpse several times over a single night, a couple of marriage proposals, an art auction and a chase after butterflies. There’s even enough time for some social commentary about people wearing hats, marital fidelity and economic practices:
The people with no money began to run up their little bills and pay them, while the people with plenty of money began to run up big bills and leave them unpaid, and gradually a state of urban normality came to the heath.
Most of all I liked William Trevor Story because he doesn’t waste time, gets right to the point and delivers the laughs with the aplomb of a stand-up comedian. It must have something to do with his journalistic training and with his own irreverent, party-loving personality.
“Talking to you I feel like a character in a novel – you know how forthright they have to be or they’d never get their story over before the last chapter. In real life people spend fifty per cent of their lives hiding what they want to say behind their vocabulary and the other fifty per cent trying to find out what other people are hiding.”
Story is almost forgotten now. I have checked out this book mostly because I liked the Hitchcock movie where Shirley MacLaine made such an enchanting debut. Much as I admire Hitchcock, I must say that some of the charm of the novel didn’t transfer well to the silver screen. I wish I could find more of the books written by Story in ebook form, so I can verify this was not a one hit wonder.
Can I have some more gingerbread, Mr. Story?
If you are a lover of noir and crime books in general, you might want something light, funny and well written for a summer read, or for a palate cleanser after a particularly grim and depressing tome. This ‘gingerbread’ caper by Jack Trevor Story might be exactly what you need.
So let’s buy a ticket to Sparrowswick Heath, meet the oddball characters living in the colourful cottages built by a venal property development, and try to find out qui a tue Harry?
It’s a beautiful summer day on the downs and Abbie, a young boy playing cowboys and Indians in the woods, discovers a corpse laying in the grass, after hearing three shots and a curious conversation between lovers. Eventually, the name of the corpse is identified as Harry and most of the tenants on Sparrowswick heath will stumble over his corpse, pick themselves up and continue on their journey.
It is left to the local artist, Sam Marlow, to try to make sense of the events that led to the demise of the unknown man laying on top of the heath. He has no shortage of suspects, among them the beautiful young mother of Abbie, Jennifer, a retired ship captain named Albert Wise and Miss Graveley, and old spinster that still has some burning fire in her veins.
Sam Marlow the artist and Albert Wise the new captain sat down on the warm earth to discuss the unfortunate happening, while close by Harry the corpse lay bootless and silent.
According to the young artist, who was a realist, prepared for every eventuality and surprised by none, the affair was a simple one and there was no cause for alarm.
The plot is delightfully screwball in the best tradition of the 1930s’ pre-Code comedies. Even readers who are familiar with the Alfred Hitchcock adaptation of the novel might be in for some pleasant surprises, since the author has an incredible flair for satire and for character sketches that only require a paragraph or two to make an impression:
Mark Douglas was a lover of blondes. He was also a lover of brunettes, red-heads, albinos, negresses, Mulattoes, Eurasians, Asiatics and hotel receptionists. Mark Douglas loved everything in skirts that didn’t play bagpipes. He was a small man, full of unpleasant energy.
For such a short book, it packs a lot of action, including the interment and exhumation of Harry the corpse several times over a single night, a couple of marriage proposals, an art auction and a chase after butterflies. There’s even enough time for some social commentary about people wearing hats, marital fidelity and economic practices:
The people with no money began to run up their little bills and pay them, while the people with plenty of money began to run up big bills and leave them unpaid, and gradually a state of urban normality came to the heath.
Most of all I liked William Trevor Story because he doesn’t waste time, gets right to the point and delivers the laughs with the aplomb of a stand-up comedian. It must have something to do with his journalistic training and with his own irreverent, party-loving personality.
“Talking to you I feel like a character in a novel – you know how forthright they have to be or they’d never get their story over before the last chapter. In real life people spend fifty per cent of their lives hiding what they want to say behind their vocabulary and the other fifty per cent trying to find out what other people are hiding.”
Story is almost forgotten now. I have checked out this book mostly because I liked the Hitchcock movie where Shirley MacLaine made such an enchanting debut. Much as I admire Hitchcock, I must say that some of the charm of the novel didn’t transfer well to the silver screen. I wish I could find more of the books written by Story in ebook form, so I can verify this was not a one hit wonder.
Can I have some more gingerbread, Mr. Story?
February 3, 2023
Humor muy negro y con diálogos muy locos. Me ha encantado
Después he visto la película dirigida por Hitchcock y, aunque hay bastantes diferencias, creo que se complementan muy bien.
Después he visto la película dirigida por Hitchcock y, aunque hay bastantes diferencias, creo que se complementan muy bien.
March 3, 2018
De estos libros que ya solo por lo bien que te lo ha hecho pasar sientes ganas de otorgarle las cinco estrellas, y esta simpática comedia negra de enredo es una delicia dentro de los de su género.
Pero.. ¿quién mató a Harry? ha conseguido hacerme reír imaginándome ciertas escenas.
Pero.. ¿quién mató a Harry? ha conseguido hacerme reír imaginándome ciertas escenas.
Want to read
October 26, 2020Alfred Hitchcock generally picked some great books to base his movies on.This one isn't among my favourite Hitchcock movies.It tries to be funny,but I wasn't too amused.
"Harry" is a dead body and it has to be hidden,not an easy task given the number of people who can possibly come across it.
But then even Hitchcock couldn't be perfect all the time.
"Harry" is a dead body and it has to be hidden,not an easy task given the number of people who can possibly come across it.
But then even Hitchcock couldn't be perfect all the time.
September 30, 2021
Una historia muy entretenida y cargada de humor y sarcasmo. Un muerto que parece, personas que se culpan de su muerte, un niño pequeño que quiere cazar de por medio. No os cuento más. Me lo he pasado muy bien leyendo sea historia con los personajes tan pintorescos que aparecen y con su forma de actuar ante algo que se sale de lo cotidiano. Lo recomiendo para evadirse de lecturas más densas y para pasar un buen rato.
November 20, 2024
Lyg detektyvas, lyg nesusipratimų komedija – lengva ir juokinga, bet nekvaila knyga. Mažo miestelio gyventojai pievoje randa lavoną ir visi labai netikėtai į jį reaguoja, įdomu, kas bus toliau, bet viskas vyksta itin smagiai ir draugiškai, rekomenduoju kalėdiniams skaitiniams!
March 21, 2018
An amusing little book full of quirky dialogue. But the characters are all so seemingly disinterested in the incidents of the story that it is difficult for the reader to feel any real concern for them or the outcome. The Hitchcock movie (which changes the setting to the New England portion of the U.S.) is very faithful to the original.
August 6, 2016
Una comedia negra de enredos que deja con muy buen sabor de boca. El asesinato es lo menos importante, y el cadáver solo un objeto que sirve como excusa para que interactúen los personajes. Daría para una adaptación teatral deliciosa y divertidísima.
February 11, 2020
Entretenido libro ambientado en la campiña inglesa, en un agradable día de verano, enturbiado por el descubrimiento de un cadáver. A partir de este hecho, a lo largo de la historia, vamos conociendo a todos los vecinos de la zona, sus secretos (más o menos hilarantes), sus interacciones entre ellos, y, sobre todo, como reacciona cada uno de ellos ante el descubrimiento.
No hay un protagonista claro, todos tienen su importancia; y, en vista de la brevedad de la obra, tampoco están desarrollados en exceso.
La trama, un poco rebuscada, tiene divertidas pinceladas de humor negro.
No hay un protagonista claro, todos tienen su importancia; y, en vista de la brevedad de la obra, tampoco están desarrollados en exceso.
La trama, un poco rebuscada, tiene divertidas pinceladas de humor negro.
September 3, 2019
Breezy and droll.
April 14, 2019
Fácil de leer, entretenido y muy divertido, perfecto para pasar un buen rato.
July 22, 2024
Simplemente no me ha acabado de convencer, no he conectado con el tipo de “humor” del autor, más bien me han parecido un compendio de personajes absurdos (y bastante insufribles) en situaciones absurdas. Que ya que esa es la base del humor, pero hay dos tipos de absurdos: el gracioso y el que no lo es, sino simplemente exasperante. Pues me refiero a este último tipo (al menos para mí). Y ya lo del “instalove”, es decir, amor de repente y porque sí, prefiero ni entrar a valorarlo.
Normalmente Alfred Hitchcock escogía muy buenas novelas en las que basar sus películas… esta no es una de ellas. Claro que esa película es de las peores de su filmografía (y mira que tiene peliculones).
Normalmente Alfred Hitchcock escogía muy buenas novelas en las que basar sus películas… esta no es una de ellas. Claro que esa película es de las peores de su filmografía (y mira que tiene peliculones).
September 11, 2021
J'ai découvert par hasard ce roman, dont Hitchcock tirera un film très fidèle. J'avais adoré ce dernier, je n'ai donc pas été déçue. L'histoire est truculente, servie par un style qui colle parfaitement, et l'humour noir qui s'en dégage et si léger que l'on ressort volontiers de sa lecture avec le sourire. Une belle réussite.
https://lauryn-books.blogspot.com/202...
https://lauryn-books.blogspot.com/202...
December 27, 2020
En un pequeño pueblo un “capitán” se pasa sus días tratando de cazar conejos sin tener éxito hasta que una mañana consigue su primera víctima: un hombre. El capitán está muy espantado por haber matado accidentalmente a un tipo y trata de esconderlo.
En su recorrido se encuentra con varios vecinos a quienes parece no importarle la muerte de este desconocido.
Poco a poco el capitán descubre la identidad del muerto y después de enterrarlo y desenterrarlo varias veces descubre que quizá no fue él el culpable de su muerte. ¿Quién lo mató? Todo mundo es sospechoso.
Historia entretenida de humor negro.
Descubre más reseñas en www.mentesliterales.com
En su recorrido se encuentra con varios vecinos a quienes parece no importarle la muerte de este desconocido.
Poco a poco el capitán descubre la identidad del muerto y después de enterrarlo y desenterrarlo varias veces descubre que quizá no fue él el culpable de su muerte. ¿Quién lo mató? Todo mundo es sospechoso.
Historia entretenida de humor negro.
Descubre más reseñas en www.mentesliterales.com
May 31, 2020
3.5 rounded up
February 8, 2023
Vaudevillesque ! Le cadavre de Harry découvert, déplacé, caché, retrouvé... Chacun a pu l'avoir tué... Une "enquête" qui est tout, sauf tragique...
January 14, 2024
they‘re all so UNBOTHERED. delightful.
January 8, 2015
4/5
Adaptada por nada más y nada menos que Hitchcock en 1955, Pero... ¿quién mató a Harry? es una estupenda comedia negra en la que una variopinta y de lo más excéntrica comunidad de vecinos se encuentra en la complicada tesitura de averiguar quién fue el asesino de un cadáver descubierto por un niño en los alrededores del pueblo. La sátira correa a cargo de una serie de personajes absolutamente hilarantes que temen por encima de todas las cosas ver sus secretos expuestos a la luz por culpa del dichoso muerto, a lo cual se le añade una serie de situaciones alocadas (conflictos, tretas, malentendidos, engaños y desenterramientos múltiples) que en circunstancias normales nos apresuraríamos a tachar de absurdas e inverosímiles. Suerte que al final todas las piezas encajan en su sitio y lo que nos queda es una historia fresca, descarada, muy divertida y un tanto macabra (también hay que decirlo), bastante recomendable si te apetece probar algo diferente o eres de los que se ríen en mitad de un funeral levanta la mano.
Adaptada por nada más y nada menos que Hitchcock en 1955, Pero... ¿quién mató a Harry? es una estupenda comedia negra en la que una variopinta y de lo más excéntrica comunidad de vecinos se encuentra en la complicada tesitura de averiguar quién fue el asesino de un cadáver descubierto por un niño en los alrededores del pueblo. La sátira correa a cargo de una serie de personajes absolutamente hilarantes que temen por encima de todas las cosas ver sus secretos expuestos a la luz por culpa del dichoso muerto, a lo cual se le añade una serie de situaciones alocadas (conflictos, tretas, malentendidos, engaños y desenterramientos múltiples) que en circunstancias normales nos apresuraríamos a tachar de absurdas e inverosímiles. Suerte que al final todas las piezas encajan en su sitio y lo que nos queda es una historia fresca, descarada, muy divertida y un tanto macabra (también hay que decirlo), bastante recomendable si te apetece probar algo diferente o eres de los que se ríen en mitad de un funeral levanta la mano.
June 26, 2015
Pssse, para pasar una o dos tardes no está mal, pero resulta un poquito insulsa e inocente. Entretenidilla sin más
April 9, 2019
Es una lectura ligera, súper cortica, recomendada para leer después de algún clásico o para salir del bloqueo de lector. La historia no pretende ser mucho más de lo que dice la sinopsis y siento que eso jugó en contra pues por momentos llega a sentirse escueta, que le falta algo más de sustancia. De todas formas es una lectura entretenida, con dosis justas de humor negro que nos hacen reflexionar sobre la indiferencia ante la muerte por parte de nuestra sociedad. Y es que, como lo dice el título en inglés, la muerte de Harry es un problema para la pequeña comunidad. La reacción y relación de los personajes con Harry nos dice mucho de lo que somos como grupo social.
Creo que vale la pena darle una oportunidad a esta historia (es más cuento que novela) porque, estoy seguro, no les va a dejar indiferentes.
Creo que vale la pena darle una oportunidad a esta historia (es más cuento que novela) porque, estoy seguro, no les va a dejar indiferentes.
January 1, 2021
Divertida novel·la curta -per no dir conte o relat- que combina l’humor negre, la ironía i la burla de les convencions socials, que té com a major mèrit haver estat la base de la pel·lícula “The Trouble with Harry”, dirigida per Alfred Hichcock el 1955.
June 13, 2018
Murder-mystery farce set in late 1940s England.
March 13, 2022
Ich muss gestehen das ich ein großer Fan von Alfred Hitchcocks gleichnahmigen Film. Ich hab dieses Buch aus Neugier gelesen und bin total zufrieden. Das Buch ist ein wenig anders als der Film, aber die Struktur ist gleich und dass hat mir am meisten gefallen.
December 20, 2019
Loved the movie and the book is just as delightful.
September 29, 2015
Here my impressions...
http://carmenyamigos.blogspot.com.es/...
http://carmenyamigos.blogspot.com.es/...
March 24, 2019
Aquí podéis leer la reseña completa -> http://inquilinasnetherfield.blogspot...
Displaying 1 - 29 of 72 reviews