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Charlie Chan #1
The House Without a KeyTHE HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY by Biggers, Earl Derr (Author) on Oct-01-2008 Paperback
The House Without a Key is the classic novel in which Charlie Chan makes his debut as Inspector of the Honolulu Police Department. Earl Derr Biggers brings Honolulu to life with deft descriptions of the landscape and of its hybrid ethnic communities. With the creation of Detective Chan, Biggers also shatters stereotypes and is ahead of his time in highlighting the positive aspects of Chinese-Hawaiian culture, just as his skillful rendering of San Francisco is noteworthy of its modernity and keen sense of place.
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First published January 1, 1925
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About the author
Earl Derr Biggers
219 books85 followersEarl Derr Biggers was born in Warren, Ohio on August 24, 1884. Years later, while attending Harvard University, Biggers showed little passion for the classics, preferring instead writers such as Rudyard Kipling and Richard Harding Davis. Following his graduation from Harvard in 1907, he worked briefly for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and at Bobbs-Merrill publishers. By 1908, Biggers was hired at the Boston Traveler to write a daily humor column. Soon, however, he became that paper's drama critic. It was at this time that he met Elanor Ladd, who would later become his wife and who would have a marked influence in his writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
April 1, 2017
You can almost feel the gentle trade winds of Hawaii during the 1920s in this classic novel by Earl Derr Biggers. Romantic and full of atmosphere, this is a most enjoyable read that was our first introduction to Charlie Chan. Biggers was always a great romance writer who simply incorporated mystery into his books to propel the story forward. This is never more evident than in The House Without a Key.
The story centers on young and proper John Quincy Winterslip of Boston, who has been sent to retrieve the elder Minerva Winterslip from the 'semi-barbaric' Pacific Islands of Hawaii. When his ship stops in San Francisco on its journey to the islands, however, John Quincy's idea of who he is begins to change. The possibility that there is a world outside of Boston and Beacon Hill, has begun to take shape in Quincy's soul. A mysterious errand in an exciting and mysterious San Francisco for the black sheep of the family, Dan Winterslip, who is also living in Hawaii, will kick off an adventure that will, in the end, turn John into a man.
A murder shortly before John's arrival will reveal old family secrets from a time when Hawaii was wild and dangerous, and a port for all the world. John Quincy does not understand the nostalgia Minerva and others feel for this time in Hawaii's history, but soon discovers for himself that romance is alive in those trade winds blowing the palms fronds. John will meet Carlota Egan, a girl who could not be further away from the fiancée awaiting him back in Boston. As John Quincy begins to help his lovely cousin Barbara and Minerva get to the bottom of the murder, Boston seems more and more like a distant memory.
Luckily for John, Hawaii's best police detective will become his friend while helping to unravel the clues. That detective, of course, is Charlie Chan. An Asian who has been in Hawaii many years, Chan navigates the mystery with little to go on, but with much wisdom and humor. The Charlie Chan of The House Without a Key is subtle and endearing. Chan may be Chinese, but his very American take on a piece of pie with which he is unhappy he is a hoot!
Biggers truly makes both his characters and the islands of Hawaii come alive in the first novel in which Charlie Chan appeared. His descriptions of Hawaii as seen through the eyes of the characters are both nostalgic, and filled with beauty. The House Without a Key is that rare novel which can be read with pleasure by those who love a good mystery, or those who love a light and atmospheric romance. If both are your cup of tea, this great classic is definitely for you. It is a great read during summer, when things are bright and cheery, or during winter, when you want a tropical escape. The writing style is of another era, of course, but all the lovelier for it. A true mystery classic.
The story centers on young and proper John Quincy Winterslip of Boston, who has been sent to retrieve the elder Minerva Winterslip from the 'semi-barbaric' Pacific Islands of Hawaii. When his ship stops in San Francisco on its journey to the islands, however, John Quincy's idea of who he is begins to change. The possibility that there is a world outside of Boston and Beacon Hill, has begun to take shape in Quincy's soul. A mysterious errand in an exciting and mysterious San Francisco for the black sheep of the family, Dan Winterslip, who is also living in Hawaii, will kick off an adventure that will, in the end, turn John into a man.
A murder shortly before John's arrival will reveal old family secrets from a time when Hawaii was wild and dangerous, and a port for all the world. John Quincy does not understand the nostalgia Minerva and others feel for this time in Hawaii's history, but soon discovers for himself that romance is alive in those trade winds blowing the palms fronds. John will meet Carlota Egan, a girl who could not be further away from the fiancée awaiting him back in Boston. As John Quincy begins to help his lovely cousin Barbara and Minerva get to the bottom of the murder, Boston seems more and more like a distant memory.
Luckily for John, Hawaii's best police detective will become his friend while helping to unravel the clues. That detective, of course, is Charlie Chan. An Asian who has been in Hawaii many years, Chan navigates the mystery with little to go on, but with much wisdom and humor. The Charlie Chan of The House Without a Key is subtle and endearing. Chan may be Chinese, but his very American take on a piece of pie with which he is unhappy he is a hoot!
Biggers truly makes both his characters and the islands of Hawaii come alive in the first novel in which Charlie Chan appeared. His descriptions of Hawaii as seen through the eyes of the characters are both nostalgic, and filled with beauty. The House Without a Key is that rare novel which can be read with pleasure by those who love a good mystery, or those who love a light and atmospheric romance. If both are your cup of tea, this great classic is definitely for you. It is a great read during summer, when things are bright and cheery, or during winter, when you want a tropical escape. The writing style is of another era, of course, but all the lovelier for it. A true mystery classic.
November 29, 2021
4.5 stars. I loved Hanna Barbera's Charlie Chan cartoons when I was a kid. Reading this book brought me immense satisfaction. However, there are problems with the plot: Charlie Chan takes a long time to appear in the story, he participates little in the plot and, despite living in Hawaii for more than 20 years, he speaks a kind of English which sometimes is difficult to understand. I found the writing somehow smoothly, despite it has very descriptive moments of the "natural beauties" of Hawaii, but as it is a book from the 20s of the last century, it is easy to understand why the author wanted introduce to the "average" American the beauties of this "tropical paradise". Furthermore, the story has many turns and twists that kept me guessing until the end. Read at www.gutenberg.net.au.
August 12, 2022
Charlie Chan was one of the most famous detectives in the world. He was a Chinese American detective that helped counter the racism in popular fiction. He was the first positive Chinese role model in America during a very racist time. Now he’s mostly seen as a collection of offensive stereotypes and a relic of the past. This is his first story.
A young man from Boston gets sent to Hawaii by his family. His aunt has been on vacation there for quite a while now and he’s going to ask her to come back home. The bad egg in his family sent him a letter, asking the young man to pick up a box from his home and throw it overboard on his way to Hawaii. But when the young man goes to pick up the mysterious box, he gets attacked and the box is stolen. In the meantime, the young boy’s aunt is living the good life, staying in the bad egg of the family’s vacation house in Hawaii. And she really doesn’t feel like going home. But when she goes to wake up her relative, she finds him dead.
Travelling a large distance during that time took quite a while and it is definitely reflected here in this story, as the pacing in the beginning is a bit slow. There are two main plot threads in this story. The most important one is the murder mystery and to be fair, this is quite a decent plot with a few twists and turns. It just takes a while to really get going. The second plot thread is a bit of a romance story, the young man realizes he has to make a choice between the person he’s slowly falling in love with or his own family.
The character of detective Charlie Chan is definitely a collection of racial stereotypes and this does rub me the wrong way. Charlie Chan’s regrettable role was to basically be those stereotypes combined with positive attributes, so people would start to open their eyes and realize that racism is just plain stupid. It’s just a very sad sign of the times. Did this character do more good than bad in the end? I hope so. But the more I read about this character, the more it saddens me. It’s just very unfortunate that this character who countered racism in popular fiction during a time when people needed a character like him the most, ended up reaffirming certain racial stereotypes.
In terms of entertainment value, this isn’t the best detective murder mystery story around but it’s not bad. Historically this can be considered an interesting book. Because it gives us a small window into a past most of us don’t really know that much about. And because it’s a story that slowly and subtly went on to counter the racism that ran rampant during the time it was written. That said, this story should definitely be read with that context in mind. This book undeniably feels dated and there are some racial stereotypes in here that can come across as offensive for a modern audience. Which is also the reason why I’m rating it this low.
A young man from Boston gets sent to Hawaii by his family. His aunt has been on vacation there for quite a while now and he’s going to ask her to come back home. The bad egg in his family sent him a letter, asking the young man to pick up a box from his home and throw it overboard on his way to Hawaii. But when the young man goes to pick up the mysterious box, he gets attacked and the box is stolen. In the meantime, the young boy’s aunt is living the good life, staying in the bad egg of the family’s vacation house in Hawaii. And she really doesn’t feel like going home. But when she goes to wake up her relative, she finds him dead.
Travelling a large distance during that time took quite a while and it is definitely reflected here in this story, as the pacing in the beginning is a bit slow. There are two main plot threads in this story. The most important one is the murder mystery and to be fair, this is quite a decent plot with a few twists and turns. It just takes a while to really get going. The second plot thread is a bit of a romance story, the young man realizes he has to make a choice between the person he’s slowly falling in love with or his own family.
The character of detective Charlie Chan is definitely a collection of racial stereotypes and this does rub me the wrong way. Charlie Chan’s regrettable role was to basically be those stereotypes combined with positive attributes, so people would start to open their eyes and realize that racism is just plain stupid. It’s just a very sad sign of the times. Did this character do more good than bad in the end? I hope so. But the more I read about this character, the more it saddens me. It’s just very unfortunate that this character who countered racism in popular fiction during a time when people needed a character like him the most, ended up reaffirming certain racial stereotypes.
In terms of entertainment value, this isn’t the best detective murder mystery story around but it’s not bad. Historically this can be considered an interesting book. Because it gives us a small window into a past most of us don’t really know that much about. And because it’s a story that slowly and subtly went on to counter the racism that ran rampant during the time it was written. That said, this story should definitely be read with that context in mind. This book undeniably feels dated and there are some racial stereotypes in here that can come across as offensive for a modern audience. Which is also the reason why I’m rating it this low.
April 11, 2020
This book is a fitting example that a good crime story never gets old. I needed it for one of my challenges and I'm glad I read it.
The crime part is very interesting. The plot is extensive and a bit like Agatha Christie's books. But answer to the whole mystery is much simpler and more reliable than in most Christie stories.
Of course, there are also things that are a bit outdated, some of them even more than a bit. For example, this whole bizarre romantic thread. On the other hand, this thread gives John Quincy some depth.
I always read books written so long ago with curiosity, because they are an excellent testimony to the mentality of those times. You can see it very well in this book. Especially in the general approach to women who should not unduly worry about serious matters. Even Aunt Minerva, compared to others almost a feminist, is reduced to the role of a woman who should do what the men tell her to do. Funny how it has changed, at least in Western culture.
I may read a book from this series again one day.
The crime part is very interesting. The plot is extensive and a bit like Agatha Christie's books. But answer to the whole mystery is much simpler and more reliable than in most Christie stories.
Of course, there are also things that are a bit outdated, some of them even more than a bit. For example, this whole bizarre romantic thread. On the other hand, this thread gives John Quincy some depth.
I always read books written so long ago with curiosity, because they are an excellent testimony to the mentality of those times. You can see it very well in this book. Especially in the general approach to women who should not unduly worry about serious matters. Even Aunt Minerva, compared to others almost a feminist, is reduced to the role of a woman who should do what the men tell her to do. Funny how it has changed, at least in Western culture.
I may read a book from this series again one day.
August 28, 2011
The House Without a Key, published in 1925, was the first of the Charlie Chan mysteries by Earl Derr Biggers. The six Charlie Chan novels were immensely successful but the movies based (loosely) on them were even more so - in fact there were no less than 40 Charlie Chan movies!
The movies have been attacked for supposedly promoting racial stereotypes. I haven’t seen the movies but the intention behind the books was to overturn racial stereotypes by having a Chinese hero at a time when Chinese villains were far more common in popular fiction. The character was based on a real police officer, Chang Apana, who had a distinguished career as a detective with the Honolulu Police Department.
Apart from Charlie Chan himself the book gains added exoticism from its Hawaiian setting. This is the Hawaii of the 1920s, at a time when most Americans didn’t even know Hawaii was part of the US.
But how does it stack up as a mystery novel? In fact, pretty well. It follows the rules of the golden age of detective fiction with a host of suspects and with clues liberally scattered about.
John Quincy Winterslip, a rather strait-laced young Bostonian stockbroker from a very old New England family has been dispatched to Hawaii to bring his Aunt Minerva home. The Winterslips as a family are a strange mix of ultra-respectable Puritans and feckless adventurers. The fear is that Aunt Minerva may be about to desert the respectable side of the family.
Minerva is staying in Honolulu with her cousin Dan Winterslip, the least respectable Winterslip of them all. When Dan is murdered John Quincy finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation. That’s disturbing enough for this sheltered young man, but even more disconcertingly he finds himself rather liking the island lifestyle. Bond issues no longer seen quite so exciting. Going swimming on Waikiki Beach with Carlota Egan seems much more alluring. Carlota is not the sort of girl he could take home to meet Mother, but he’s starting to think that maybe she’s his kind of girl anyway.
There are plentiful sub-plots involving opium smuggling, blackmail, and dark family secrets. There’s romance and there’s some gentle humour.
There’s a great to deal to enjoy in The House Without a Key. It’s published in paperback by Wordsworth in the Charlie Chan Omnibus along with two other Charlie Chan mysteries. As with all Wordsworth’s titles in their Tales of Mystery and the Supernatural series it’s superb value for money. Warmly recommended.
The movies have been attacked for supposedly promoting racial stereotypes. I haven’t seen the movies but the intention behind the books was to overturn racial stereotypes by having a Chinese hero at a time when Chinese villains were far more common in popular fiction. The character was based on a real police officer, Chang Apana, who had a distinguished career as a detective with the Honolulu Police Department.
Apart from Charlie Chan himself the book gains added exoticism from its Hawaiian setting. This is the Hawaii of the 1920s, at a time when most Americans didn’t even know Hawaii was part of the US.
But how does it stack up as a mystery novel? In fact, pretty well. It follows the rules of the golden age of detective fiction with a host of suspects and with clues liberally scattered about.
John Quincy Winterslip, a rather strait-laced young Bostonian stockbroker from a very old New England family has been dispatched to Hawaii to bring his Aunt Minerva home. The Winterslips as a family are a strange mix of ultra-respectable Puritans and feckless adventurers. The fear is that Aunt Minerva may be about to desert the respectable side of the family.
Minerva is staying in Honolulu with her cousin Dan Winterslip, the least respectable Winterslip of them all. When Dan is murdered John Quincy finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation. That’s disturbing enough for this sheltered young man, but even more disconcertingly he finds himself rather liking the island lifestyle. Bond issues no longer seen quite so exciting. Going swimming on Waikiki Beach with Carlota Egan seems much more alluring. Carlota is not the sort of girl he could take home to meet Mother, but he’s starting to think that maybe she’s his kind of girl anyway.
There are plentiful sub-plots involving opium smuggling, blackmail, and dark family secrets. There’s romance and there’s some gentle humour.
There’s a great to deal to enjoy in The House Without a Key. It’s published in paperback by Wordsworth in the Charlie Chan Omnibus along with two other Charlie Chan mysteries. As with all Wordsworth’s titles in their Tales of Mystery and the Supernatural series it’s superb value for money. Warmly recommended.
June 25, 2011
50 years before the suave and dapper fictional TV detective Steve McGarrett policed the streets of Honolulu in "Hawaii 5-0", writer Earl Derr Biggers (what a great name, BTW) gave us the equally dapper (but alas not suave) fictional book detective Charlie Chan. Chan became so famous and beloved by his fans that Hollywood jumped on the bandwagon and made a series of black and white movies featuring this fat and canny Oriental detective.
In Biggers' 1925 debut whodunnit featuring Chan, it really shouldn't be classified as "A Charlie Chan Mystery so much as "A Dan Winterslip Mystery", since Charlie appears but very infrequently throughout the novel and the main detection is done by the main male character. Nonetheless, this was an extremely entertainly murder mystery; filled with plenty of interesting suspects, plausible motives and a happy ending.
What I really loved about this novel, however, was Diggers' observations of Hawaii during the 1920's. What a place this territory must have been, and how beautifully Biggers' describes it. The Hawaii of the 1920's can bare no resemblance to modern Hawaii, and yet through the pages of this book the reader gets a real sense and feeling for the place. Another strength of Biggers' novel is that although it was written during a time when prejudices against non-whites prevailed, Biggers' allowed his readers to see a strong, capable and smart person of non-white descent, and had the white and non-white characters interact on an equal basis.
Sadly, Biggers died in 1933, 7 years after this debut, and only wrote 6 Charlie Chan mysteries. I plan on reading every one. Charlie is great.
In Biggers' 1925 debut whodunnit featuring Chan, it really shouldn't be classified as "A Charlie Chan Mystery so much as "A Dan Winterslip Mystery", since Charlie appears but very infrequently throughout the novel and the main detection is done by the main male character. Nonetheless, this was an extremely entertainly murder mystery; filled with plenty of interesting suspects, plausible motives and a happy ending.
What I really loved about this novel, however, was Diggers' observations of Hawaii during the 1920's. What a place this territory must have been, and how beautifully Biggers' describes it. The Hawaii of the 1920's can bare no resemblance to modern Hawaii, and yet through the pages of this book the reader gets a real sense and feeling for the place. Another strength of Biggers' novel is that although it was written during a time when prejudices against non-whites prevailed, Biggers' allowed his readers to see a strong, capable and smart person of non-white descent, and had the white and non-white characters interact on an equal basis.
Sadly, Biggers died in 1933, 7 years after this debut, and only wrote 6 Charlie Chan mysteries. I plan on reading every one. Charlie is great.
August 7, 2021
I had a blast with this one--it has a clever mystery and a whole lot of charm.
I will be up front about this--I grew up in Hawaii in the late '50s and 60s. I loved being swept back in time to an earlier version of Waikiki and Honolulu. Biggers nailed the descriptions. Kudos to him.
Our lead character, John Quincy Winterslip, is a delightful young man, who finds himself succumbing to the lure of the tropics. His inner monologues are sweetly funny. This story is a coming of age tale as much as it is a murder mystery. There is even a nice romance worked it.
Charlie Chan is clever, his mastery of English is poetic, if a bit elusive. What he speaks is not some form of 'pigeon' English. He is obviously a well-respected member of the police department.
Considering the book was written in 1924, the casual racism of the day was not as bad as I feared: only once does someone refer to Chan as a 'slant-eyed Chinaman'. Alas, the Japanese male characters are almost always identified as 'Japs', but the Japanese women characters are not. (Go figure). The term seemed to be used as a casual descriptor, rather than as derogatory put-down.
I will definitely track down the other 5 books featuring Chan.
I had fun digging around on Wikipedia. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_De... and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang_A...
I will be up front about this--I grew up in Hawaii in the late '50s and 60s. I loved being swept back in time to an earlier version of Waikiki and Honolulu. Biggers nailed the descriptions. Kudos to him.
Our lead character, John Quincy Winterslip, is a delightful young man, who finds himself succumbing to the lure of the tropics. His inner monologues are sweetly funny. This story is a coming of age tale as much as it is a murder mystery. There is even a nice romance worked it.
Charlie Chan is clever, his mastery of English is poetic, if a bit elusive. What he speaks is not some form of 'pigeon' English. He is obviously a well-respected member of the police department.
Considering the book was written in 1924, the casual racism of the day was not as bad as I feared: only once does someone refer to Chan as a 'slant-eyed Chinaman'. Alas, the Japanese male characters are almost always identified as 'Japs', but the Japanese women characters are not. (Go figure). The term seemed to be used as a casual descriptor, rather than as derogatory put-down.
I will definitely track down the other 5 books featuring Chan.
I had fun digging around on Wikipedia. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_De... and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang_A...
June 25, 2024
Great story, very well paced book which keeps reader´s full attention. Really liked it.
Free download available at Project Gutenberg
3* The Agony Column
4* The House Without a Key (Charlie Chan, #1)
TR Seven Keys to Baldpate
Free download available at Project Gutenberg
3* The Agony Column
4* The House Without a Key (Charlie Chan, #1)
TR Seven Keys to Baldpate
October 19, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this first Charlie Chan mystery, and can't believe that I never picked one up before! I imagine this will be a series that I'll tear through.
The mystery itself was good, of course, and it probably stands on par with any number of Agatha Christie mystery novels, but for me the mystery wasn't what made this book so enjoyable. It was the subtle humor, and the wispy strokes of humanity that Earl Derr Biggers gave to his characters that made me fall for this book. Charlie's way with words, while at times comical, was so sincere, and heartfelt that he was quickly established as an honorable, genuine, reliable person. He was like a very genteel rock. John Quincy's joy at discovering his wanderlust and true love was exhilerating, and added a spark of youth, fire, and life to the tale. Miss Minerva's strength, fortitude, and self-determination engendered admiration and respect, and caused the reader (and John Quincy) to see her wisdom in living life on her terms.
The House Without a Key was just a good book, full of life, zest, movement, passion, and joy. Just like it's Hawaiian setting.
The mystery itself was good, of course, and it probably stands on par with any number of Agatha Christie mystery novels, but for me the mystery wasn't what made this book so enjoyable. It was the subtle humor, and the wispy strokes of humanity that Earl Derr Biggers gave to his characters that made me fall for this book. Charlie's way with words, while at times comical, was so sincere, and heartfelt that he was quickly established as an honorable, genuine, reliable person. He was like a very genteel rock. John Quincy's joy at discovering his wanderlust and true love was exhilerating, and added a spark of youth, fire, and life to the tale. Miss Minerva's strength, fortitude, and self-determination engendered admiration and respect, and caused the reader (and John Quincy) to see her wisdom in living life on her terms.
The House Without a Key was just a good book, full of life, zest, movement, passion, and joy. Just like it's Hawaiian setting.
November 6, 2023
Tür içinde çok ünlü olmasına rağmen Türkiye’de ilgi gösterilmeyen Charlie Chan serisinin ilk kitabı. Adından da anlaşılacağı üzere Çin asıllı bir dedektif. Roman Honolulu’da yaşayan zengin bir adamın öldürülmesiyle başlıyor. Dan Winterslip geçmişinde yaptıklarıyla pek çok insanın öldürülmesini istediği biri. Misafirlerinin ayrılacağı gece de öldürülür. Chan, başkomiser ve Winterslip ile pek bir bağı olmayan bir davetli olayı araştırmaya başlar. Romanın polisiye örgüsünü sevdim. Klasik polisiye sevenlerin de memnun olacağını düşünüyorum. Tempolu bir soruşturma süreci yok. Kitabın dili beni yer yer güldürdü. Honolulu’daki yerlilerin kültürü ve Chen’in kökenini hiç politik doğruculuk gözetmeden anlatması güzeldi. Köle ticareti ve haliyle sömürgeciliğe dair eleştirileri de çok derin olmasa da gördüğümde hoşuma giden detaylardan oldu.
June 17, 2021
Azt hiszem régebben láttam filmet a kínai nyomozóval, de nem volt igazán érdekes. Ez a regény azonban lekötött, volt egy varázsa is, főleg a régi Hawaii élet bemutatása miatt.
Némi szociográfia is helyet kap a könyvben, az amerikai Keleti-part, Nyugati-part összevetése. Az akkori világban a kínaiakat is lenézték, hahahha-mit szólsz hozzá, mai Amerika?:-))
Az írót ma már nagyon elfeledték, pedig nem sokkal rosszabb, mint a korabeli szerzők a zsánerben-nem annyira jó, mint Chandler, de a kínai nyomozó karaktere színesíti a krimik palettáját.
Nemrég láttam egy régi filmet-paródia: Meghívás egy gyilkos vacsorára. Itt az ismert nyomozó-figurák mellett helyet kapott Charlie Chan is:)
Némi szociográfia is helyet kap a könyvben, az amerikai Keleti-part, Nyugati-part összevetése. Az akkori világban a kínaiakat is lenézték, hahahha-mit szólsz hozzá, mai Amerika?:-))
Az írót ma már nagyon elfeledték, pedig nem sokkal rosszabb, mint a korabeli szerzők a zsánerben-nem annyira jó, mint Chandler, de a kínai nyomozó karaktere színesíti a krimik palettáját.
Nemrég láttam egy régi filmet-paródia: Meghívás egy gyilkos vacsorára. Itt az ismert nyomozó-figurák mellett helyet kapott Charlie Chan is:)
January 7, 2019
I read this in Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s, which included the novel with annotations.
Charlie Chan is an iconic character, and it was interesting to see him within the context of his first novel, published with its original text. The book surprised me in many ways. First of all, the settings within the book are masterfully portrayed. I've never seen a book so vividly describe Hawaii in the 1920s. The annotations remarked a few times on inaccuracies or fictionalized bits, but many of the details felt spot-on (I say that, having extensively read on early 20th century Hawaii for my own novel). While I expected issues with racism and caricatures because of the era, this was not as bad as I expected it would be (how's that for an endorsement?). Charlie Chan is regarded as something of a mockery now, but as the notes observed, he does not speak pidgin Chinese, but talks as a very highly educated man. The text of the book demonstrated that well. The way white characters reacted to Chan felt realistic (though sad), but I also understood well why the original text had Chan racist against the Japanese. Within the context of the time, that made perfect sense; it's worth noting that these racist snippets were toned down or removed in later editions of the book.
This does not develop as a modern murder mystery does--often with a corpse in chapter one. Instead, the start is slow as the reader gets to know the Winterslip family of both Boston and Honolulu. The dead body doesn't show up until almost a hundred pages in, with Charlie Chan's arrival immediately after. I think my biggest surprise about the book was that Chan was a minor character with a pivotal role. Instead, most of the novel followed the stuffy scion of the Winterslip family. His was not a bad perspective--it was enjoyable to watch him grow across the book--but I expected a Charlie Chan book to, well, be more about Charlie Chan. The murderer was fairly obvious to be from early on, though there were some nice twists and turns leading up to the big reveal at the end.
I feel no urge to read onward in the series, but if I need to do more research on 1920s Hawaii, I just might. The book was not a bad read at all. Intriguing, I'd say.
Charlie Chan is an iconic character, and it was interesting to see him within the context of his first novel, published with its original text. The book surprised me in many ways. First of all, the settings within the book are masterfully portrayed. I've never seen a book so vividly describe Hawaii in the 1920s. The annotations remarked a few times on inaccuracies or fictionalized bits, but many of the details felt spot-on (I say that, having extensively read on early 20th century Hawaii for my own novel). While I expected issues with racism and caricatures because of the era, this was not as bad as I expected it would be (how's that for an endorsement?). Charlie Chan is regarded as something of a mockery now, but as the notes observed, he does not speak pidgin Chinese, but talks as a very highly educated man. The text of the book demonstrated that well. The way white characters reacted to Chan felt realistic (though sad), but I also understood well why the original text had Chan racist against the Japanese. Within the context of the time, that made perfect sense; it's worth noting that these racist snippets were toned down or removed in later editions of the book.
This does not develop as a modern murder mystery does--often with a corpse in chapter one. Instead, the start is slow as the reader gets to know the Winterslip family of both Boston and Honolulu. The dead body doesn't show up until almost a hundred pages in, with Charlie Chan's arrival immediately after. I think my biggest surprise about the book was that Chan was a minor character with a pivotal role. Instead, most of the novel followed the stuffy scion of the Winterslip family. His was not a bad perspective--it was enjoyable to watch him grow across the book--but I expected a Charlie Chan book to, well, be more about Charlie Chan. The murderer was fairly obvious to be from early on, though there were some nice twists and turns leading up to the big reveal at the end.
I feel no urge to read onward in the series, but if I need to do more research on 1920s Hawaii, I just might. The book was not a bad read at all. Intriguing, I'd say.
June 24, 2013
I went on a mission to read at least one book featuring every literary detective who was satirized in the 1976 movie Murder by Death, which is one of my favorites. Having already read novels featuring Poirot, Marple, Nick & Nora Charles, and Spade, this was my last stop. My verdict?
Best detective (character): Nick & Nora. Their sarcastic banter put them at the top of the list for me.
Best plot: Poirot. Agatha Christie was a great storyteller.
That said, I simply loved the setting AND the writing style of The House Without a Key! Charlie Chan is a great character, but my favorite aspect of this book was the way Biggers wrote about Hawaii. He takes full advantage of his beautiful, exotic setting. The state itself with all of its features becomes like a character in the book. Biggers brings just the right amount of imagery to transport the reader to Hawaii from the first chapter. The plot itself it a lot of fun, and more than anything, I liked seeing the evolution of the "sidekick"/protagonist character, as it lends depth to the story.
Best detective (character): Nick & Nora. Their sarcastic banter put them at the top of the list for me.
Best plot: Poirot. Agatha Christie was a great storyteller.
That said, I simply loved the setting AND the writing style of The House Without a Key! Charlie Chan is a great character, but my favorite aspect of this book was the way Biggers wrote about Hawaii. He takes full advantage of his beautiful, exotic setting. The state itself with all of its features becomes like a character in the book. Biggers brings just the right amount of imagery to transport the reader to Hawaii from the first chapter. The plot itself it a lot of fun, and more than anything, I liked seeing the evolution of the "sidekick"/protagonist character, as it lends depth to the story.
January 20, 2022
This was an excellent mystery and I especially enjoyed the character development and descriptive writing. Though I expected more details of the lush foliage, etc., Biggers was good at creating the laid back slower-paced atmosphere of the islands as compared to the daily life of a typical "Boston Braman" as was John Quincy! Quite a satisfying mystery as well, which felt rather Agatha Chrisie-ish and that's a good thing! I'm kinda sad there are only 5 more books in this series, but I plan to read them all!
May 26, 2017
Introducing Charlie Chan in his debut novel
Having successfully published His first mystery: Seven Keys to Baldpate, Earl Biggers would introduce to the world Charlie Chan in The House Without a Key.
The background on Charlie Chan is that the character was based on a news story read by Biggers while he was visiting in Hawaii. The real Charlie Chan was a Hawaiian police officer Chang Apana. Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History
Biggers would write a total of six novels and many of dozen movies would be inspired.
The staid Bostonian John Quint D Winterslip is dispatched to Hawaii, by his wealthy family to retrieve Aunt Minerva, one of the wandering Winterslips. He arrives on the islands just in time for the murder of another wanderer his Uncle Dan. An oddly cooperative Hawaii Police Department agrees that this matter should be handled with a minimum of publicity and maximum access to the investigation by young John as the representative of the family's interests. Almost halfway into this book we finally meet Charlie Chan.
Chan is a respected detective on the department and gradually we come to appreciate his detective skills. In fact, the very well-to-do Winterslips will disparage Charlie, in part on racial grounds and in part out of disrespect for the police in general. It is telling that Biggers will ensure that anyone who disrespects Charlie Chan will either regret that disrespect or recant it.
Given that the contemporary view of Charlie Chan is that he represented a negative stereotype of the Chinese it is clear he was no such thing to Earl Biggers.
Part of the charm of this detective story is that it is all pre-technology. Automobiles and land line telephones are nearly the upper limit of personal and forensic equipment. Hawaii itself is another part of the charm of this book. We can appreciate the islands because Biggers does a good job of making it real.
Charlie Chan is not a dark cynical Continental Op in the tradition of Dashiell Hammett or any of 100 film noir detectives. He is a law man with no ax to grind. He has a loving relationship with his family. What makes him a superior detective is willingness to plod through the evidence and blind alleys that are the normal parts of any investigation. The result is that this novel functions without the gadgetry and computerized deus ex machina that is the minimum in the modern whodunit.
For the rest, the plot of this book moves smoothly. The various twists and turns of the plot proceed in the kind of languid way best fitting to a languid Hawaii. Not merely a languid Hawaii but one so peaceful that a rich man living on waterfront property need not have a house key.
The resulting book is rather like comfort food for the brain. There is no great challenge here, just a pleasant way to spend a few hours with a classic detective story.
Having successfully published His first mystery: Seven Keys to Baldpate, Earl Biggers would introduce to the world Charlie Chan in The House Without a Key.
The background on Charlie Chan is that the character was based on a news story read by Biggers while he was visiting in Hawaii. The real Charlie Chan was a Hawaiian police officer Chang Apana. Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History
Biggers would write a total of six novels and many of dozen movies would be inspired.
The staid Bostonian John Quint D Winterslip is dispatched to Hawaii, by his wealthy family to retrieve Aunt Minerva, one of the wandering Winterslips. He arrives on the islands just in time for the murder of another wanderer his Uncle Dan. An oddly cooperative Hawaii Police Department agrees that this matter should be handled with a minimum of publicity and maximum access to the investigation by young John as the representative of the family's interests. Almost halfway into this book we finally meet Charlie Chan.
Chan is a respected detective on the department and gradually we come to appreciate his detective skills. In fact, the very well-to-do Winterslips will disparage Charlie, in part on racial grounds and in part out of disrespect for the police in general. It is telling that Biggers will ensure that anyone who disrespects Charlie Chan will either regret that disrespect or recant it.
Given that the contemporary view of Charlie Chan is that he represented a negative stereotype of the Chinese it is clear he was no such thing to Earl Biggers.
Part of the charm of this detective story is that it is all pre-technology. Automobiles and land line telephones are nearly the upper limit of personal and forensic equipment. Hawaii itself is another part of the charm of this book. We can appreciate the islands because Biggers does a good job of making it real.
Charlie Chan is not a dark cynical Continental Op in the tradition of Dashiell Hammett or any of 100 film noir detectives. He is a law man with no ax to grind. He has a loving relationship with his family. What makes him a superior detective is willingness to plod through the evidence and blind alleys that are the normal parts of any investigation. The result is that this novel functions without the gadgetry and computerized deus ex machina that is the minimum in the modern whodunit.
For the rest, the plot of this book moves smoothly. The various twists and turns of the plot proceed in the kind of languid way best fitting to a languid Hawaii. Not merely a languid Hawaii but one so peaceful that a rich man living on waterfront property need not have a house key.
The resulting book is rather like comfort food for the brain. There is no great challenge here, just a pleasant way to spend a few hours with a classic detective story.
August 30, 2023
As was the case with the last book I read in this series - The Chinese Parrot - Earl Derr Biggers offers the reader a mystery with something more. That "something more" is Biggers' uncanny ability to provide a sense of time and place with words. The time and place in The House Without a Key is San Francisco and Honolulu circa 1925.
Young Bostonian John Quincy Winterslip is sent to Honolulu to bring his wayward Aunt Minerva home. She has, at risk of setting off the chattering class in Beantown, stayed over in Hawaii for much longer than is considered decent. Along the way - after a stop in San Francisco that brings both danger and a hint of romance - John Quincy arrives in Honolulu. He is met at the dock with news of a death in the family; a death through murder. John Quincy offers to help the police with their investigation, and soon makes a friend of their best sleuth: one Charlie Chan.
Biggers presents a decent mystery that isn't too difficult to work out, but this reader didn't care. The true joy in this book is the journey of John Quincy Winterslip - both physical and spiritual - as he travels from Boston to Honolulu. The characters in the book are richly developed, and in this first appearance the legend that is Charlie Chan is firmly established. Biggers excels at giving a sense of what Hawaii was like one hundred years ago, and it is clear from the writing that it was a place that he so loved. I have never been to Hawaii and almost certainly never will, but in this book I feel like I have a sense of why it enthralls so many.
Young Bostonian John Quincy Winterslip is sent to Honolulu to bring his wayward Aunt Minerva home. She has, at risk of setting off the chattering class in Beantown, stayed over in Hawaii for much longer than is considered decent. Along the way - after a stop in San Francisco that brings both danger and a hint of romance - John Quincy arrives in Honolulu. He is met at the dock with news of a death in the family; a death through murder. John Quincy offers to help the police with their investigation, and soon makes a friend of their best sleuth: one Charlie Chan.
Biggers presents a decent mystery that isn't too difficult to work out, but this reader didn't care. The true joy in this book is the journey of John Quincy Winterslip - both physical and spiritual - as he travels from Boston to Honolulu. The characters in the book are richly developed, and in this first appearance the legend that is Charlie Chan is firmly established. Biggers excels at giving a sense of what Hawaii was like one hundred years ago, and it is clear from the writing that it was a place that he so loved. I have never been to Hawaii and almost certainly never will, but in this book I feel like I have a sense of why it enthralls so many.
December 1, 2010
I enjoyed this a great deal, it's a clever, well-paced mystery with an engaging enough romantic drama weaving in and out of the actual whodunnit.Surely I should be able to say more than that about a book I enjoyed so much? Not necessarily. I always try and say something about theme, style and resonance, but in this case it's simply a case of a book that sets out to do one thing - entertain the reader with a breezy, absorbing story, and everything within works to achieve just just that end - no more, and no less. I'll probably read more of these books, in the mode in which I read another Agatha Christie rather than, say, another Hammett.
May 14, 2018
The first of the Charlie Chan novels is more sophisticated than I had imagined. Yes, it performs all the tasks that its genre requires—and more. But, formally speaking, it's also interesting. At its beginning, the settings are described lushly, and the conversations and meetings within them accordingly are gently paced and well developed—all the better for the exposition of plot and characters, of course. Still, it's all reflective of the exotic tropical climate of Hawaii in which things are set. As things move along, however, not only does the speed of the plot increase; so does the formal narrative. Conversations become clipped. Scenes change abruptly—almost like a jump cut in a film. And conversations are compressed and sometimes signaled more than revealed. Until the climax, when all returns to the languid state at which things opened.
Not a bad novel, then. I understand that Earl Derr Biggers vacationed in Hawaii shortly after World War I, and this was the inspiration for the book. If so, Biggers likely dug a little more deeply than the islands' paradisaical surface appearance. His story is filled with allusions to the South Seas of the 1880s and blackbirding, piracy, shipwrecks, and acts of mutiny. This is the stuff of Louis Becke, the prolific novelist (and trader and journalist) of 19th century South Seas adventure stories. Becke provided the grist for the mill of South Seas writing. Everyone that followed in his wake would owe some measure of their knowledge to Becke. I'm guessing Biggers did, too. As well, Biggers was probably familiar with more writers contemporary to his era, such as Frederick O'Brien, whose influential first book, White Shadows in the South Seas, appeared in 1919, just as Biggers was making his way to Hawaii. The movie version of O'Brien's book was a major feature of 1928, three years after Biggers published The House Without a Key. O'Brien's book was a lament for the lost culture and innocence of Polynesia, which he believed was corrupted through the arrival of White people. More than a wisp of this blows through Biggers' novel as well. And, of course, there are Jack London's Hawaii stories, based on his visits to the islands in 1907 and 1915. These dealt with everything from the plight of lepers to the social divisions between the colonizers of Hawaii and its natives, something else that features in Biggers' first Charlie Chan novel.
This is the setting for The House Without a Key. Throw in the contemporaneous topics of prohibition and the presence of frustrated flappers, and you have a novel that fits its decade, the 1920s, perfectly. This is a wonderful snapshot of Hawaii before World War II.
Not to be forgotten, of course, is the character of Charlie Chan himself. Biggers made something of a breakthrough with Chan, representing him as an exceedingly competent professional who has the respect of everyone around him. This includes the new friend he makes, John Quincy Winterslip, the young Boston Brahmin come to fetch his spinster aunt back to the proper society of New England. The novel thus not only recognizes a merger of social classes but one of race as well. For Biggers, while often succumbing to Chinese and Asian stereotypes of his time (“Chinaman” and “Jap” and the use of broken English), nonetheless raises his hero to a position of authority. Biggers makes mention of Hawaii being the real melting pot. Although that clearly isn't true in the broadest sense in the novel, there is the beginnings of it.
Finally, while I describe Chan as the hero of the novel, he is actually a secondary character not introduced until a quarter of the way through the book. Winterslip is the protagonist. But the interaction between Chan and Winterslip is the engine that drives the story.
Biggers died young, aged 48, in 1933. There are only six books in the Charlie Chan series. A pity.
Not a bad novel, then. I understand that Earl Derr Biggers vacationed in Hawaii shortly after World War I, and this was the inspiration for the book. If so, Biggers likely dug a little more deeply than the islands' paradisaical surface appearance. His story is filled with allusions to the South Seas of the 1880s and blackbirding, piracy, shipwrecks, and acts of mutiny. This is the stuff of Louis Becke, the prolific novelist (and trader and journalist) of 19th century South Seas adventure stories. Becke provided the grist for the mill of South Seas writing. Everyone that followed in his wake would owe some measure of their knowledge to Becke. I'm guessing Biggers did, too. As well, Biggers was probably familiar with more writers contemporary to his era, such as Frederick O'Brien, whose influential first book, White Shadows in the South Seas, appeared in 1919, just as Biggers was making his way to Hawaii. The movie version of O'Brien's book was a major feature of 1928, three years after Biggers published The House Without a Key. O'Brien's book was a lament for the lost culture and innocence of Polynesia, which he believed was corrupted through the arrival of White people. More than a wisp of this blows through Biggers' novel as well. And, of course, there are Jack London's Hawaii stories, based on his visits to the islands in 1907 and 1915. These dealt with everything from the plight of lepers to the social divisions between the colonizers of Hawaii and its natives, something else that features in Biggers' first Charlie Chan novel.
This is the setting for The House Without a Key. Throw in the contemporaneous topics of prohibition and the presence of frustrated flappers, and you have a novel that fits its decade, the 1920s, perfectly. This is a wonderful snapshot of Hawaii before World War II.
Not to be forgotten, of course, is the character of Charlie Chan himself. Biggers made something of a breakthrough with Chan, representing him as an exceedingly competent professional who has the respect of everyone around him. This includes the new friend he makes, John Quincy Winterslip, the young Boston Brahmin come to fetch his spinster aunt back to the proper society of New England. The novel thus not only recognizes a merger of social classes but one of race as well. For Biggers, while often succumbing to Chinese and Asian stereotypes of his time (“Chinaman” and “Jap” and the use of broken English), nonetheless raises his hero to a position of authority. Biggers makes mention of Hawaii being the real melting pot. Although that clearly isn't true in the broadest sense in the novel, there is the beginnings of it.
Finally, while I describe Chan as the hero of the novel, he is actually a secondary character not introduced until a quarter of the way through the book. Winterslip is the protagonist. But the interaction between Chan and Winterslip is the engine that drives the story.
Biggers died young, aged 48, in 1933. There are only six books in the Charlie Chan series. A pity.
November 17, 2024
3.5 as a golden age mystery, 4 stars as a mystery/adventure/coming of age story for John Quincy Winterslip of Boston. The young man is sent by his proper Boston family to Honolulu, Hawaii to convince his Aunt Minerva to return home. She is visiting her cousin, Dan Winterslip, the wealthy black sheep of the family, but has fallen under the spell of the tropics. Minerva returns from an evening out to find Dan murdered, and next day, young John Quincy arrives for his visit to find his host dead, and his aunt in the middle of a murder investigation.
Charlie Chan is a detective assigned to the case along with his boss, Inspector Hallett. This is considered Charlie’s first case, but I wonder if the author was considering making John Quincy his detective, as he attaches himself to Charlie, the two form a friendship relatively free from prejudice for the time (1920s), and he is determined to uphold the honor of the Winterslips, and see the case through.
It’s an evocative, fun novel, with wonderful descriptions of “Old Hawaii” as several of the characters regale the young Bostonian with tales of Honolulu “in the eighties” - that’s the 1880s, when there was still Hawaiian royalty, and many of the older characters first visited or came to the islands. We learn a lot of unsavory history about the murder victim’s past, and how he made his fortune. It was interesting, progress was a bit slow on solving the murder case, and I wouldn’t say it was totally “fair play”. Charlie seemed to have his suspicions, and was gathering facts, apparently, we learn at the big reveal ending, but John Quincy learns a vital clue late in the novel by chance and hairs off to confront his cousin’s killer alone. I suspected the killer, but had no idea how it could’ve been done.
So, maybe not a huge success for me as a mystery, but a lovely, descriptive, adventurous, romantic coming-of-age tale for a young and proper Bostonian! My mom always loved the Charlie Chan films when she was a girl, so I’m glad I finally read one of these mysteries- I would definitely like to read more.
Charlie Chan is a detective assigned to the case along with his boss, Inspector Hallett. This is considered Charlie’s first case, but I wonder if the author was considering making John Quincy his detective, as he attaches himself to Charlie, the two form a friendship relatively free from prejudice for the time (1920s), and he is determined to uphold the honor of the Winterslips, and see the case through.
It’s an evocative, fun novel, with wonderful descriptions of “Old Hawaii” as several of the characters regale the young Bostonian with tales of Honolulu “in the eighties” - that’s the 1880s, when there was still Hawaiian royalty, and many of the older characters first visited or came to the islands. We learn a lot of unsavory history about the murder victim’s past, and how he made his fortune. It was interesting, progress was a bit slow on solving the murder case, and I wouldn’t say it was totally “fair play”. Charlie seemed to have his suspicions, and was gathering facts, apparently, we learn at the big reveal ending, but John Quincy learns a vital clue late in the novel by chance and hairs off to confront his cousin’s killer alone. I suspected the killer, but had no idea how it could’ve been done.
So, maybe not a huge success for me as a mystery, but a lovely, descriptive, adventurous, romantic coming-of-age tale for a young and proper Bostonian! My mom always loved the Charlie Chan films when she was a girl, so I’m glad I finally read one of these mysteries- I would definitely like to read more.
August 15, 2019
Charlie Chan è cinese, vive da venticinque anni alle Hawaii, quindi è un kamaaina. Ed è proprio lui che viene messo sul caso dell’omicidio di Dan Winterslip, ad Honolulu.
John Quincy, un malihini (uno nuovo del posto), venuto alle Hawaii per riportare a Boston la zia, Miss Minerva, è il nipote della vittima e si trova coinvolto suo malgrado nelle indagini, tanto che, preso in simpatia da Chan, viene promosso sul campo “investigatore”. Restio ad ammetterlo, ben presto si accorgerà che ad Honolulu, posto incantevole e ammaliatore, è come essere in paradiso, molto meglio che vendere obbligazioni a Boston. Se poi, in questa atmosfera magica, ci inseriamo la presenza di ragazze dolcissime... beh, male non ci sta. Il ragazzo cresce al battito del cuore...
Le indagini seguono strani percorsi, i personaggi coinvolti sono molti e un po’ tutti hanno avuto a che fare con la vittima, certo non un esempio di rettitudine, anzi parecchi segreti e misfatti verranno alla luce, anche se le prove man mano accumulate troveranno sempre una spiegazione e vedranno perdere consistenza ed efficacia a carico delle persone coinvolte.
Ma, come dice il saggio Chan, se la strada viene sbarrata da un muro di pietra, si dovrà cercare un altro pertugio, un altro sentiero per aggirarlo e arrivare alla verità. Oppure, inaspettatamente può succedere che i muri di pietra di sbriciolino come polvere e che da molti spiragli la luce vi sgorga con rosati raggi di alba..
Pazienza e costanza sembrano essere le sue amabili virtù. Virtù che prima o poi ripagano.
Molto simpatico, questo detective cinese... grasso e imponente, ma agile, e poi gentile, ossequioso, sempre calmo, poetico, amante delle citazioni letterarie, osservatore acuto e buon compagno di avventure.
Ambientazione suggestiva e lettura simpatica, leggera, da completo relax estivo 😎
🔤 RC 2019 - Scarabeo ago/19
🤔 RC 2019 - Esimio sconosciuto
📚 RC 2019 - Lo scaffale traboccante
John Quincy, un malihini (uno nuovo del posto), venuto alle Hawaii per riportare a Boston la zia, Miss Minerva, è il nipote della vittima e si trova coinvolto suo malgrado nelle indagini, tanto che, preso in simpatia da Chan, viene promosso sul campo “investigatore”. Restio ad ammetterlo, ben presto si accorgerà che ad Honolulu, posto incantevole e ammaliatore, è come essere in paradiso, molto meglio che vendere obbligazioni a Boston. Se poi, in questa atmosfera magica, ci inseriamo la presenza di ragazze dolcissime... beh, male non ci sta. Il ragazzo cresce al battito del cuore...
Le indagini seguono strani percorsi, i personaggi coinvolti sono molti e un po’ tutti hanno avuto a che fare con la vittima, certo non un esempio di rettitudine, anzi parecchi segreti e misfatti verranno alla luce, anche se le prove man mano accumulate troveranno sempre una spiegazione e vedranno perdere consistenza ed efficacia a carico delle persone coinvolte.
Ma, come dice il saggio Chan, se la strada viene sbarrata da un muro di pietra, si dovrà cercare un altro pertugio, un altro sentiero per aggirarlo e arrivare alla verità. Oppure, inaspettatamente può succedere che i muri di pietra di sbriciolino come polvere e che da molti spiragli la luce vi sgorga con rosati raggi di alba..
Pazienza e costanza sembrano essere le sue amabili virtù. Virtù che prima o poi ripagano.
Molto simpatico, questo detective cinese... grasso e imponente, ma agile, e poi gentile, ossequioso, sempre calmo, poetico, amante delle citazioni letterarie, osservatore acuto e buon compagno di avventure.
Ambientazione suggestiva e lettura simpatica, leggera, da completo relax estivo 😎
🔤 RC 2019 - Scarabeo ago/19
🤔 RC 2019 - Esimio sconosciuto
📚 RC 2019 - Lo scaffale traboccante
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2021
Well-written, rousing classic mystery
I first read this in high school over [*cough, cough*] 40 years ago. I loved reading Charlie Chan mysteries then, and became a big Earl Derr Biggers fan. Reading this book, The House without a Key, again was such a treat. This book is exactly 100 years old, but I was surprised by how contemporary it was in some ways, considering it’s age. I especially appreciated the writing which was fresh, and surprisingly humorous. One can really feel Hawaiian charm, where it was set, while reading this novel. The main characters were intriguing and well developed. The story itself was cleverly plotted. Truthfully, I remembered whodunit, even after four decades, but it was still a very rousing story nevertheless.
One reads that Earl Derr Biggers used racial stereotypes in writing his famous character. I couldn’t disagree more. Charlie Chan is a humble, intelligent detective with a brilliant touch of humanity about him. It’s beyond me how that is stereotypical. He is a worthy model, all the more unusual considering the strong anti-Chinese bias that permeated the US at that time history. Yet Chan’s portrayal here in this novel is marvelously atypical and positive. If I were a detective, I would be thrilled to have his fine qualities.
I first read this in high school over [*cough, cough*] 40 years ago. I loved reading Charlie Chan mysteries then, and became a big Earl Derr Biggers fan. Reading this book, The House without a Key, again was such a treat. This book is exactly 100 years old, but I was surprised by how contemporary it was in some ways, considering it’s age. I especially appreciated the writing which was fresh, and surprisingly humorous. One can really feel Hawaiian charm, where it was set, while reading this novel. The main characters were intriguing and well developed. The story itself was cleverly plotted. Truthfully, I remembered whodunit, even after four decades, but it was still a very rousing story nevertheless.
One reads that Earl Derr Biggers used racial stereotypes in writing his famous character. I couldn’t disagree more. Charlie Chan is a humble, intelligent detective with a brilliant touch of humanity about him. It’s beyond me how that is stereotypical. He is a worthy model, all the more unusual considering the strong anti-Chinese bias that permeated the US at that time history. Yet Chan’s portrayal here in this novel is marvelously atypical and positive. If I were a detective, I would be thrilled to have his fine qualities.
June 28, 2014
What a fascinating peek into time The House Without a Key is! In the novel, the characters regularly ruminate on how much Hawaii has changed since the glory years of the '80s and '90s--and they weren't talking about the twentieth century, either. The descriptions of Honolulu in the 1920s are enough to warrant a read of the book. The story's characters are strong, if a little predictable, and the mystery takes second seat to the novel's spectacular setting. But all in all, it was a great read.
Lots of people have moaned about Charlie Chan's stereotypical portrayal. But remember, until Charlie Chan, the evil Fu Manchu was the fictional Chinese man most readers knew. Plus, author Earl Biggers's dialogue for Charlie Chan is hysterically fun, as--in my mind, at least--he intended it. (For instance, Chan samples a piece of pie that seems a little past its due date to him, so he demands an "unmolested sector" of the pie instead.) Now, nearly 100 years after the novel was written, we can read it with a more savvy eye to culture.
Lots of people have moaned about Charlie Chan's stereotypical portrayal. But remember, until Charlie Chan, the evil Fu Manchu was the fictional Chinese man most readers knew. Plus, author Earl Biggers's dialogue for Charlie Chan is hysterically fun, as--in my mind, at least--he intended it. (For instance, Chan samples a piece of pie that seems a little past its due date to him, so he demands an "unmolested sector" of the pie instead.) Now, nearly 100 years after the novel was written, we can read it with a more savvy eye to culture.
February 8, 2020
PROTAGONIST: Charlie Chan
SETTING: Honolulu
SERIES: #1
RATING: 4.25
WHY: Before you start reading a Charlie Chan book, you need to put aside all of your preconceptions that you may have about the character based on what you’ve seen on TV or the movies. In this book, the first in the series, he is more of a teacher than a detective. John Quincy Winterslip travels to Honolulu to convince his Aunt Minerva to return to Boston and give up her frivolous idea of remaining in Hawaii. When his unlikeable Uncle Dan is murdered, John Quincy takes it upon himself to look into what happened. The police detective assigned to the case, Charlie Chan, takes him under his wing and helps him understand the evidence as well as himself. The characters were wonderful, particularly Mr. Chan who doesn’t even appear as a character until midway through the book. The plotting was clever and the writing excellent. I didn’t expect any of this when I picked up the book. Needless to say, I’m very happy to have read the book and have the remaining Chan books on my shelves.
SETTING: Honolulu
SERIES: #1
RATING: 4.25
WHY: Before you start reading a Charlie Chan book, you need to put aside all of your preconceptions that you may have about the character based on what you’ve seen on TV or the movies. In this book, the first in the series, he is more of a teacher than a detective. John Quincy Winterslip travels to Honolulu to convince his Aunt Minerva to return to Boston and give up her frivolous idea of remaining in Hawaii. When his unlikeable Uncle Dan is murdered, John Quincy takes it upon himself to look into what happened. The police detective assigned to the case, Charlie Chan, takes him under his wing and helps him understand the evidence as well as himself. The characters were wonderful, particularly Mr. Chan who doesn’t even appear as a character until midway through the book. The plotting was clever and the writing excellent. I didn’t expect any of this when I picked up the book. Needless to say, I’m very happy to have read the book and have the remaining Chan books on my shelves.
August 4, 2022
I decided to read the original Charlie Chan novel because it is set in Honolulu, and I am going there in a few weeks for vacation. Earl Derr Biggers's The House Without a Key is, I believe, the only Chan mystery novel set entirely in Hawaii.
It is easy to see why Charlie Chan became so popular -- even among the people of China -- because he is such an honorable and ingenious detective. But in this first novel, the story is seen through the eyes of one John Quincy Winterslip, a Boston Brahmin type who is something of a twit. Chan is simply a detective on the Honolulu police force, but it is he who engages our attention.
It is easy to see why Charlie Chan became so popular -- even among the people of China -- because he is such an honorable and ingenious detective. But in this first novel, the story is seen through the eyes of one John Quincy Winterslip, a Boston Brahmin type who is something of a twit. Chan is simply a detective on the Honolulu police force, but it is he who engages our attention.
March 7, 2019
Dated. And not because of Charlie, who so far (page 100) seems treated with relative respect by the author, if not by the characters, who of course call him a Chinaman. Certainly, there's plenty of racism, it being 1925; but what I'm having a lot of trouble with is that I'm supposed to care about all these rich white people. The atmosphere is one of: look how exotic this south sea island is--though it was better before, as the best white people recognize. I have trouble throwing my sympathies where I believe the author wants me to, since I want everyone to be shot, including the dead man, who was a slave trader ("blackbirder") in his youth. We're not supposed to hate him for that? Maybe we are, eventually. Maybe there's a stunning turnaround later. If so, I apologize to Mr.Biggers. But I don't see it coming. And I don't want to wait.
March 14, 2020
This book reads like it was written in the hope of it being turned into a movie. I realise the movie industry was in its fetal stages in those days, so maybe life copied art. I remember seeing some of the old black and white Charlie Chan movies, but the book fortunately doesn't deal in corny stereotypes. Chan doesn't refer to his "number one son" and there's no "Confucius say." I was reminded of the Mr Moto novels, but less formulaic. After a string of disappointing reads, this was a real cracker for a sleepless night--light and crunchy. I was amused by the idea that Hawaii was supposedly populated by displaced Boston Brahmins! The native populace hardly gets a look-in, aside from playing soulful songs in the background, but then the author wasn't writing for them.
May 5, 2013
First Charlie Chan mystery, and a very fun book it is to read. It is of it's time and gives some really interesting views of society at that time. It is wonderful to follow Chan and John Quincy Winterslip work together and develop a respect for one another that transcends many others in the story. Nice mystery as well, very visual, and let's face it... you'll want to go to Hawaii after reading of its beauty. The story follows John Quincy for the most part and he moves from a man raised and ready to become a staid old man at the age of thirty in Boston. By the end of the book, he has claimed a new look on life and is actually engaged in living it his own way.
October 2, 2022
I have loved Charlie Chan movies for 50 years. I'm finally getting around to the books and find them little gems. These were written in the 20's and the author didn't think anyone would be interested in a Chinese detective so the protagonist is a white male from Boston. Charlie is fairly peripheral in this first book. I've already read the second book where he is more involved in solving the mystery.
What struck me with both books was the author's loving portrayal of the backdrop for these dramas.
If you didn't want to go to Hawaii before, the descriptions will convince you.
I hope to find the next books in the series and enjoy them as much as I have this one
What struck me with both books was the author's loving portrayal of the backdrop for these dramas.
If you didn't want to go to Hawaii before, the descriptions will convince you.
I hope to find the next books in the series and enjoy them as much as I have this one
November 5, 2017
Timeless, and better than I expected.
Honolulu 1920's
Honolulu 1920's
April 13, 2019
3.5 stars Wonderful 1920s Honolulu atmosphere, charming writing style; wish there was more Charlie Chan in the story.
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