Final Curtain - SPOILER Thread

[Susan]

Final Curtain (1947) is the second book in our Ngaio Marsh Challenge Part 2 and the fourteenth title in the Roderick Alleyn series.

The war is now over and Troy is anxiously waiting her husband's return in England. While waiting, she accepts a commission to paint the celebrated actor Sir Henry Ancred at his home Ancreton Manor and meets his flamboyant and argumentative family and guests. Of course, soon, things lead to murder and Alleyn investigates on his return.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Susan]

So, we have to address this issue. Many reviews of this book dislike it because of the unpleasant portrayal of Cedric, the stereotypical dress designer.

Undoubtedly, many books from this era have very uncomfortable portrayals of certain characters and attitudes. Does this spoil your enjoyment of the books? Do you write it off as attitudes of the times? What did you think of Cedric?

[Judy]

Unfortunately, the portrayal of Sir Henry's gay grandson, Cedric, is very stereotyped - I did find this uncomfortable, as you say, Susan.

Ironically, though, despite being described as "awful" etc, he is one of the most vivid characters. I get the impression that Marsh enjoyed writing his dialogue, and he does get many of the novel's wittiest lines.

[Susan]

I liked Cedric too. There was an assumption by all the characters - including Alleyn and Troy - that he was something of an embarrassment. However, as you say, he got lots of good lines and I felt that Marsh enjoyed writing him.

I have to say that I try not to judge GA novels too harshly by modern standards. I would find such sentiments more difficult in contemporary novels.

[Jill]

I don't think it is just this era of books that use these stereotypes of characters. Books (and films) much later written than these also use them. Personally, I ignore them, and sometimes find them rather funny, depending on how they are portrayed.

I was so pleased we got back to Marsh's detective in this book, and at first was worried it was all going to be about Troy as the last two books were quite a let down, as far as he was concerned.

I did think the worries of both Allyen and Troy getting back together after over three years, was well handled.

I admit I had no idea who the villain was. I felt we were being being led to different characters all the way through, which probably made me disregard them. I hope future books carry on as good as this has.

[Judy]

Glad you enjoyed this, Jill. I did too, but must admit I thought the mention of Macbeth was a slight giveaway in terms of whodunit - made me think it must be someone who wanted to take over from the "king", Sir Henry, ie Cedric, or, more likely, a Lady Macbeth character, which led me to his mother! (I had probably read it many years ago though, so might have remembered from then.)

I've come across this before when Shakespeare plays are mentioned in mysteries (usually Hamlet or Macbeth), that it can give a big hint as to the culprit! Although, having said that, I recently saw a TV mystery which involved a production of Hamlet where there was no plot similarity with the play at all.

[Susan]

I think readers were expected to fall in with plots more easily then - authors anticipated that they would be better read. There are often poems, quotes or references to myths or Shakespeare.

[Judy]

Did anyone else wonder if thallium was involved as soon as Panty turned out to have ringworm?

I think I've come across thallium in one of our other reads - like nicotine and poisoned chocolates, which seem to turn up in a lot of these books too!

I'm wondering when ringworm stopped being so common - I remember visiting the New Forest about 27 years ago and being warned that we couldn't go in some areas because the ponies had ringworm, but I don't remember coming across any people suffering from it.

[Susan]

I do know someone whose child caught it at nursery. I suspect it still lurks, although rare now and more easily treated.

[Judy]

The name Panty is a bit unfortunate, isn’t it? I was quite surprised the TV adaptation didn’t change it, as so often seems to happen with this type of name!

[Judy]

I enjoyed the TV adaptation of this one - has anyone else seen it? I especially liked Graham Crowden, who also starred in the sitcom Waiting for God, as Sir Henry - he gives the character just the right theatrical feeling.

I never find Belinda Lang quite like my idea of Troy, though - she is so very upper-crust in this role.

[Susan]

You would have thought they'd have changed 'Panty.' What a dreadful nickname!

[Lesley]

Judy wrote: "I enjoyed the TV adaptation of this one - has anyone else seen it? I especially liked Graham Crowden, who also starred in the sitcom Waiting for God, as Sir Henry - he gives the character just the ..."

I've just finished watching it and thoroughly enjoyed it. Graham Crowden is mostly definitely the perfect Sir Henry, and yes, Troy was to upper crust in this to what she's really like in the books.
I couldn't help thinking as I watched Alleyn and Fox in this just how much Watson and Holmes they resemble. Don't know why I've not seen that link before. Maybe it was just this movie!

Looking forward to more of Troy.

[Judy]

I hadn't thought of them as Holmes and Watson either, but I can see it now you have mentioned it, Lesley.

[Louise]

This is quite a good one, though I find the character of Cedric a bit overdone.

[Susan]

Yes, definitely the writing shows its period there, Louise.

[Tara]

You certainly hopes this family isn't representative of the aristocracy--they are one band of maladjusted misfits. Does anyone suspect that Marsh based some of her characters on people she knew from the theater? Its hard to tell where reality meets caricature.

My favorite part of this book was Troy's anxiety about reuniting with Alleyn after all of those years. Often these stories are portrayed as nothing but joyous (although The Best Years of Our Lives does an excellent job in this regard), but you suspect that both halves would be concerned how much the time, distance, and circumstances changed them. It felt very authentic.

[Tracey]

Tara I agree with your term of 'maladjusted misfits' - it describes them perfectly.

I found Caroline Able telling Alleyn her theories in psychology quite amusing. I'm guessing at the time of writing these were quite modern views.

I wasn't aware that thallium salts were used to treat ringworm, it seems a rather scary chemical to be using for a relatively benign condition. The wonders of modern antifungal creams! Poor Carrabas being put down over it.

[Tara]

Tracey wrote: "Tara I agree with your term of 'maladjusted misfits' - it describes them perfectly.

I found Caroline Able telling Alleyn her theories in psychology quite amusing. I'm guessing at the time of writi..."

I agree about the psychological theories Tracey. I appreciated that she refused to give in to Patricia's tantrums/outbursts and did not call her Panty. What an awful nickname!

I just read a Jazz Age poisoner's book, and apparently thallium used to be prescribed to children with ringworm so that their hair would fall out. This presumably helped the doctor to see the condition and treat it. They had to stop prescribing it when the kids were dying off...Its pretty terrifying how many chemicals were used prodigiously until connections were made with negative side effects or death, and even then, the companies weren't held responsible.

[Tracey]

Will add that book to my (ever increasing) to read list!