The Three Cornered Halo - Christianna Brand SPOILER Thread (Sep/Oct 21)

[Susan]

Welcome to our Buddy Read of The Three-Cornered Halo first published in 1957.

Although this is listed as an Inspector Cockrill book, it does not feature Cockrill (although his sister is involved in the story) and it is apparently NOT a mystery, or crime novel. As such, unless you like Brand's novels, please don't buy this book thinking it is an Inspector Cockrill crime book - the way it is listed is extremely misleading. That said, both Judy and I are definitely reading this one, so please find the blurb below, should you be interested:

An island republic goes to insane lengths to canonize its most famous residentJuanita di Perli was a young woman when she decided to live the rest of her life on a table-top. She called it God’s will, but for the order of nuns that sprang up around her, Juanita’s devotion was a curse. For decades they did the bidding of the holy grouch, and the entire island of San Juan el Pirata sighed with relief when she died. Twenty years later, the islanders fight for Juanita’s canonization—not because they liked her, but because a local saint would be a tourist boon. The only thing keeping the island poor is the Archduke, who refuses to ask Rome to consider Juanita for sainthood. His stubbornness may get him dethroned or worse, for nothing will stop his subjects in their pursuit of Juanita’s holy cause.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Susan]

Thanks to Jill for fore-warning me that this was not really an Inspector Cockrill series book. Shame it was a bit of a damp squib, but I was more surprised Mr Cecil went back to San Juan el Pirata, after his last outing there!

[Susan]

Mr Cecil first appears in Death in High Heels and I am looking forward to reading that with the group. Some parts are very un-PC now, but, as a slice of social history, it's quite fascinating. I need to update the buddy read list and also add another Nicholas Blake.

[Judy]

I've finished this now and quite enjoyed it once I got into it, though I'm not really sure why - many of the characters are rather stereotyped and the story sort of fizzles out after the tension builds up well with the bomb being introduced.

I think it's just that I enjoy Christianna Brand's writing even when it is a book like this one which is a bit of a damp squib, as you say, Susan. It has also made me want to eat cheesecake!

[Judy]

Near the end, I didn't understand Cousin Hat's reference to El Exaltida not being able to put his nephew's bicycle lamp down - can anyone explain this? Surely he didn't have a bike lamp in the church?

I'm wondering if it is supposed to be that there was a bomb in the lamp as well and he was trying to murder his nephew, but I may be making that up.

I'm not sure how well all these murderous characters will get on with one another once the visitors go home.

[Sandy]

Judy wrote: "Near the end, I didn't understand Cousin Hat's reference to El Exaltida not being able to put his nephew's bicycle lamp down - can anyone explain this? Surely he didn't have a bike lamp in the chur..."

I think that the bicycle lamp was used to make either a shadow or a glow around the fake saint. Though that doesn't explain why he couldn't put the lamp down, unless he had become quite fond of it. He did become attached to things. It's all a bit hazy now and I doubt I understood it much better at the time.

As for the future of the island, I imagine extensive inbreeding combined with murderous tendencies will have wiped out the population.

[Judy]

Sandy wrote: "I think that the bicycle lamp was used to make either a shadow or a glow around the fake saint. ..."

Ooooh I see - this had completely passed me by! Thank you for the explanation, Sandy.

Haha, your comment about the future of the island amused me.