Looking Back: My Favorite Wimsey

In writing about "Clouds of Witness," by Dorothy L. Sayers, this week, I indicated that it really wasn't my favorite novel to feature Lord Peter Wimsey. So that, of course, brings up the question, which is my favorite?

Other's tastes may vary, but I think the best Lord Peter Wimsey novel is "The Nine Tailors," the ninth book to feature Wimsey, originally published in 1934. I love it because it is a good mystery, because it has wonderful, thoroughly developed characters, because it balances tragedy and humor, because it is beautifully written and because the eight church bells, with their distinctive names and personalities, play such a central role in the story.

For those unfamiliar with the book, "The Nine Tailors" has nothing to do with making clothing. The "tailors" are the so-called "teller strokes" sounded by the largest church bell; when it rings out nine slow, solo strokes, it is to mark the death of a person. Sayers is writing about church bells that are played in mathematical combinations, not a carillon of bells used to play tunes. She writes of them with a deep affection for the art of change-ringing, as it is called, and the writing is breathtaking.

The story begins on New Year's Eve, when Lord Peter Wimsey and his valet, Bunter, are driving through the gloomy landscape in the English fen country. Their car breaks down in a snowstorm near the small village of Fenchurch St. Paul, and they seek shelter from the storm with the vicar of the town's church, which will be celebrating the new year by ringing an hours-long peal of the eight church bells, ringing out the old year and ringing in the new. Lord Peter fills in as a bellringer, replacing another man who is too ill for the strenuous task at hand.

Months later, Lord Peter is called back to Fenchurch St. Paul. The body of an unidentified man has been found, buried in another person's grave. He must have been murdered and the body hidden - but there is no indication how he died. It will be up to Lord Peter to uncover the truth of what happened.

At the center of the book and its mystery are the eight great church bells, and Sayers' description of them never fails to move me. Here is her description of the midnight start of that great, prolonged New Year's Eve peal:

"The bells gave tongue: Gaude, Sabaoth, John, Jericho, Jubilee, Dimity, Batty Thomas and Tailor Paul, rioting and exulting high up in the dark tower, wide mouths rising and falling, brazen tongues clamouring, huge wheels turning to the dance of the leaping ropes. Every bell in her place, striking tuneably, hunting up, hunting down, dodging, snapping, laying her blows behind, making her thirds and fourths, working down to lead the dance again. Out over the flat, white wastes of fen, over the spear-straight, steel-dark dykes, and the wind-bent, groaning poplar trees, bursting from the snow-choked louvers of the belfry, whirled away southward and westward in gusty blasts of clamour to the sleeping counties went the music of the bells – little Gaude, silver Sabaoth, strong John and Jericho, glad Jubilee, sweet Dimity and old Batty Thomas, with great Tailor Paul bawling and striding like a giant in the midst of them. Up and down went the shadows of the ringers upon the walls, up and down went the scarlet sallies flickering roofwards and floorwards, and up and down, hunting in their courses, went the bells of Fenchurch St. Paul."

 "The Nine Tailors" was the first book I ever reviewed on the "Classic Mysteries" podcast, before this blog was started. You can still listen to that review by clicking here. I know the sound of church bells is not welcomed by everyone - as Sayers herself points out, "The art of change-ringing is peculiar to the English, and, like most English peculiarities, unintelligible to the rest of the world." There are Sayers fans who do not care as much for "The Nine Tailors" as they do for other books in the series. But it is my favorite, and I commend it to you.

Comments

[S. T. Karnick]

Nice article, Les. CoW is my favorite, but TNT is a close second. I'd say that Tailors is in fact the better book, and one of the essential, greatest mysteries.

[Sergio (Tipping My Fedora)]

I agree Les in that this feels like the mosy distinctive of the Sayers books - it may not be the cleverest in terms of plotting (that may be UNNATURAL DEATH for my money) but it does stand out from the heard for its singlular 'murder' method and the quasi-apocalytic feel to the climax.

[Joan Kyler]

I love this book for the bells. There are some American churches that do change-ringing. The Church of the Advent in Boston rings the changes regularly and a few other churches there occasionally do. We have many church bells in America but we seldom hear them. A shame.

[Les Blatt]

Sergio, I also like "Unnatural Death" for the very clever "howdunit." Many of the Wimsey cases are "impossible crimes," which is a favorite genre. But I do think "The Nine Tailors" stands out for the overall quality of its writing - and you are so right about the impact of the book's climax.

[Les Blatt]

Joan, I have occasionally heard a peal of bells coming from an American church - and, when I do, I must admit that I am instantly transported to the fen country, listening to that peal pouring out of the church steeple in Fenchurch St. Paul. It is indeed the bells - with their distinctive names and personalities, too - that set this book apart in my mind.

[Yvette]

I have a church right around the corner from where I live and of course, I hear the bells ringing the noon hour every day. Although they don't do the sort of thing written about by Sayers, I still welcome the sounds they make. I find it very welcoming.

I did read THE NINE TAILORS a long time ago and can't remember much about it, Les. It's not my favorite Wimsey, but I did enjoy it - as I did most of Sayer's books. I love the writing excerpt you've posted. Wow, Sayers could write up a storm.

I think I like MURDER MUST ADVERTISE best - been meaning to re-read it to see if I still feel the same way. Actually, I think I'll re-read THE NINE TAILORS and MURDER MUST ADVERTISE. Why not? Maybe I'll change my mind about both. :)

[Les Blatt]

It is beautifully written, Yvette, and written with passion as well. Ultimately, the mystery itself becomes primarily a question of HOW was the murder committed - and I think the solution is brilliant. As for MURDER MUST ADVERTISE, that's another of my favorites. Sayers put her first-hand knowledge of the advertising world to work for her, and I think the central plot device which explains what I'll only call the setup behind the motive is brilliantly done. No problem with either one. But I don't think you can go wrong with re-reading either one.

[Margot Kinberg]

Les - Oh, I like The Nine Tailors very much. I really liked what I learned about change ringing, and I love Wimsey's reaction when he finds out the truth about that 'extra corpse.' He is so...human. I also do like the other characters, to say nothing of the East Anglia 'feel.' Good choice for your 'tops.'

[Les Blatt]

I love Sayers' descriptions of the scene, her three-dimensional characters, and, of course, the bells, Margot. Yes, Wimsey is very much "humanized" in this one, and that climactic scene where he learns what really happened to the dead man (and nearly shares his fate) is, I think, brilliantly done.

[Atul S. Khot]

Dear Les,
Oh "The Nine Tailors" is a super fantastic book by Sayers... I read it almost 5 years ago - I was in Ireland then - and it was nearing Christmas - After a long and hard day, I would unwind in bed with this super mystery ;-) - read it pretty slow - like you sip wine ;-) - and outside the wind would howl like anything ;-)
That gave a very real, physical feeling to the first part of the book - when Winsey goes for that all night tolling...
A very good Sayers mystery indeed...

--- cheerio atul

[Les Blatt]

Atul, I agree about reading "The Nine Tailors" slowly - the language really should be savored, particularly on a stormy night. Sounds like the perfect way to read the book. Glad you enjoyed it!