The Red House Mystery by
A.A. Milne: A review by Warren Bull
The
Red House Mystery is the only mystery novel written by A. A. Milne. The
author is, of course, better know for his writing about Christopher Robin and
Pooh. Actually, Milne wrote a number of mystery short stories and these show
his command of the mystery form. After
publication in 1922 the book was praised. Alexander Woollcott said it was one
of the three best mysteries ever written.
Raymond Chandler, on the other hand,
in an essay titled The Simple Art of
Murder written in 1950 used The Red
House Mystery as an illustration of how artificial and, in his words,
“dull” the books were during the Golden Age of Mystery Fiction. (An earlier
essay on the topic by Chandler was published in 1944.) He pointed out that if the
basic premise of the plot is unrealistic, the whole work is invalid even as
light fiction. He argued that, like other works of the era, The Red House Mystery depends up on
contrivances and formulas. He said the amateur sleuth is only able to show his
skill because the police are so incompetent. He mused about what would happen
if the amateur were confronted by real homicide squad detectives.
While I believe there was some
wonderful writing done in the Golden Age, there is no doubt that some novels
were formulaic and predictable. The Red
House Mystery certainly shows some of the issues Chandler mentioned. The
sleuth and his sidekick treat the murder as a chance to seek clues and unravel
secrets in fun. The murder is taken as part of the fun like a list in a
treasure hunt. Nowhere was the death seen as tragic or unpardonable or a
violation of the most important taboo in a civilized society. The writing is
light and amusing. Milne’s skill is evident. He presents a classic murder in a locked room where both the
probable murderer and murder weapon have disappeared. His solution is
ingenious.
I enjoyed the book for it
strengths. I also believe Chandler’s critique has considerable merit. I
recommend it as a light read. I also recommend it as an example of the
weaknesses Chandler cites.
I had no idea Milne wrote any mysteries. Sounds like Milne was training his voice for his children's books when he wrote The Red House Mystery. Pooh came out in 1926.
ReplyDeleteWhat a surprise, that Milne tried his hand at mysteries. I'll read the book and Chandler's essay.
ReplyDeleteI love that your bringing back some of the old Golden Age mysteries. I may have read far too many of them, but they were fun.
ReplyDeleteA.A. Milne wrote a second mystery, again very light. "Four Days' Wonder" was published in 1933 and concerns a young woman who stumbles on her aunt's body. Fearing arrest for murder, Jenny Windell flees into the countryside, where various characters aid and abet her attempted escape. It doesn't last long, hence the title.
I also read THE RED HOUSE MYSTERY. 'Course I hadn't read Chandler's review before I did, so I quite enjoyed the story.
ReplyDeleteI know Milne was very upset he is remembered for his Winnie the Pooh books, not his other writing. He handles the language well, has a great sense of whimsy (and humor) and I think that's evident in pretty much everything he wrote.
ReplyDeleteI just found The Red House on Project Gutenberg and will read it tonight. Then on to Chandler....
ReplyDeleteI have wanted to read this for years but never remember that when I am in a bookstore or library. I'll give it a try.
ReplyDelete