Anyone here familiar with Dorothy Sayers?

[RNRobert]

She was an Anglican writer who died in 1957. I mention her here since she was a contemporary of Lewis and Tolkien, and moved in the same circles. She wrote a series of mysteries (the protagonist being Sir Peter Wimsey), plays, and other works. The only one I'm familiar with is The Whimsical Christian (a great book now out of print). In one chapter titled "The Pantheon Papers," she pokes fun at secularism by treating it as a pseudo religion. Here are a couple quotes:

Creed of St. Euthanasia
(Commonly called the Atheneum Creed)

I believe in man, maker of himself and inventor of all science. And in myself, his manifestation, and captain of my psyche; and that I should not suffer anything painful or unpleasant.

And in a vague, evolving deity, the future-begotten child of man; conceived by the spirit of progress, born of emergent variants; who shall kick down the ladder by which he rose and tell history to go to hell.

Who shall some day take off from earth and be jet-propelled into the heavens; and sit exalted above all worlds, man the master almighty.

And I believe in the spirit of progress, who spake by Shaw and the Fabians; and in a modern, administrative, ethical, and social organization; in the isolation of saints, the treatment of complexes, joy through health, and destruction of the body by cremation (with music while it burns), and then I've had it.

St Lukewarm of Laodicea (martyr)

St. Lukewarm was a magistrate in the city of Laodicea under Claudius (Emp. AD 41-54). He was so broadminded as to offer asylum and patronage to every kind of religious cult, however unorthodox or repulsive, saying in answer to all remonstrances: "There is always some truth in everything." This liberality earned for him the surname of "The Tolerator." At length he fell into the hands of a sect of Anthropophagi (for whom he had erected a sacred kitchen and cooking stove at the public expense), and was duly set on to stew with appropriate ceremonies. By miraculous intervention, however, the water continually went off the boil; and when he was finally served up, his flesh was found to be so tough and tasteless that the Chief Anthropophagus spat out the unpalatable morsel, exclaiming: "Tolerator non tolerandus!" (A garbled Christian version of this legend is preserved in Revelation 3:16.) St. Lukewarm is the patron saint of railway caterers and is usually depicted holding a cooking pot.

Nowadays, St Lukewarm no doubt would also be the patron saint of airline caterers...

[Tantum ergo]

Big fan. . .and it's LORD Peter Wimsey (not Sir) of her mysteries. I really need to read more of her non-detective fiction. Thank you for posting this and giving me the idea.

If you're a lover of Scots, art, or fishing, read "The Five Red Herrings." If you like campanology, read, "The Nine Tailors." If you like love stories, read (in order), "Strong Poison", "Have His Carcase", "Gaudy Night", and "Busman's Honeymoon". Jill Paton Walsh does a fairly utilitarian job of doing the two sequels, working from Dorothy's papers left at her death, in "Thrones and Dominations". Can't quite remember the name of the last one. . .

If you want to start with the first of her Lord Peter's, it's "Whose Body". . .but watch out as there is more than a tad of anti-Semitism in there. Considering the time it was written and the general atmosphere one can understand if not condone.

The short story collections are excellent for those who love 'puzzles'.

[libby060]

Tantum ergo,
Thank you for the suggestions. On the list!

RNRobert,
Those are great quotes. Will have to look up the book some day. May I use the St. Euthanasia quote on another forum here? I will give the author's name and book of course.

Cremation is now allowed by the Catholic Church, something she could not see at the time of course.

The anti-Semitism is a sad part of our history.

[RNRobert]

Originally Posted by libby060

RNRobert,
Those are great quotes. Will have to look up the book some day. May I use the St. Euthanasia quote on another forum here? I will give the author's name and book of course.

Be my guest!

Originally Posted by libby060

Cremation is now allowed by the Catholic Church, something she could not see at the time of course.

Sayers wasn't Catholic, she was Anglican, and the Anglican Church may have already allowed cremation at that time (though I'm not sure). Of course, the point is, Sayers was poking fun at the secularist's denial of an afterlife.

[sing4joy]

Originally Posted by Tantum ergo

Big fan. . .and it's LORD Peter Wimsey (not Sir) of her mysteries. I really need to read more of her non-detective fiction. Thank you for posting this and giving me the idea.

If you're a lover of Scots, art, or fishing, read "The Five Red Herrings." If you like campanology, read, "The Nine Tailors." If you like love stories, read (in order), "Strong Poison", "Have His Carcase", "Gaudy Night", and "Busman's Honeymoon". Jill Paton Walsh does a fairly utilitarian job of doing the two sequels, working from Dorothy's papers left at her death, in "Thrones and Dominations". Can't quite remember the name of the last one. . .

If you want to start with the first of her Lord Peter's, it's "Whose Body". . .but watch out as there is more than a tad of anti-Semitism in there. Considering the time it was written and the general atmosphere one can understand if not condone.

The short story collections are excellent for those who love 'puzzles'.

Actually, "Thrones and Dominations is the last one because her epilogue tells the ends, as far as they go, to everyone's story...except Charles and Mary.

I think the "anti-Semitism" is realistic as it reflects the times. Given other things she's written, and especially Lord Peter and his Mother's thoughts expressed, I find it difficult to consider Sayers an anti-Semite.

One of my favorite short stories is "Tallboys". It features Bredon, the firstborn of Peter and Harriet in quite a jolly way, and the entertaining Puffet. Quite delightful, really.

[Peter J]

Originally Posted by RNRobert

She was an Anglican writer who died in 1957. I mention her here since she was a contemporary of Lewis and Tolkien, and moved in the same circles. She wrote a series of mysteries (the protagonist being Sir Peter Wimsey), plays, and other works.

I haven't read any of those; but, as I recall, a friend of mine gave them a strong recommendation.

Originally Posted by RNRobert

The only one I'm familiar with is The Whimsical Christian (a great book now out of print). In one chapter titled "The Pantheon Papers," she pokes fun at secularism by treating it as a pseudo religion. Here are a couple quotes:

That reminds me of another piece of satire that I recently read, or rather viewed, Learning that Creeds Are Bad.

[Peter J]

Has anyone read Creed or Chaos?