I wonder if the reason I couldn't really care very much about this story is related to Morse not really caring very much about it either. When he cannot squeeze it into being murder-shaped, he admits that he simply cannot raise much enthusiasm. And in many ways I feel similarly.The opening Prologue definitely caught my attention, keeping me intrigued to find where it fitted and to whom it belonged.One of my main issues, I think, is with the characterization. I prefer the characters of the TV Morse and Lewis more than those on Dexter's pages (though I've only read the first two books so far). I can't really root for them here as much as I would like. Morse's obsession with sex is sad but interferes with his likeability, and Lewis is too meek (or I'm too inured to Kevin 'feisty Tynesider' Whately). Maybe their 'bromance' (an ugly neologism, but a useful one in the crime-fighting genre!) will be fleshed out more as the series continues? It is interesting to have the 'hero' character get so much so wrong for so long, however! I also lament the relatively inconsequential location of Oxford, again, as compared with the TV series which does such a lovely job of weaving the setting into the tales.Though quite new to the genre of crime fiction, I think improbable contrivance is a frequent ingredient in the mix. After all, a procedural account depicted strictly realistically would be thoroughly dull for most of the cases investigated by the police. So the convoluted plot shenanigans do not intrude for me - I just accept them. I liked how the plot revolved around relationships and family dynamics - maybe why Morse was so slow in catching on was at least partly due to his singleton and curmudgeonly lifestyle? Maybe the denouement was rather too speedily unwrapped towards the very end of the book, however.I enjoyed the pacing of the short chapters, and the thought-provoking quotations at each chapter's start, but probably what I enjoyed the most was the nostalgia of the world depicted: the simplicity of day-to-day living (without the constant and frenetic intrusion of electronic media, for instance). The casual sexism is faintly shocking, such as Morse's thought that it was odd that a girl might want to study technology.Craft-wise, there are points which I imagine a creative writing tutor might highlight in a constructively critiquing colour (filter phrases, redundant words), but I like the straightforward prose, and always find my word-power enriched by reading Colin Dexter (differences between flounder/founder and riffle/rifle). A more accurate reflection of my rating would be 2.5 stars - somewhere between 'meh' and 'yeah'.
The second outing with Inspector Morse & Sgt. Lewis,as they,warily, begin to accept the other's style & manners,involves the apparent disappearance of a nubile school student,Valerie Taylor, in suburban Oxford,a city I know a little from my one academic year there in the early 80s.This episode takes us back to the mid-70s,almost a 'Year Zero' for the British psyche;I still wince at the dismal political & economic climate,the dreadful fashions & the first violent skirmishes of the war between feminism & long-acceptable male chauvinism. And Morse's erratic conduct of this baffling case reflects his inherent prejudices & obsessions,his slow realisation that he cannot stop the progress of the modern world & perhaps,even,his failing powers as an effective police detective; a certain melancholic mood pervades the whole affair...& 'love affairs' are at the heart of this long investigation, barely aided by the cutting-edge technologies that our police take for granted these days...mobile phones,computer searces,D.N.A.matches...e-l-ectronic mail?! (Morse's sense of redundancy will loom large 'ere long!).My one reservation about reading Colin Dexter's series is the inevitable influence on my pleasure in the novels' wide reach,is the image of John Thaw,from the wonderful TV saga;it's difficult to imagine Morse anew.I will always see Thaw's sour expressions when confronted by the ignorance & stupidity which surrounds him in his superiority; he can polish-off difficult crossword puzzles & listens to Wagner after all! A very satisfying read,to go with a fine pint of beer in a characterful Oxfordshire pub!
What do You think about Last Seen Wearing (1997)?
I've been meaning to read the Inspector Morse mysteries for quite some time now, and when I ran across this volume at Half-Price Books, it was too hard to resist. This book is actually the second of the thirteen novels by Colin Dexter in this series (the first one wasn't available at the HPB I was in).I didn't have any preconceived notions about the style of writing, etc. I was very pleasantly surprised, not only by the quality of the narrative, sprinkled liberally with whimsy and witticisms, but also by the serpentine path of the story itself. Far too often in modern mystery fiction, the one "whodunnit" is either obvious from the get-go, or is so buried in the weeds of the story that no one could reasonanly work it out. This one is squarely in the middle - the reader is introduced to the guilty party early on, but there are a large number of red herrings that the protagonist, Inspector Morse, ends up settling on before finally tumbling to the truth in the last few pages. It really keeps you guessing, and as a die-hard mystery fan, that's really the best I can ask of a story.I will definitely read the balance of this series of books. That said, I highly recommend these novels (and this one in particular) to any serious lovers of mysteries.
—Kevin K. Gillette
E' una piacevolissima conferma, questo Ispettore Morse. Stavolta prende ben più di una cantonata e sembra perdere le speranze ogni volta che le sue intuizioni lo portano verso l'assassino (sbagliato) e il movente (mai quello). Però è difficile chiudere il libro e fare qualcos'altro. Dalla seconda metà, dopo aver presentato caso e personaggi, ogni fine capitolo è un continuo colpo di scena e l'epilogo è una summa delle piste seguite. Forse un po' banale, rispetto al ritmo del romanzo, ma nulla toglie al fatto che Dexter sia capace di confezionare gialli intrigantissimi, davvero di grande livello. L'unica cosa che mi perplime è il comportamento di Morse con l'altro sesso, assolutamente rinunciatario e "autoarchiviante". Pur avendo i soliti pensieri alla vista di una donna, soffoca qualsiasi impulso d'iniziativa, quasi che avesse eliminato l'acchiappo dalla sua vita. Che poi sarà mica solo indagini e cadaveri. Aspetto il terzo.
—Sara
Morse is given the case of a missing girl who didn t return home from school one day two years earlier. The case had gone very cold, but then a letter arrives from the girl, Valerie Taylor, saying that she s fine and no-one should worry about her. Morse is convinced though that she s dead, and sets out to find her killer. And there seems to be a lot of people with something to hide& [return][return]This is the first Morse book that I ve read, and it s one of Dexter s earlier ones. I really like the characterisation of Morse, he is a well rounded and interesting character, and certainly not your average detective. His sidekick Sergeant Lewis, hard working, methodical and rational family man, is the complete opposite of Morse s character, and I think they compliment each other very well. Last Seen Wearing has many of the elements of the classic detective story (lots of suspects with motive and opportunity, lots of clue scattered everywhere), but also has great characters, and the fact that Morse is infallible and often gets things wrong helps a lot too. Recommended, particularly for fans of classic detective fiction that are after a bit more.
—Steve
