Death Comes to Pemberley - PD James

56%
19.11.13

PD James is so old that her children are 70, but there's no need to make allowances. Her research, both into the historical period and into the novels of Jane Austen, is impeccable, and her writing is still elegant. Oddly, it makes me want to read more James than Austen. But still, the execution doesn't quite ring true, and as a whodunnit it's hardly riveting.

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman - P D James

67%
20.07.11

This is a great example of how a well written novel can make the reader forgive its unlikely plot and a setting that must have been dated even when it was written 40 years ago. The satisfying turns of phrase, the quirky three-dimensional characters, the unpredictable joie de vivre are all elements that modern novelists would do well to emulate. Of course, James is still writing at nearly 91 - it would be interesting to compare this with one of her more recent novels.