I recently read a detective novel by Max Dalman, pseudonym of writer Max Dalman Binns, son of Ottwell Binns.
Ottwell Binns (1872 - 1935) was a British novelist and Unitarian minister. Binns was a prolific author, publishing many novels of adventure and mystery, from 1917 to 1939. His publisher in Britain was Ward Lock. Though he died in 1935, Ward Lock continued to publish novels under his name until 1939.
His son, Max Dalman Binns, was also a mystery writer under the name Max Dalman.
It's a guess, but most people probably haven't heard of either chap even though Max Dalman had fifteen books published and died within living memory in 1951. I’ve only read one of his books, but it was competently written, well plotted and just as readable as some more famous writers within the same genre.
I think of them as railway books bought from the station bookstall to while away a journey. Reading them, I almost catch the hissing and clanking and unmistakable aroma of a steam engine.
Fading memories perhaps, but it isn’t easy to make out why some writers rapidly sink into obscurity where others don’t. Talented writers who were famous and widely read in their own lifetime – their longevity is easy enough to understand. Yet when it comes to the durability of lesser writers, a certain amount of luck seems to come into it.
From my perspective, Max Dalman’s books were strong enough to have been adapted for films in the fifties, even if only low-budget B pictures. But as far as I know they weren’t and Max Dalman the writer faded into obscurity. Maybe the Kindle will make a difference, but I suppose it’s partly a numbers game – some writers have to disappear simply to make room for new ones.
From my perspective, Max Dalman’s books were strong enough to have been adapted for films in the fifties, even if only low-budget B pictures. But as far as I know they weren’t and Max Dalman the writer faded into obscurity. Maybe the Kindle will make a difference, but I suppose it’s partly a numbers game – some writers have to disappear simply to make room for new ones.
4 comments:
Your ending reminds me of a classical argument for barring daughters inheriting titles of nobility. If they did, fewer titles would become defunct and then there would be fewer opportunities for elevating other families into the hereditary nobility (since you'd want some limit on the number of people sitting in the Lords).
On this subject I should reveal my own plan for reforming the Lords, to wit reverse the roles of hereditary peers and life peers. All the hereditaries should be allowed to sit (if they want to) while the Life Peers should have to elect 92 of their number to sit.
The daily payment for turning up would be abolished for both sorts of peers.
If that didn't work we could appoint peers by drawing lots. Anyone aged between 40 and 70 who doesn't have a criminal record and is not in an insane asylum would be entered in the draw. Not quite as exciting as winning a million on the Premium Bonds but good fun nonetheless. These random peers would need to be paid, I'm afraid, unless they were allowed to decline their "winnings". Travel and accommodation costs would be cut down by locating The Lords in, say, Middlesborough.
When I was younger, I naively thought that popular writers - and indeed musicians and artists of all types - were popular because they are good. But so much is down to fashion and marketing. In music, Vivaldi is a good example. His "Four Seasons" was the go-to baroque music since the 1960s. But it turns out that there was a lot of baroque music that was equally good, and which is now quite common since the likes of Classic fm popularised it. I suspect that a few detective story writers - Christie, Sayers, Conan Doyle - got lucky and ended up defining the genre. I've recently been reading Sherlock Holmes stories, and although the writing is beautifully effective, lots of them are inconsequential and appear to be pot-boilers.
My mother was fond of the old detective story writers e.g. Ngaio Marsh.
When we lived in NZ we visited the Marsh house as homage to Mum. Pleasant spot, I must say. Whether it survived the Christchurch earthquakes I don't know.
dearieme - I like the idea of appointing peers by drawing lots, but not so keen on Middlesbrough. We could still end up with duds and charlatans though as talented people probably wouldn't fancy the politics or the grind of it all.
Sam - I find the Sherlock Holmes stories very readable, but I think that's partly because I visualise the characters as portrayed in film and TV. It makes the stories more vivid even though as you say, some appear to be pot-boilers.
dearieme - my mother used to read Ngaio Marsh too although I've never tried her books. The Kindle versions are quite expensive compared to other mystery writers who are not so well known.
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