The Floating Admiral

 

"Inspector, there are many things connected with this tragedy that I cannot tell you. My lips are sealed by the confessional" (204).

Every time I go to Half-Price Books, I make my way to the mystery section and search for any Dorothy Sayers or Agatha Christie novels that I have not, as of yet, come to own. The older the copy, the better. This time, I found a book that I did not know existed until I pulled it from the shelf. A collaborative effort between both of 20th century mystery's premier mistresses! Sayers, the head of the Detective Club at the time, wrote a prologue detailing the impetus behind the undertaking. Each member of the club would add one chapter, testing the hypothesis that a number of viable solutions can be found to any one murder.

The resulting experiment, although not a fully realized example of the many impeccable works that each author produced by him or herself, is yet still an interesting read and exploration into the anatomy of a murder mystery. Despite not necessarily being a book that I will pick up again, I enjoyed the novelty of it and appreciated the purpose behind such a literary exercise. I personally would love to participate in such a group writing activity, so any other word sleuths (i.e. literature nerds), please make yourselves known!

1. "Whether the game thus played for our own amusement will succeed in amusing other people also is for the reader to judge" (4).

An interesting literary exercise. The number one reason for this book's existence is stated at the very beginning: it was meant to be a fun game amongst author friends. Not necessarily meant to be published, I'm glad that it exists! Such a collaborative mix of voices and ideas is rare, and observing the transition between writing styles was of great interest to me. A reader who is enthralled by the personal artistry of writing will enjoy this aspect of the book.

An appendix at the end also contains each author's intended solution. It is a rare occurrence that one is able to read such a wide range of plot variations for a single story, and such content probably teaches more about the writing process than reading a "normal" book with a singular plotline. What makes each scenario effective? How can an outside influence completely change the direction or read between the lines some eventuality that was not meant to be found? This book provides some very good teachable moments on the theory and practice of writing.

2. "My theory is that the murder was committed several miles up-stream and that before the boat reached Whynmouth the tide turned and it floated back to where it was found" (49).

Lack of continuity. As for the actual story itself, there are, as to be expected, some continuity issues. If the book were written by a single author, it would be considered a pretty poor mystery novel, as the plot is schizophrenic in many cases. Each new chapter produces variations on characters' personalities, adds some previously un-heard of context, and often leaves the threads of seemingly important clues hanging. Far be it from me to criticize published writers, but if I were their teacher, I would have encouraged them to introduce fewer new elements and focus on one or two aspects of the previous writer's chapter that stood out most. This change may have improved the readability of what was merely meant to be a private game amongst friends.

Unfortunately, one of the novelists chose to make a list of every element of proof that had been presented thus far. By way of creating a legitimate novel, it is obvious where this addition becomes a problem--I legitimately skipped most of these pages, because I'd rather forget a plot point than read more than twenty summary items of what just took place in the book. Perhaps such a list could also be considered cheating? It isn't my game, after all, but I do feel that a numbered recounting of every chapter goes against the spirit of such an activity.

3. "I didn't want to tell you about that because you might stop us from going to town. But I'll come clean now. I saw the Admiral alive here in his study" (128).

No "real" solution. Most of my critiques can be explained away by the context of the book, but it is still worth mentioning that the final solution is not really a satisfying one. An additional murder in the final chapters and the misdirection (if it can be called that) promoting certain suspects over others are solid moments, the ending is not one I would have chosen. The actual culprit was absent for most of the book, and the ending that he meets is less than satisfying.

I make this comment continually, but my idea of a good mystery novel is one in which the solution (at least to some extent) can be deduced through the information presented. Maybe in a second round of such an activity, the authors could improve their ability to simplify each chapter. I think part of the problem may have been that several of the participants wrote dozens of pages, while others only wrote ten or so. At this point, I am criticizing the parameters of the game rather than the book itself, but I think the point still stands that a page limit would ultimately produce a more readable novel.

I would recommend this book to writers and teachers, but casual reader, be warned! The Floating Admiral is not a polished novel, but rather an opportunity for a diagnosis of the task and practice of writing.