The desire to follow the passions and unravel the detective stories from the reader was and always will be. Among a number of generally recognized masters of the genre, such as Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Gaston Leroux and others, there is another name - John Dixon Carr. He has many fans from different countries. There are also in Russia. The most amazing thing is that not only readers, but also critics love writers.
The art of creating a detective intrigue Carr John Dickson studied with Conan Doyle and Chesterton. The writer's books are distinguished by the skill of the criminal who committed the crime, and the genius of the detective who undertook the investigation. "The writer of the killings" - so his fans called him.
Strokes to the portrait
He was born November 30, 1906 in the United States of America, in the city of Uniontown. Here childhood passed. John's father was a highly sought after lawyer.
The profession of a lawyer in society gave respect and honor, wealth and glory. Parents dreamed that the son would be interested in legal activities. But the son did not want to follow in the footsteps of his father.
Carr John Dixon studied without much desire, of all subjects he was especially attracted to literature. I liked to read from early childhood. In college, he was the editor of a magazine in which he published his stories.
Having graduated very mediocre from school, at the age of 21 he left for Paris. Goes to study at the Sorbonne. But study did not attract his attention at all, as John himself subsequently admitted. He likes to travel, discover new cities and countries, which is why he ended up in France. Study was abandoned.
At the same time, he is trying his hand at journalism: he writes essays and short stories. But being a journalist is not enough for John; he wants to become a writer.
First book
In Paris, John Dixon Carr writes a detective novel, "Wandering at Night." Henri Bencolin - a French policeman - will become one of his favorite characters. He will write a number of books united by this hero.
The book captures literally from the first lines and immediately draws the reader into a nightmare of events. The man’s head was cut off, but all the witnesses say that there could be no one in the room except the victim. How could this happen? The reader will receive the most unexpected answer to this question.
A "closed room murder specialist," they began to call the writer immediately after the book Wandering at Night. In it, for the first time he compares a criminal with a magician, whose main goal is to divert the attention of the victim and others. From the first book written, it becomes clear that a real master has come to literature.
Location: England
After the release of the first book, which critics and readers graciously accepted, the desire to leave for another country reappears. This time he chooses England. Carr moves there at the age of 25. At first, nothing foreshadowed that he would stay there for a long time, but in 1931 John would marry Clarissa Clevis, an English-born nee. The girl wanted to live in her homeland, but John was not opposed. Over time, he became accustomed to a new residence.
After the war, John Dixon leaves for the United States, but after living there for a short time he understands that an orderly life in England is closer and dearer to him than a rich and unpredictable in America.
Personality traits
It is interesting to study the character and personal characteristics of the writer, guided by the zodiac horoscope. John Dixon Carr was born under the constellation Sagittarius. Based on the facts of his biography and familiarizing himself with the characteristics of people born on November 30, we can come to the following conclusions:
- John Carr, like many people born under this sign, was a friendly and sociable person.
- He had a well-developed sense of humor, this can easily be seen by reading most of his works.
- Sagittarius loves to travel, John Carr was no exception. In his blood there was always a thirst for wanderings and a love of changing places.
- One of the disadvantages of this sign is called laziness. Many people born under the sign of Sagittarius, because of this, could not fully realize their potential. John was an exception, the writer was able to fully realize his dreams and desires.
John Dixon Carr: Books
After the release of the first book, which was enthusiastically received not only by readers, but, importantly, by critics, John decided that he would write detectives. Having made such a decision, he did not even imagine that it would be the most important thing in his life, to which he would devote for more than four decades.
Under his name, he will write more than forty novels and about thirty under pseudonyms. Many of them enjoyed well-deserved popularity during the years of release, and are read with pleasure today. But critics consider the novels The Emperor's Snuffbox and The Devil in Velvet to be true literary masterpieces.
In 1933, Carr will present his new hero: scientist Gideon Fell, to the court of readers. He came up with his image after meeting with the famous writer Gilbert Chesterton. More than a dozen novels have been dedicated to the adventures of Professor John Dixon Carr. Criminal Design, Witch's Lair, Riddle of the Mad Hatter, Clock of Death, Eight of Swords - these are the names of some of them.
The prototype of another literary hero will be the famous politician Winston Churchill. Works about Sir Henry Merivel were already written under the pseudonym Carter Dixon. The publisher, with whom John Carr entered into a contract, did not have time to publish his novels, since they were composed at a tremendous speed, sometimes up to six a year. I had to conclude an agreement with another publisher and write books under pseudonyms. Over the years, the writer in his books led two detective lines: with Gideon Fell and Henry Merivell.
"Snuffbox of the Emperor"
One of the most famous detective stories of the writer. The highly acclaimed "Queen of the Detective" - Agatha Christie spoke highly of him.
France. Paris. In the beautiful city, the brutal murder of wealthy Englishman Maurice Lowes was committed. Among the suspects is the son of the murdered. The young man really needs money, and he could very well have the desire to kill his father in order to take possession of his wealth. But perhaps not everything is so simple. French police are asking to join in the investigation into the murder of Dermot Kinros, a true professional.
No clues and clues but one. There were fragments of a snuff box next to the victim. This thing was once owned by the Emperor of France Napoleon. The solution to the tragedy that Detective Dermot comes close to will turn out to be very unexpected.
Sherlock Holmes Tales
John Carr praised the work of one of the classics of the detective genre - Arthur Conan Doyle. He carefully examined the documents and existing literature about the famous author of "Sherlock Holmes" and wrote his book about his life and work: "The Biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle."
A close acquaintance with the son of the famous Englishman Andrian contributed to the writing of an excellent and reliable biography. Conan Doyle first of all appears to us as a real, living person with his own strengths and weaknesses. And in the second - as a writer, whose work deserves close attention. A description of the biography of John Carr was not limited. Together with Andrian, he wrote several stories from the cycle about Sherlock Holmes.
Historical detectives
There are more than a dozen books of this kind written by John Dixon Carr. "The Devil in Velvet" is one of the most interesting works written in the genre of historical detective story. Stories of time travel have always aroused writer's interest. A professor from the 20th century makes a deal with the devil and ends up in the 17th century, during the reign of Charles ll, king of England and Scotland. He is trying to prevent the killing of a beautiful woman. An exciting detective story against the background of a masterfully created picture of the era of Charles ll.
I would like to highlight another novel - "The Hungry Goblin". Wilky Collins, author of the famous mystical novel Woman in White, acts as the main character. Not only the plot is interesting, for the investigation of which a famous person is taken, but also the duration of the novel - England, mid-19th century. Before embarking on a new historical novel, the author studied various documents and books about the time that he described.
The basic principles of the writer
- To focus the reader’s attention, to distract him with trifles from the important, so that he does not know up to the last page which of the actors committed the crime.
- The plot can be completely unbelievable, the more implausible it will look, the more interesting it will be to read.
- Completely immerse the reader in the mysterious and incredible atmosphere of the events.
- The offender is cunning and dangerous, it is impossible to understand and calculate his actions, but the main character, who undertakes the investigation, still wins and reveals the crime by the power of his intellect.
- To confuse the reader with clues that can be found at the scene of the tragedy, they should be the most unusual.
Curious facts
- John Carr was chairman of the detective club for several years.
- During the Second World War he worked on the radio in the propaganda department, staged radio plays.
- Writers of the 21st century are very fond of writing about the so-called "fellow travelers" - people who fall into both the past and the future. Carr also has such books.
- He was twice awarded the Edgar Poe Literary Prize in the field of detective genre.
- Favorite writers are Arthur Conan Doyle and Gilbert Keith Chesterton.
- The first novel of the writer takes place in Paris, in a restaurant that actually existed, and in the main character you can easily recognize the chief of the French police.
- The works of John Carr managed to confuse even the queen of this genre - Agatha Christie, which she herself admitted to readers.
Adaptations of books by John Carr
Unfortunately, the attention of directors undeservedly bypasses the author’s book. Among the large number of works written by Carr, a little more than a dozen have been filmed. Among them is the film Man in a Cloak, based on the story A Gentleman from Paris.
Since 1948, John Dickson Carr began to appear as a screenwriter in television shows and movies. Films on books will still please fans of the writer's work, in any case, I really want to hope for that. After all, they have everything to create an exciting thriller: the dynamism of the plot, a sudden state of horror and fear and a sense of anxiety about the inevitable outcome.
John Dixon Carr Reader Reviews
Many people say about the writer's books that they can both amuse and very much scare. Carr masterfully manages to immerse the reader in the atmosphere of the events.
Many critics have noted that few recognized detective writers have managed to write as many high-quality works as John Dixon Carr. Screen versions of his books are very successful around the world.
Literary critics of not only America, but also many countries of the world, including Russia, call John Carr a classic of the literature of the detective genre. He is put on a par with such masters as Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. The author’s exciting books are admirable. John Dixon Carr is a writer for all time.
Seven reasons to read detective stories
- Develop memory and intelligence.
- Learn to focus on small details.
- They bring different emotions into everyday life: fear, anger, joy, satisfaction, and others.
- Many detectives are written on the basis of historical documents, therefore, they expand our horizons.
- Distract from problems, and they somehow quietly solved themselves.
- A good detective can be compared to solving crosswords. This is a good exercise for the mind.
- The person who committed the crime is always punished. Evil is punished, justice triumphs. What is not a reason for reading?
Read the detective stories of the best masters of this genre, which include all the books of John Dixon Carr. Enjoy the unraveling of crimes together with the writer's favorite characters: policeman Henri Bencoli, scientist Gideon Fell, and Sir Henry Merville.
Those readers who are just about to discover the amazing and unpredictable world of John Carr's novels can only envy.