Agatha Christie Agrees With Me

In a newly published essay that she wrote back in 1945, Agatha Christie indicates that she is not a fan of Harriet Vane, the character some of us believe brought down the Lord Peter Wimsey mystery series. A Guardian article on the essay claims Christie says that Wimsey "became through the course of years merely a 'handsome hero', and admirers of his early prowess can hardly forgive his attachment to, and lengthy courtship of, a tiresome young woman called Harriet".

Yeah, Agatha, that's pretty much it.

I would argue that the Wimsey/Vane relationship became a model for other characters in other mystery novels. For instance, Ramses and whatever that woman's name was that he pines after for volumes in the Amelia Peabody books.

I read the Lord Peter books when I was in college, as a new adult. I see many lit bloggers talking about the series. In fact, it was a children's writer/lit blogger Facebook Friend who linked to the Guardian story about Christie's essay. But I don't know if new adults actually read them, or any so-called "golden era" mysteries, anymore.