Godfrey Benson (1864–1945)

“Much mystery attached to the circumstances of [Eustace Peter’s] death. It was into my hands that chance threw the clue to this mystery, and it is for me, if for anyone, to relay the facts.” Thus begins our somewhat unwilling, and often apparently unreliable narrator, who remains the main character of interest. The words “I,” “me,” and “my” dominate the story. The true nature of the other characters remains a moving _target as the narrator reluctantly tries to gather the facts. A window into the latter days of Empire; someone catches sight of a suspect writing a letter “addressed to Bombay, or Beirut, or somewhere beginnning with a B.” Batavia is also in the mix, along with Melbourne, Saigon, and Nagasaki. The author’s sole foray into mystery writing, which I regret, as this was an enjoyable read.… (more)

1140 Abraham Lincoln, by Godfrey Rathbone Benson [Lord Charnwood] (read 25 Nov 1971) This is a book of about 500 pages, and in that size said little I did not already know. I have read so much on the Civil War. I should really not read any more. About a year ago the three-volume work on Jefferson Davis was read. It was still fresh in my mind, even though told from another angle entirely. Furthermore, Charnwood's English and his lack of familiarity with the very obvious workings of American politics made this book seem superficial at times.… (more)