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The Shortest Way To Hades (1995)

The Shortest Way to Hades (1995)

Book Info

Series
Rating
4.14 of 5 Votes: 2
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ISBN
0440212332 (ISBN13: 9780440212331)
Language
English
Publisher
dell

About book The Shortest Way To Hades (1995)

Proper British lawyers + orgies = win! I love these ladies like they were my legal sisters. My sisters-in-law, if you would. Bah dum tsss. Thank you folks, I’m here all week. Anyway, they are so wonderful. Instead of hilarious Shakespeare jokes, like the first book had, this book has some impressive Homer references. I wouldn’t really say they’re Homer jokes, but it’s possible I’m missing some of the hilarity, not being the Homer scholar that I wish I was. It’s more like Homer wit. Like the first in the series, this is just a perfect book. No complaints that I can remember. Again, I can’t give it five stars, but this is a really, really, really high four stars.You can read this one as a stand-alone. You will not know as much as you should about Julia’s clumsiness or passion for beautiful profiles, but I think you’d still be able to catch up. Likewise, you will not have a background in the particulars of the rest of this Scooby gang, but I’m sure you’d figure them out really quickly. The stories only build on each other slightly. And, if Homer’s more your man than Shakespeare, this one would be perfect for you! Funny note about these books: the women lawyers are called by their first names and the men are called by their last names. I get this. We all have to call each other Mr. This or Ms. That in our first year in law school, so some people I still call by their last names. I wouldn’t say I tend to do this more with girls or guys, but I bet it was more natural, back in the dark ages of the 1980s, to call women by their first names because if they married, they would change last names. It is difficult to start calling someone a new name when you’re used to an old one. Law is a difficult field for women, though, imo. I was talking to one of my women professors last week, and she told me that when she graduated, I believe in the 1970s, she was first in her class, editor of the law review, and passed the bar with the highest score, but she couldn’t get a job. That totally sucks. Even now, I think law is pretty entrenched in some insidious hierarchical ideas that the rest of society doesn’t necessarily buy into. So, there’s also the option that women were called by their first names as an unconscious disrespect. That would be sad. It’s not distracting in the book, though, because these ladies are seriously amazing. I really love them. Seriously. A lot of people should read these books. Especially people on goodreads.com. These books are, like made for us. If there were LOL Cats in 1985, there would be LOL Cat references in these books, I’m pretty sure. Classical literature and comedy . . . AND! Even tragedy! And sweet political commentary, but in a funny way – not heavy handed. Come on, people! Why are you not reading these books more?! I know there aren’t faeries or vampires in them . . . but maybe there are!!! You don’t know! And there are hilarious stories that are mysterious, but have a point in the end. I am such a fangirl for Sarah Caudwell. If I’m ever a lawyer, I want to be just like her.

"I am an historian--my profession largely consists of speaking ill of the dead."Another clever mystery, but oh gosh, there was an extended cricket scene. The sport of cricket is utterly incomprehensible to me, and I'm surprised I didn't throw the book out amid the lengthier passages detailing bowls and overs and runs. (I think the author went on to make fun of the inclusion of the excessive cricket descriptions, but I couldn't summon up a sense of humor about that. Cricket! One of the worst things to try to read, I swear.)On the bright side, however, the mystery was nicely plotted, and whatever misdirections and mistaken assumptions there were all seemed reasonable misdirections to take and assumptions to make. There was a moment I was facepalming at Hilary rather foolishly going somewhere private with one of the main suspects, but there wasn't much ridiculous recklessness otherwise.While the book didn't tickle my funny bone quite as much as the first one, it was still a delightful read. The Greek and Homeric nerdiness was fun, and if you like tax law, there's lot of nerdiness there, too! And the Julia-and-Selena-unintentionally-attend-an-orgy scene was pretty marvelous (and important for the plot, to boot!). After ingesting some mood-altering substances, the upright and cool-headed Selena got in touch with her wild side by plopping down on the sofa to read some Jane Austen. This master of propriety even got tetchy with her host. Quoth Selena: "He frequently interrupted his artistic activities, however, to urge me to take my clothes off and enjoy myself--this made it very difficult for me to concentrate on Pride and Prejudice. Isn't it curious how intolerant some people are of other people's pleasures? Was I pestering Rupert to put his clothes on and read Jane Austen? No, I wasn't."

Do You like book The Shortest Way To Hades (1995)?

This is the fourth and last of Sarah Caudwell's hilarious, awesome tax lawyer mysteries for me (though I guess the second in the series -- I found no need to read them in order). The plot was redonkulous (sp?) as usual but also really great, not that I remember what happened. The books are great overall and I particularly enjoy the nerdy legal plot points, not to mention the odd culture of practicing law in the U.K., which frankly seems much more enjoyable than practicing in the U.S. Either that or my judgment is clouded by the way the young barristers are always slipping past their chambers clerk and going to the wine bar next door to get sloshed. When will I ever find a mystery series I enjoy as much?
—Sarah

The funniest moment was drugged Selena letting go of all inhibitions and reading her Jane Austen in the middle of an orgy. And this struck a chord: "There are days in which Julia does not open letters. She is overcome, as I understand it, by a sort of superstitious dread, in which she is persuaded that letters bode her no good: they will be from the Gas Board, and demand money; or from the Inland Revenue, and demand accounts; or from some much value friend, and demand an answer. If a letter arrives on such a day as this, she does not open it but puts it carefully away, to be dealt with when she feels stronger. After that, I supposed, it is never seen again."
—_inbetween_

The second of the Hilary Tamar books. A little less compelling than the first, but good nonetheless. Again, the mystery was solvable. The characters were fun (I adored Selena and Julia at the orgy and then esp. Julia with Rowena later), although there were many parts I found slow (and no, I do not like descriptions of cricket matches; I do not understand them).I am not sure, however, why Caudwell thinks that Classicists deny any historicity in Homer? That is certainly not true. However, Classicists do (in general) deny that there was "A Homer," which she seems unaware of (oral tradition).
—Drianne

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