William The John Locke, an Englishman, was born in 1863 and died in 1930 but his work has had an American following for many years. The Cambridge educated Locke trained as a teacher but preferred writing. I first came across Locke when I read The Three Wise Men (reviewed here previously) and continue to enjoy his work. Although his style and subject matter may appear very "old school" they have entertained audiences in print and film for many years. Although not a mystery in the sense that we use that term today, The Red Planet is, in fact a mystery.
The Red Planet was the #3 book in the U.S. in 1917. The themes are typical of the times, war, bravery vs. cowardliness, responsibility, and respectability which are themes for every generation. I believe everyone deserves to treat themselves to a couple of older British works and the $0.00 price tag on Kindle makes it easy to explore something different and timeless this summer.
Showing posts with label William John Locke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label William John Locke. Show all posts
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Day 18 Christmas Story
William John Locke was a very popular writer in the early 1900's in England was well as the United States with three New York Times bestseller to his credit. His holiday tale, A Christmas Mystery: The Story of Three Wise Men was published in 1910.
Three men, each famous in their fields, meet in front of a book stall at Paddington Station while waiting for their train. Being acquaintances they greet each other and enquire as to why and where they are traveling. Sir Angus McCurdie, a physicist, Professor Biggleswade who specializes in Assyriology, and the Right Honourable Viscount Doyne discover they are all going to he Christmas guests in an out of the way village at the Deverill home. Each man has reason to want to be out of touch over the holidays but are not anxious to celebrate in any way. They share a dread of the long trip ahead of them.
Sharing a carriage on the train and later to the home seems logical so they proceed. Along the way these distinguished men encounter events that change their plans and slow their trip. Each time there is a sudden chillness in the air and a faint "beating of wings". They end up on Christmas Eve in a shack where a series of circumstances change their lives forever.
You will be entertained by A Christmas Mystery: The Story of Three Wise Men and then have something to ponder after reading this old story. It is an easy evening read as it is only about fifty pages long. It is available free in digital form almost everywhere. An audio version can be found here, it can be found in several formats here and as a download for Kindle.
Three men, each famous in their fields, meet in front of a book stall at Paddington Station while waiting for their train. Being acquaintances they greet each other and enquire as to why and where they are traveling. Sir Angus McCurdie, a physicist, Professor Biggleswade who specializes in Assyriology, and the Right Honourable Viscount Doyne discover they are all going to he Christmas guests in an out of the way village at the Deverill home. Each man has reason to want to be out of touch over the holidays but are not anxious to celebrate in any way. They share a dread of the long trip ahead of them.
Sharing a carriage on the train and later to the home seems logical so they proceed. Along the way these distinguished men encounter events that change their plans and slow their trip. Each time there is a sudden chillness in the air and a faint "beating of wings". They end up on Christmas Eve in a shack where a series of circumstances change their lives forever.
You will be entertained by A Christmas Mystery: The Story of Three Wise Men and then have something to ponder after reading this old story. It is an easy evening read as it is only about fifty pages long. It is available free in digital form almost everywhere. An audio version can be found here, it can be found in several formats here and as a download for Kindle.
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