A Welcome Reappearance For The Much-Missed Periodical About All Things R. Austin Freeman
This week I was fortunate to receive a copy of the newly-revived John Thorndyke’s Journal, a periodical magazine in A5 format which ran for eight excellent issues in the 1990s. It was the brainchild of R. Austin Freeman expert David Ian Chapman, who acted as editor and has now revived the ‘Journal‘ after a long hiatus, with the release of issue nine. I collected the previous issues, usually by picking them up at the long-gone and sadly-missed Murder One bookshop in Charing Cross Road, though I am unfortunately missing a copy of issue number seven, which David has kindly promised to look for among his stored papers. The ‘Journal‘ was always full of interesting articles and sidelights into Freeman’s life and work, with an understandable bias towards his most celebrated character, Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke, the first and most influential truly scientic detective in fiction. Contributers included Tony Medawar, Andrew Stephen McAleer and A. P. H. Hughes, alongside a significant number of articles by David himself. As well as a series on ‘Thorndyke’s London’, which offered insight into many of the locations mentioned in the stories, there were articles about the history of the Freeman family, the chronology of the Thorndyke stories and detailed analysis of specific titles from the canon. Also included were some rare Freeman short stories, which at the time were unavailable elsewhere – including a couple featuring his early series character, Gravesend water-rat Bill Jakins. David also produced some supplemental issues, including one featuring the rare inverted story The Dead Hand (1912), later expanded into The Shadow Of The Wolf (1925)
The new issue again comes in A5 format, matching the previous series nicely, and features articles by David, Howard Bridy, Philip Scowcroft and A. H. P. Hughes. David provides an introduction in his article ‘Flotsom’, explaining the hiatus in the Journals publication and very kindly mentioning the Dr John Thorndyke Appreciation Page on Facebook, which I began in 2021 and of which he is a regular and highly valued contributor. There is background on the genesis of the Journal, springing as it did from the unfortunate demise of The Thorndyke File, which ran for over 30 issues between 1976-1986. His article also provides information about recent auction sales of Freeman’s works, including co-author J. J. Pitcairn’s personal copy of the ultra-rare The Adventure Of Romney Pringle, which I am honoured to now have as part of my own collection.
Next up Howard Brody provides an excellent analysis of Freeman’s development as a writer in Freeman, Pitcairn and the Emergence of Thorndyke. Looking at the early stories and non-fiction works, Brody examines how Freeman -alone and in collaboration – developed from a writer who had a pleasing and readable style and could create atmosphere and interesting settings to one who could also master plot. Brody interestingly posits that for Freeman ‘plot development ultimately depended on a strong central character’ and that Thorndyke’s creation was critical to Freeman’s eventual writing success. He also nicely catalogues the similarities and discrepencies between Thorndyke and Sherlock Holmes, and the reasoning behind the latter.
Philip Scrowcroft, well-known to many crime fiction devotees for his research and analysis – as well as numerous articles in CADS, The Dorothy L. Sayers Society Journal etc. – next provides some thoughts on Freeman’s contribution in regards to the inverted detective story. Here he examines Freeman’s output in comparison with some of his followers and contrempararies, in particular Isabel Ostrander and, most significantly, Freeman Wills Crofts. This is a shorter and therefore less academic analysis than the Brody one and therefore a good companion piece.
The final contribution comes from A. H. P. Hughes, who writes about the house of titular character Daniel Penrose, situated in Queen Square, Bloomsbury. This was also the location of the house of the missing man John Bellingham in The Eye Of Osiris (1911), so a locality Freeman used more than once in his novels. Hughes mentions his partiality for The Penrose Mystery (1936), to a certain degree because of his own personal history with the area, and then gives some analysis of the exact location, size and layout of the house. He also points out that at the time Freeman wrote The Penrose Mystery, the statue which stands in the square was misidentified as Queen Anne, whilst current research suggests it is of Queen Charlotte and of a later date than previously believed. Again an interesting read.
I am delighted to see the return of John Thorndyke’s Journal, and this one features three fine contributions, in particular the article by Howard Brody, as well as an informative introduction by David. I hope more issues will be forthcoming and have a couple of contributions of my own in progress, should David need them and consider them worthy of inclusion. If anyone else has an article they’d like to submit or ideas they feel may be of interest please let David know.
Copies of the Journal are available from David at Highfield Press, who is contactable here:
dichapman9@ntlworld.com
Also available are:
Collecting R. Austin Freeman – A Bibliography
R. Austin Freeman and The Adventures Of Romney Pringle: An Investigation
Both of these are highly recommended.
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John Thorndyke’s Journal #9
pp 24, A5
With 2 x Colour and 2 x B&W photographs
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R E Faust
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Please leave any comments, corrections or suggestions below.
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Witness To The Crime 