The silent world of Nicholas Quinn Book

The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn, the third novel about Inspector Morse, moves outside the Colleges to an independent organisation - The Oxford Examinations Syndicate - which runs exams for overseas students. The eponymous Nicholas Quinn is a recently appointed employee, though the decision by the committee had only been made after some disagreement, which hinged on the fact that he was profoundly deaf.

The novel centres round the small group of people working at this establishment, where there is a murder - and then a secondary murder. There are occasional visits to the Radcliffe hospital (where the narrator makes his views on modern architecture crystal clear) and a rather sleazy cinema, but otherwise the setting is the Syndicate building. And the fusty, claustrophobic feeling of a small, rather oldfashioned institution whose sole purpose is to make money by getting so-so students through exams, is conveyed very well.

What I disliked yet again about this novel, was the narrator's misogyny. It was published in 1977, and I had really hoped by now that Dexter would not still be viewing his female characters in such a shallow way. Morse is depicted as unpleasant throughout; bad-tempered, arrogant, viewing every female he meets in terms of their "bedworthiness", and only grudgingly covering his true feelings to all and sundry with a thin veneer of politeness. Sometimes he does not even bother with this, behaving in an appalling manner to Lewis (who well knows his moods, but wishes he wasn't "so coarse".) On one occasion he actually calls a female witness a "whore" to her face. (We are led to believe that this is because he is attracted to her himself, which means that he has not only double but probably triple standards.) This is certainly an antidote to the "gentleman detective" who has hitherto been so standard in British detective fiction.

It is difficult, but not impossible, to reconcile this side of Morse with his skill at crosswords, or fiendishly devious mind. (Other intellectual pursuits seem so far to have been inserted by scriptwriters in the TV versions.) What is unacceptable is that the narrator himself shares this tits-and-bum view of females. If a new male character is introduced we have a straightforward description. Sometimes there is not even that. The character is gradually built up and revealed through the telling of the story. A familiar and perfectly acceptable way of writing a novel. But a female character? No - the process is very different. There will probably be a few loaded words of description to sum them up; an instant judgement. Additionally they will be there solely to fulfil a role adjunct to the male characters. There is one exception - Monica Height - who is the token female in the academic establishment. The fact that Dexter has decided she is sexy, and that every male is besotted with her, is thrust down our throat at every opportunity. Women are a distraction. Men cannot help but be at the mercy of their baser instincts. There are 2 sorts of women - those who know this and capitalise on it ("whores") and those who are dowdy and stupid. This seems to be Dexter's world view in a nutshell. Dexter's - not Morse's. Morse is frequently nowhere around when the narrator is pontificating.

The reader may wonder whether it is worth reading these rather sad, sleazy novels, with the characters - including the coppers - indulging in voyeuristic viewings of a film about a busty nymphomaniac. (Sigh. Please keep your own fantasies outside your novels Mr Dexter.) However the plot is rather good. I would have preferred it though if the ending had been written in a more straightforward way; not with the action all being reported. There is a long exposition at the end, where Morse goes through at length, and in great detail, how he sees the crimes having been committed. This is rather reminiscent of Agatha Christie's Poirot. True to form, Morse has made so many inspired guesses that turn out to be incorrect, that the convoluted ending is far from clear. It is one of the more enjoyable parts of the characterisation, however, that Morse gets his results from inspired guesswork, leaving the detail and hard work to Lewis. The contrast makes for an entertaining read.

Incidentally, for Morseophiles, this is the first novel where it is noticed that nobody knows Morse's first name. Lewis comments on it. It is also the first novel where there is a brief mention of Lewis's wife.

Almost a quarter through the series, the reader has to expect that the characters have now been broadly determined. The plots are definitely worth sticking with, and the sense of place is quite good. It is really of small account that the main character is disagreeable. But it is to be hoped that the narrator (who does seem to speak with the author's voice) does not continue to have such a heavy-handed presence in the rest of these novels, given that he has such prejudicial views.

Edit: May 2015

It is worth adding a comment here, as I have now read and reviewed all 13, and the novels do indeed get better! I suspect John Thaw's interpretation of Morse's character may have fed into Colin Dexter's future portrayal of him. I'm also now rewatching the entire TV series, which adds yet another dimension.