Richard Osman has inarguably become one of the most popular writers, in an unbelievably short amount of time! Originally a TV show host in the BBC quiz shows Pointless and House of Games, he took to writing the Thursday Murder Club series. The first book in this series, the fastest million-copy seller ever was called The Thursday Murder Club! Since the success of the first book which was in 2020, Osman seems to be rolling out more books of the series at a tremendous pace and he has brought out three more! These include The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed and The Last Devil To Die! His book is therefore a landmark in the literary world! They are much loved in the world, and it is easy to understand why!
In terms of the style, this book has a unique, innovative style, both in the two realms that it takes from. It Is a unique book in terms of the way that it has merged two very different genres: comedy and crime! The book can be considered a light read, yet the theme of the book is paradoxically, a heavy subject: murder! This is, therefore, a unique merging of style, and has attracted book lovers all over. It is, therefore, quite a radical revelation, and marks a huge innovation in the literary world!
In a talk that Osman gave recently, Osman discusses his writing process, and how it was a different experience as compared to his stint on television. While on British television, being a TV presenter but not being witty is a sin, the same he argues could not come to his book. His comedy, he claims, comes from the characters. He said, “The Characters are so witty and funny themselves, I didn’t have to do much”. There are four main characters in his book, who are retired individuals: Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, and Ron, and they come together every Thursday, to solve old murders…Until a new murder happens! Osman also wrote about how he was inspired by his own mother and the society in which she lived for his book. The book therefore has a lot more to do with the characters, rather than the crime itself, and essentially traces their character development, their trajectories and their emotions. The anomaly of putting comedy and murder together was therefore resolved, through the characters!
However, the question remains, did the merging happen entirely successfully? Though the multi-million copy selling is a testament in itself to the book's huge success and needs no further comment, sometimes, a problem does emerge when you are reading it! The pace of the murder mystery is supposed to be a slow burn, with breathtaking chapter ends that make you want to inevitably turn the page. However, comedy is written at a fast, witty pace. Though comedy in this book, is mostly confined to the characters, the comedic elements sometimes obscure the intensity and seriousness of the mystery itself, which leads to a sacrificing of the suspense and a dull read. This sometimes can get in the way, for those looking in the book for a good solid mystery story! However, put it along with your PG Wodehouse on the shelves, and read it as a good comedy, and the result will be far more promising!
Happy Reading!
