98 years since the birth of PD James, one of the great ladies of the black genre.
PD James, August 3, 1920 - Oxford, November 27, 2014, the creator of the unforgettable detective Adam Dalgliesh was one of the first female writers of the black genre, after Agatha Christie opened a difficult path that until then had been closed to women.
Passionate about Jane Austen, since I was a child I wanted to be a writer, but life took her in other directions.
PD James had to drop out of school at 16 to work on the farm, he got married very young with her husband, doctor, what suffered from schizophrenia after serving in World War II and she was forced to take care of him, her two children and work outside.
“During the day, we had to put our pillows on the cribs to protect the children in case a bomb blew up the windows. At night, our beds were moved into the hallways, away from the flying glass, and we took the children to the basement. I remember lying there at night crying as I thought if there was a bomb, how was I going to find my baby? That was the worst part of the war for me »declared PD James in an interview, about his life.
Her beginnings as a writer:
When her husband died with 44 years, she he moved with the children to live with his in-laws, studied, changed jobs and I arrive to be an official in the forensic services of the Ministry of the Interior.
“I was very proud to have achieved the position. They usually didn't want people who had dropped out of school at 16 and very few women were successful. But I was number three in the country in the exam, which surprised me a lot. I still have the admission letter. And believe it or not, it started with 'Dear sir', and they crossed out 'sir' and wrote 'madam' above it. "
When the children were older, sent them to boarding school, as was the custom in the country, and their grandparents took care of them during the holidays so that she could write. Despite her success as a writer, she continued her work until she retired.
Passionate about detective stories and the work of Jane Austen, PD James wrote his particular black version of Pride and Prejudice: Death comes to Pemberley.
"I wanted to combine my two passions, writing detective novels and reading Jane Austen."
Adam Dalgliesh is born, one of the most famous detectives of the black genre.
Although they were not her only novels, the fourteen starring detective Adam Dalgliesh were the ones that made her known throughout the world.
«From the beginning I looked for credibility. My first thought is that amateur detectives don't really have the resources to investigate a murder, mine must be a professional. It couldn't be a woman because there were no female detectives at the time. I just produced the kind of hero I'd like to read about: brave but not reckless, compassionate but not sentimental, ”PD James said when asked how he created Adam Dalgliesh.
The best-selling novels in the series were Mortise for a nightingale (1971) Death of a coroner (1977)
Life and Miracles of Adam Dalgliesh
Adam Dalgliesh was born and raised in Norfolk, the son of a rector of a small parish. His only living relative is his aunt Jane with whom he maintains an excellent relationship and who, upon her death, bequeaths him a mill on the Norfolk coast. Dalgliesh is a widower: he lost his wife during the delivery of his son, and since then he has rejected the commitment to another woman. Several go through his life, but he does not agree to take another step until he meets Professor Emma Lavenham, whom he finally asks to marry him. The wedding is celebrated in one of the latest novels, The Private Patient, published in 2008.
His best friend, Conrad Ackroyd is a member of the Cadaver Club, a private club of criminology enthusiasts.
Dalgliesh begins the series as an inspector in the Metropolitan Police Service of Scotland Yard in London where he becomes a commander after a successful career.
Dalgliesh is a rational, cold person who loves his privacy. He is a poet, and has published several books with his poems, which makes him something of a celebrity in the body. He lives in a flat on the River Thames in the City of London and drives, first a Cooper Bristol and eventually a Jaguar. His description is a tribute to the handsome Mr. Darcy, male protagonist of the favorite novel, Pride and Prejudiceby Jane Austen, PD's landmark writer. James.
Adam Dalgliesh, one of the most famous detectives of the black genre.
Beyond Dalgliesh:
In addition to the two novels starring the detective Cordelia gray, PD James wrote stories outside of the noir genre.
His novel The Children of Men (1992), the first that does not belong to the noir genre, is a futuristic novel set in a world devoid of children. The reality is that he did not have a great reception among the public, accustomed to his detective stories, but in 2006, his film adaptation, children of men, earned two Oscar nominations.