E.Phillips Oppenheim

tockus · 12-10-2007, 02:23 PM

Oh dear! Am I the only 'admirer' of Oppenheim? He is hopelessly dated and snobbish - but entertaining! Does anyone still read his stuff now? I have 32 books from his output of about 150.

cape codder · 12-26-2007, 04:41 PM

I want to learn more about this author. I enjoy the very best in mystery novels and am wondering if anyone has a particular favorite?
Please let me know.
Thanks

Nightshade · 12-26-2007, 04:47 PM

I read alot of his stuff about 5 years ago, loved most of it... but now the books are sort of blurred in my mind.... I think, The tempting of T[(whoever) was a really good one, Jeanne of the Marshes I rember the title of straiight awa so presumebly that was a good one, I do rember though that his books can be used as a good reflection of changing attitudes to war surronding WWI, as he wrote throught the period and you can see the disllutionment begin to creep in here and there.

But th best pice of advise I could give you is try one and make your own mind up.

And welcome to the litnet

tockus · 02-10-2008, 06:06 PM

Nightshade, The temptation of TAVERNAKE is the book you were thinking of I think. I have both his autobiography (awful) and his biography (Standish) very good.
Although I have about 33 of his books, half of them I haven't read yet!
I think he was becoming dissolutioned about world affairs before WW1, but money was was he was after more than anything, and he certainly strived towards it with more than 150 books, and many magazine short stories, especially in USA.

bluezendog · 03-26-2008, 07:39 PM

In November and December past (2007) I picked up a few armloads of free books from a used bookstore. I grabbed what looked interesting, intending to cull them later, but I read them all. Among them was Oppenheim's "The Battle of Basinghall Street", published in the U.S. in 1935, Little and Brown (I think I'm right on that). I enjoyed the book quite a bit; style, plot, pace, etc. I found a point of interest in the name of the author and an event in the story (don't want to disclose details, as much as I can, however...), especially considering the date it was written. In reviewing the front of the book to learn more about the author, I found more that interested me, e.g. his prolific writing, but in particular that he had written a book called "A Modern Prometheus" (which from the only brief synopsis I found calling it 'a romance', it doesn't seem noteworthy re my 'narrative'). I found this interesting because of the curious 'point' I had mentioned, and also because years earlier I obtained a used t-shirt promoting/celebrating a play, "Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus" apparently based on the book by Mary Shelley. I didn't realize her book had the alternate title when originally published. Not having read Oppenheim's book I wondered if he was influenced by Shelley or her story. Then, when researching this information further, I found another book: "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer", Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, 2005, Knopf. I thought all of this was interesting, in my own creative way, and wondered if there is, or could be, some overall connecting theme or story (to be continued...). Additionally I found that both authors often have the titles of their stories erroneously credited to the other ('THE' Modern Prometheus vs. 'A' Modern Prometheus). I assume due to the fact that Oppenheim is of lesser reknown the mistake is of little note or concern to most folks. I appreciate the prior posts, specifically about Standish's biography. I intend to read more of Oppenheim and the noted biography. 03.

12-10-2007, 02:23 PM	#1
tockus Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3	E.Phillips Oppenheim Oh dear! Am I the only 'admirer' of Oppenheim? He is hopelessly dated and snobbish - but entertaining! Does anyone still read his stuff now? I have 32 books from his output of about 150.

12-26-2007, 04:41 PM	#2
cape codder Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1	E. Phillips Oppenheim I want to learn more about this author. I enjoy the very best in mystery novels and am wondering if anyone has a particular favorite? Please let me know. Thanks

12-26-2007, 04:47 PM	#3
Nightshade Lady of Smilies Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Now that would be telling it, wouldnt it? Posts: 13,502 Blog Entries: 140	I read alot of his stuff about 5 years ago, loved most of it... but now the books are sort of blurred in my mind.... I think, The tempting of T[(whoever) was a really good one, Jeanne of the Marshes I rember the title of straiight awa so presumebly that was a good one, I do rember though that his books can be used as a good reflection of changing attitudes to war surronding WWI, as he wrote throught the period and you can see the disllutionment begin to creep in here and there. But th best pice of advise I could give you is try one and make your own mind up. And welcome to the litnet __________________ My mission in life is to make YOU smile ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The time has come," the Walrus said,"To talk of many things: Forum Rules- You know you want to read 'em \|Litnet Challange status = 5/260 \|currently reading

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02-10-2008, 06:06 PM	#4
tockus Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3	Nightshade, The temptation of TAVERNAKE is the book you were thinking of I think. I have both his autobiography (awful) and his biography (Standish) very good. Although I have about 33 of his books, half of them I haven't read yet! I think he was becoming dissolutioned about world affairs before WW1, but money was was he was after more than anything, and he certainly strived towards it with more than 150 books, and many magazine short stories, especially in USA.

03-26-2008, 07:39 PM	#5
bluezendog Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1	In November and December past (2007) I picked up a few armloads of free books from a used bookstore. I grabbed what looked interesting, intending to cull them later, but I read them all. Among them was Oppenheim's "The Battle of Basinghall Street", published in the U.S. in 1935, Little and Brown (I think I'm right on that). I enjoyed the book quite a bit; style, plot, pace, etc. I found a point of interest in the name of the author and an event in the story (don't want to disclose details, as much as I can, however...), especially considering the date it was written. In reviewing the front of the book to learn more about the author, I found more that interested me, e.g. his prolific writing, but in particular that he had written a book called "A Modern Prometheus" (which from the only brief synopsis I found calling it 'a romance', it doesn't seem noteworthy re my 'narrative'). I found this interesting because of the curious 'point' I had mentioned, and also because years earlier I obtained a used t-shirt promoting/celebrating a play, "Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus" apparently based on the book by Mary Shelley. I didn't realize her book had the alternate title when originally published. Not having read Oppenheim's book I wondered if he was influenced by Shelley or her story. Then, when researching this information further, I found another book: "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer", Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, 2005, Knopf. I thought all of this was interesting, in my own creative way, and wondered if there is, or could be, some overall connecting theme or story (to be continued...). Additionally I found that both authors often have the titles of their stories erroneously credited to the other ('THE' Modern Prometheus vs. 'A' Modern Prometheus). I assume due to the fact that Oppenheim is of lesser reknown the mistake is of little note or concern to most folks. I appreciate the prior posts, specifically about Standish's biography. I intend to read more of Oppenheim and the noted biography. 03.