Although less well known than S.S. Van Dine, Dashiell
Hammett, or Raymond Chandler, Clyde B. Clason published ten books between 1936
and 1941. An advertising copy writer and editor, Clason was born in Denver,
Colorado in 1903. Little is known of his personal life. In fact, every
reference I found provided the exact same information word-for-word.
Those of you looking to read about unusual protagonist might
enjoy any or all of Clason’s novels. They feature amateur sleuth Theocritus
Lucius Westborough, an elderly scholar of the Roman Empire. Westborough is
cultured, highly educated, and has an extensive knowledge of art. In each book,
Westborough assists the police, stereo-typed as good natured, honest, and a bit
“bumbly.” The stories themselves contain intricate plots, most of which are locked-room
mysteries. Most of the crimes take place in high-end, museum-like homes which
are described in great detail.
In his article comparing Clason to Van Dine, blogger Mike Grost postulates that “Clason, like
Van Dine and many other writers of his school, was sympathetic to racial
minorities, and his books contain protests against racism. In both writer, the
anti-racist theme is linked to a respectful, knowledgeable treatment of world
art, with equal admiration being given to art created by all races.”
A reminder that novelists have an opportunity to edify and
influence their readers through well-crafted, entertaining story-telling.
What authors have you read who weave social causes into
their writing?
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