Introduction
Ngaio Marsh was one of the four great women writers
of the golden age of British detective fiction. Born and raised in New Zealand,
Ngaio Marsh spent much of her life traveling between New Zealand and Britain.
Marsh was British enough to write "British detective novels," but
still enough of an outsider to provide her readers with slightly critical,
often humorous, view of British society. In some ways her writing was typical
of this era, in other ways it was unique, and pushed the genre in new directions.
Many people know Ngaio Marsh only through her mystery
novels, but she was far more than just a mystery writer. Ngaio Marsh's true
passion was the theater, as can be seen in her portrayal of the theater in
her novels. Marsh was active in the theater through out her life, and was
influential in the shaping of New Zealand's culture primairily through her
activities in the arts, especially the theater.
Ngaio Marsh's life catches the researcher's interest and imagination as thoroughly
as any of her mystery novels.
This pathfinder was compiled for well-educated mystery buffs interested in furthering their knowledge of Ngaio Marsh. The pathfinder includes biographies, critical reviews of Marsh's work, as well as other types of resources. All of the resources here are available in the University of North Carolina's library system. These resources may lead the researcher farther a field but University of North Carolina's libraries provide a good starting point. The timeframe of the pathfinder starts with Ngaio Marsh's life, born 1895, and continues to present time, fall 2001. Using the resources listed in this guide a reader will be able to answer four important questions. Who was Ngaio Marsh? What shaped her work? How was she unique and/or typical of women mystery writers of her era? What did she contribute to the mystery genre?
Library of Congress Subject Headings The Library of Congress Subject Headings is
an established list used by many libraries to provide a controlled vocabulary
for subject headings. With a controlled vocabulary the trick is to know what
to search under. This guide provides a list of Library of Congress Subject
Headings as a starting point for searching. Library of Congress Subject Headings
provide cross-references for many subjects, allowing the searcher to follow
a variety of paths to the information.
LC Subject Headings
1. Marsh, Ngaio, 1895-1982. (LC)
2. Marsh, Ngaio, 1895-1982-Bibliography. (LC)
3. Marsh, Ngaio, 1895-1982-Biography. (LC)
4. Marsh, Ngaio, 1895-1982-Criticism and interpretation. (LC)
5. Authors, New Zealand-20th century. (LC)
6. Authors, New Zealand-20th century--Biography. (LC)
7. Theatrical producers and directors-New Zealand-Biography
8. Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616-Stage history-New Zealand.
9. Detective and mystery stories, New Zealand-History and criticism.
10. Women theatrical producers and directors-New Zealand-Biography.
11. Women and literature-New Zealand-History-20th century.
12. Women authors, New Zealand-20th century-Biography.
13. Authors, New Zealand-Bibliography.
14. Theatrical producers and directors-New Zealand-Biography
PR9639.3.M27Z
PR830.D4
PR888.D4T8
Most of the materials included on this pathfinder can be found
in Davis Library. Call numbers PK-PS119 are on Floor 7, AP is on Floor 2.
The reference books are in the first floor reference section, which is also
organized by call number.
Several articles, and the bibliography, are part of the Rare Book Collection
housed in Wilson Library. These materials are available to the public but
do not circulate. Patrons fill out a request form and the Library staff retrieves
the materials.
Provided below is a list of texts frequently mentioned in biographies and critical works included in this pathfinder. Each was mentioned at least twice, most were mentioned three or more times.
Bargainnier, Earl. (1978). Roderick Alleyn: Ngaio Marsh's
oxonian superintendent. Armchair detective 11, 63-71.
Rare Book Collection PN3448.D4 A7
Roderick Alleyn is an unusual character, both upper class and a policeman,
certainly not a common combination at the time Marsh was writing. Bargainnier
examines Roderick Alleyn's personality, attitudes, etc, to present a strong
argument for Roderick Alleyn being a believable character. Bargainnier proposes
a chronology of life events for Roderick Alleyn, although the years are uncertain;
Marsh limited the use of dates in her books.
Bargainnier, Earl. (1977). Ngaio Marsh's 'theatrical murders.' Armchair
detective 10, 175-181.
Rare Book Collection PN3448.D4 A7
Bargainnier begins with a brief overview of Marsh's theatrical career, then
goes on to examine how her theater experiences affected her novels. He looks
at the theatrical characters, and settings, in Marsh's novels. A clue to Marsh's
opinion of the theater is the way she speaks of the theater; when does she
use satire versus a sympathetic approach.
Bargainnier, Earl. (1981). Ngaio Marsh. In Earl Bargainnier (Ed.), Ten
women of mystery (pp. 81-105). Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State
University Popular Press.
Davis PN471.B37
The purpose of the book is to examine the contributions of women writers in
the first recreational reading field where books by women writers were read
by both men and women, and women writers quickly achieved near-equality with
male writers. The introduction also clearly states its limitations; only ten
writers were selected. There is one essay per mystery author, arranged chronologically
by birth, and divided by nationality, although Marsh is thrown in with the
British. There are two indexes, one of characters, one of titles.
Dooley, Allan C., & Dooley, Linda J. (1989). Rereading Ngaio Marsh. In
Bernard Benstock (Ed.), Art in crime writing (pp. 33-34). New York:
St. Martin's.
Davis PR888.D4 A77 1983
This essay focuses on the re-readability of Ngaio Marsh's novels. The authors
endeavor to answer: "Why do so many people reread Marsh's novel?"
They argue, convincingly, it is the world Marsh creates in her books that
draws readers back. The level of detail Marsh uses when describing settings,
and characters, creates a realism that draws the reader into the world of
the book. Once the reader enters this world a terrible crime is committed
that throws the world off-balance. The only way to "fix" the world
is to solve the mystery. Also, Marsh provides all the clues necessary for
the reader to reach the same conclusions as Roderick Alleyn and solve the
case, at least after the reader knows the answer and is rereading the book!
A chronology of Marsh's mystery novels is provided.
Mann, Jessica. (1981). Deadlier than the male: an investigation
into feminine crime writing. Newton Abbot and London: David and Charles.
Davis PR830.D4 M3 1981
In Part I of her book, Jessica Mann proposes to answer the question "why
is it that respectable English women are so good at murder?" Ngaio Marsh,
as well as several other British women writers, is amongst the few authors
whose fame and popularity continue after their deaths. In Part II, one chapter
is devoted to a biography of Ngaio Marsh.
McDorman, Kathryne Slate. (1991). Ngaio Marsh. Boston: Twayne Publishers.
(see Critical Works)
Thompson, Mervyn. (1982). On the death of Ngaio Marsh. Landfall
142, 442-446.
This poem gives an interesting perspective on Ngaio Marsh's impact on New
Zealand's culture and society.
Davis AP7 .L35
(see Poetry)
Williams, Richard, & Rowan Gibbs. (1990). Ngaio Marsh:
A bibliography of English language publications in hardback and paperback:
With a guide to the value of the first editions. Scunthorpe, England:
Dragonby Press.
Rare Book Collection Z8551.14 .G5 1990
An interesting work for collectors, this bibliography provides a thorough
listing of editions and publishers up to the time it was published. There
is a very brief introduction to who Ngaio Marsh was. The main index is in
alphabetic order by title, with a list of editions. Then the books are subdivided
first by country of publication, further subdivided by publisher, and under
each publisher titles are arranged alphabetically. The approximate value of
books is provided. The pamphlet is obviously out of date with regards to the
value of any editions. However, it is still of interest to a collector interested
in finding first editions, or collecting editions from a particular publisher.
Guides, Encyclopedias, and Dictionaries
Subject encyclopedias provide well-organized coverage to a specific field of knowledge. They are a good starting point in research, giving a quick overview and orientation to the subject. Many have bibliographies after each entry, giving the reader other sources to pursue.
Smith, Jennifer. (1994). Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982). In Kathleen
Greogory Klein, Great women mystery writers, classic to contemporary
(pp.215-219). Connecticut: Greenwood Press.
Davis Reference PR830.D4G74 1994
This essay provides a concise overview of Marsh's writing career. There is
a bibliography of Ngaio Marsh's books. The subject guide also contains a number
of appendixes, including a list of Edgar and Agatha award winners, information
on various mystery fan activities and organizations, a listing of specialty
booksellers, and a listing of novels by popular sub-genres.
Harding, Bruce. (1998). Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982). In Robin
W. Winks, Mystery and suspense writers, the literature of crime, detection,
and espionage, v.2, (pp.665-677). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
Davis Reference PR830.D4M971998V.2
Harding's essay on Ngaio Marsh begins with a thorough introduction to her
career as a mystery writer, as well as her involvement in the theater. He
goes on to critique her work, focusing on several aspects, such as her writing
style, characters, settings, and the critical reception of her work. At the
end of the article there is a selected bibliography of: novels, plays, short
stories, nonfiction books, monographs, articles, essays, and television scripts.
Bibliographies and Autobiographies
Marsh, Ngaio. (1965). Black beech and honeydew. Boston:
Little, Brown and Company.
Davis PR9639.3.M27Z5
Of course it is hard to question Ngaio Marsh's authority, who else could possible
know more about her? Marsh's autobiography provides a unique, and interesting,
perspective on what she considered to be the important events, people, and
places that shaped who she was.
Rahn, B. J. (1995). Ngaio Marsh, the woman and her work. Metuchen,
NJ: Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Davis PR9639.3.M27Z831995
This biography is a surprise in that it consists of many essays by different
people. Including many contributors ensures the reader is provided with a
well-rounded, more complete vision of Ngaio Marsh. The essays focus on different
aspects of Ngaio Marsh's life. There are reminiscences, essays focusing on
Marsh's involvement in theater, her detective fiction, and her short stories.
Included are a chronology of plays directed by Marsh, a bibliography of detective
novels, and a bibliography of short stories.
back to top
Critical Works
McDorman, Kathryne Slate. (1991). Ngaio Marsh. Boston:
Twayne Publishers.
Davis PR9639.3.M27Z791991c.2
McDorman's book studies Ngaio Marsh's work as it exemplifies the model of
the golden age of detective fiction. She compares Ngaio Marsh's work to the
other three great golden age authors, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie,
and Margery Allingham.
Weinkauf, Mary S. (1996). Murder most poetic, the mystery
novels of Ngaio Marsh. San Bernardino, CA: Brownstone Books.
Davis PR9639.3.M27Z941996
This book is a good resource for readers interested in how Marsh's theater
career affected her mystery writing. A nice feature of this book is the appendices.
There is an appendix of actors who are killers or killed in Marsh's books,
an appendix of Shakespearean plays quoted in Marsh's works, and an appendix
of Shakespeare's characters in Marsh's books. The primary bibliography has
Marsh's mystery books, the secondary bibliography lists a good number of critical
articles and books. There is a general index, a character index, and an index
of Shakespeare's plays and characters. This book is a good resource for readers
interested in how Marsh's theater career affected her mystery writing.
The abstracts and indexes databases listed here are accessible from any computer on the University of North Carolina's campus. In order to access these databases from off campus you must possess a PID, the personal identification number assigned by the University, and have your computer set to the library system's proxy server. Directions for off-campus access are available on the Electronic Indexes and Databases page of the library web-page at http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/
Biography and genealogy master index. (2001). The Gale
Group. http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/
select "G" then select Biography and genealogy master index
Searching this database for Ngaio Marsh brings up a wide variety of biographical
references including periodical articles, books entries, and encyclopedia
entries.
ABELL (Annual bibliography of English language and literature).
(1997-2001). ProQuest Information and Learning Company. http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/
select "A" then select ABELL (Annual bibliography of English
language and literature).
ABELL contains a variety of references for Ngaio Marsh, including articles
about her, reviews of Marsh's work, reviews of works about Marsh, and plays
and books by Marsh.
Ngaio Marsh Trust. (last updated Feb. 2, 2001). Dame Ngaio
Marsh's home. Viewed November 4, 2001, at http://www.ngaio-marsh.org.nz/
Email: info@ngaio-marsh.org.nz
Run by the Ngaio Marsh House and Heritage Trust, this site provides many interesting
facts about Ngaio Marsh's home and life. Visitors can book guided tours of
the house. An e-mail address is provided for those interested in learning
more, or wanting to book a tour in advance.
St. John, Nicole. (n.d.). Ngaio Marsh society international.
Chipmunk crossing on-line. Viewed November 4, 2001, at http://www.chipmunkcrossing.com/index.html
The Ngaio Marsh Society International is hosted on a site run by Nicole St.
John, the founding chair of the society. The Ngaio Marsh Society International
was founded to promote an appreciation for Marsh's contributions to society,
preserve her work, and encourage others to follow a similar interdisciplinary
approach in the development of their work. The society has two publications,
a twice-yearly newsletter, Harmony, and an annual journal, Promtpbook. However,
to receive either publication you must join the society and pay twenty dollar
dues.
Thompson, Mervyn. (1982). On the death of Ngaio Marsh. Landfall
142, 442-446.
Davis AP7 .L35
When researching Ngaio Marsh'e life the reader will undoubtedly learn of the
controversy surrounding her opinions of New Zealand culture. Mervyn Thompson's
poem, written shortly after her death, gives an interesting perspective on
this conflict and Ngaio Marsh's impact on New Zealand's culture and society.
back to top
Collections
The Rare Book Collection, housed in Wilson library, contains
a variety of Ngaio Marsh's novels. There are some first editions, and a few
books with their original dust jackets. The collection is cataloged under
Marsh, Ngaio, in a section of the card catalog. It is best to ask a librarian
for help. The books in the Rare Book Collection do not circulate, but can
be read and examined in the reading room provided.
Laura Bell
Last updated: Friday, December 7, 2001
Photo obtained from the page: www.nzine.co.nz/features/ elric_part1.html
