Laura (1942)

I’m starting the two-volume collection of “suspense novels” by women crime writers from the 1940s and 1950s, published by Library of America. Vera Caspary’s Laura is the first. It was serialized in 1942, published as this short novel in 1943, and then served in 1944 as the basis for Otto Preminger’s first movie, of the same name, with Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Vincent Price, and Clifton Webb. It’s a pretty nifty picture but as usual the book is better. Like a lot of midcentury crime fiction, it came under some modern literary influences, with light touches of experimentation. The formal POV in Laura shifts from section to section. The most effective is Laura herself, who finally speaks up in the second half. Waldo Lydecker, Laura’s mentor and wannabe lover, shows up first. He is an obese man in the novel, but I kept seeing the svelte Webb who plays him in the movie. One very short section is a transcript of a police interview. For all this fancy dancing, the murder mystery is fairly humdrum and conventional. The most interesting aspect of Laura is once again Laura herself, a de facto feminist and successful advertising woman. Gene Tierney is perfect for the part in the movie—beautiful, smart, and wary of men. Of course, there are still midcentury values all over it, so naturally she falls for and ends up with the competent detective working the case. It doesn’t feel that satisfying for all the formal huffing. The next most interesting detail is the woman’s point of view Caspary can and does bring, though she seems to be at least as constrained as Laura by rigid gender roles. I do think the cross-gender problem in writing cuts both ways—women are generally better at writing men than vice versa (lord knows), but Caspary’s male lead, the detective, has virtually no interior life. Lydecker works better—as presented, he feels possibly more gay than straight, but more than anything he is vindictive and grasping and that comes through well. Vincent Price plays a lothario type Laura almost marries before the cop comes along. Lydecker wants her too. In the end she chooses the cop, which at least feels tidy. But if the great strength of Laura is her independence maybe she could have continued on that way. I don’t expect her to start sexualizing her power the way a lot of men do but conventional romance doesn’t seem right either. It all comes out about even—I like the experimental spirit of the novel and Laura may have seemed more independent at that time than she may now. The characters in Laura have some interesting angles even if the mystery feels slightly forced. The surprises in the middle, and there are a few, including a big one after the first part, likely speak to the novel’s origins as a serial. Interesting short mystery novel of the time.

In case the library is closed due to pandemic, which is over. (Library of America)