P.D. James understood that people are kind — but within limits
“One should never trespass on kindness. Human kindness is like a defective tap: the first gush may be impressive, but the stream soon dries up.”
— P.D. James
I had come across a truncated version of this quote from the British mystery writer P.D. James, and was curious about context. It brought me back to her 1989 novel Devices and Desires, in which her famed poet-detective Adam Dalgliesh goes to the Norfolk coast to investigate a murder near a nuclear power plant, all while a serial killer is also on the loose.
The quote comes from a minor yet vitally important character named Jonah — a vagabond and a bit of a rover, who relies on area farmers and their generosity, offering to buy a couple of eggs and a pint of milk while expecting to be given significantly more, including a warm night in a barn.
As the lines above illustrate, Jonah understands there is just so far he can go with each place. Before wearing out his welcome, he’s already moved on to the next spot.
Jonah’s purpose in the novel is to connect the bits and pieces of evidence for Dalgliesh, including the sneakers associated with a serial killer. This also of sets up a necessary red herring in the plot.
I think James used Jonah also for some social commentary. Living on the margins, Jonah looks at society from an outsider’s perspective, yet also has an insight into human nature. What a good way for James, whose perspectives on people were vast, to reveal this bit of perception.
P.D. James had a long life and a remarkable writing career. Before her death at 94 in 2014, she wrote 19 novels, 14 of them featuring Dalgliesh, one of the great detectives. Her non-mystery novels include The Children of Men and Death Comes to Pemberley, both of which have been adapted to a film and a mini-series, respectively.
Dalgliesh himself has been brought to television multiple times through the decades. For me, Roy Marsden (below, with his character’s creator) was the definitive Dalgliesh, playing him in long-form adaptations for ITV that started in 1983. (PBS’s Mystery! carried them regularly.) The adaptation for Devices and Desires was released in 1991.
More recently, the talented actor Bertie Carvel has played Adam in tighter (read: shorter) adaptations that are period-set, in a series just called Dalgliesh. They stream in Canada on the Acorn service. I’ll always watch them, but I prefer the longer Marsden adaptations, which allow the clue trails to be laid out with care.