Death Of A Harvard Freshman

By Victoria Silver

Death Of A Harvard Freshman, by Silver, Victoria This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553240463
• ISBN13: 9780553240467
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Perhaps the Best Murder on the Campus

In this lovely mystery from the mid-eighties, freshman Lauren solves the murder of a fellow student. The characters are whimsical but well-drawn, and the setting is done better than anyone else. There has been a steady stream of "Murder at the University" books, all too many set at Harvard. I have read them all, as well as ones set Princeton, Yale, Cal, etc., and I find this book and its sequel, Death of a Radcliffe roommate, to be the best. Lauren is not a great detective,just a fun and sympathetic one, and the mystery is only slightly above average (which still makes it better than most),but characters and the setting take this one to the head of the class. I read this book when it came out, and found it amusing and entertaining. I reread it recently and found had not lost its charm. The story is told from a student's point of view, and makes Harvard a significant part of the story, and not just scenery. I have read more than a few detective stories, and most have not made an impression, but this book and its sequel stand out in my memory. Highly recommended.

A fun read.

I must admit that I first read this book back in the '80's when my college days were not long behind me. I thoroughly enjoyed it then and have continued to enjoy it upon rereading. It's not Shakespeare, but Silver gives clear, amusing portraits of a quirky main character, Lauren, and her best friend, Michael. Both live their freshman year at Harvard with a kind of style that can only be hoped for by the average first year student. The descriptions of other characters are equally memorable: the roommate who primarily likes foods sweet, crunchy and/or salty; how to pass in a seminar class when you haven't done the readings. I got the feeling that Silver actually knew students with some of the same foibles that she attributes to her characters. The protaganist has an engaging persona and Silver writes with a clear voice.