|
Back Issues |
|
Books
& Literature The
Mysterious Allure of the Detective Novel Ed. Note: If you're interested in things
mysterious, .
There are detectives with money and those on the skids, detectives with Tourette’s syndrome and others with premenstrual syndrome. Detectives who cook, who race, who are running from their pasts, and detectives trying to rediscover their pasts. From the hard-boiled American detective novel to the rather civilized British detective novel {in which the butler did it} … a good detective novel holds a mirror up to a world in which something is not right. The detective, flawed and often alone, must come face to face with the darkest side of human nature and society to solve the crime, to expose the truth, to right the wrong. The detective is a hero and his story a myth. This detective novel is often viewed as “light reading.” But within the strict rules and limits of the genre, authors have explored important themes like religion, politics and love. And almost always, in the name of sleuthing, the mystery author gets to examine his or her world with a very critical eye. Although ancient Greek tragedy had many elements of the modern detective novel, Edgar Allen Poe is often considered the “father” of the crime novel. In his 1841 Murder in the Rue Morgue, Poe introduced the brilliant detective, Dupin, and with him a genre in which the solution of the crime took precedence over its emotional effect on the reader. As with all myth, the detective novel asserts the values of its society. It’s no surprise that logic triumphs in Poe’s story -- the industrial revolution saw science as the promise of the future. We see this value of science developed in the famous Sherlock Holmes stories, in which Holmes’ brilliant powers of observation and deduction solve the most convoluted and unlikely crimes. But in his Sherlock Holmes stories, Conan Doyle also pokes fun at late Victorian England, at the materialism and “crudeness” of the new middle class. The longing for civility and morality that arose in post WWI Europe is the backdrop for Dorothy Sayers' novels, in which Lord Peter Whimsey holds fast to what is decent and moral amid the whirlwind of modernism. Aristocratic detectives like Whimsey hearken back to a social structure that would never revive following the Great War. We see these cultured, genteel detectives in the mysteries of Ngaio Marsh and Martha Grimes, as well. None of them are quite as aristocratic and decent ... nor as amusing as Lord Whimsey himself. The 20th century tension between materialism and spirituality informs several modern mysteries, also. P.D. James’ dark novels frequently involve the Church or clergy. Her characters are often driven to crises of faith. Umberto Ecco’s 1980 The Name of the Rose addresses the immorality of the Church in the 14th century. In Jan Van Wetterling’s offbeat Amsterdam mysteries, we meet a Chief Inspector who is in spirit a Zen Master guiding his two imperfect detectives through spiritual as well as criminal mysteries. In these novels, something “higher” than a chief inspector is on the case against the darkest side of human nature. The individualism so valued (if not practiced) by American culture shows up in the streetwise “loner” detectives of last century. From Dashell Hammit’s Sam Spade to James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux, personal code triumphs in a world where the law has broken down. The American P.I. is an important archetype. He lives outside convention and, in many cases, is an ex-cop. He is the opposite of the aristocratic detective, except in one way: Although he’s tough and armed and cynical, he is also moral. He transcends the realm of the social and rights the wrongs based on a natural morality. The changing role of women in society has also been reflected in detective fiction. Women detectives have always been smart, but often could only function through their wits or their husbands. Agatha Christie’s “spinster” Miss Marple has been replaced by tough women detectives who pack gun but are still savvy and smart, like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone. With the close of the twentieth century, the rise of corporate America, as well as the crisis of the inner cities and the movement toward cultural diversity, are all reflected in detective fiction. We also see the detective investigating his or her own personal mysteries while working on a “case” of murder. Michael Malone’s Justin Saville, a cop with a history of alcoholism and depression, learns about his own family history, even as he solves a murder in Uncivil Season. In her 1997 The Face of a Stranger, Anne Perry’s William Monk has amnesia. He must unravel the mystery of his own identity even while solving a crime. The challenge to 21st century mystery writers is to find fresh material and new approaches. A detective with short-term memory loss. An L.A. private eye who is also a dinosaur. Even Groucho Marx come back as a wise-cracking detective. But if these new twists sound a bit over the top, don’t forget: The murderer in Poe’s Murder in the Rue Morgue was a baboon! Laura Wisniewski . ******* ******* We're thinking about making a Best Books list {see our first Best Books survey and results in Back Issues ...}an on-going feature here at DownStreet. In addition, we'd like to hear from more book clubs in the area, whether open to new members or not. Either way, we'd like to publish your reading lists, both here in the magazine, or in our Community Pages. If your book club or reading group is interested in participating, please e-mail us at ... Let us know the name, if any, of your club or group, how many members and if you're open to new members, and where and when you meet. Finally, don't forget tell us about your recent or up-coming reading list. . ******* ******* If you'd like to submit a book review, whether of a new title or something past, please e-mail us at books@downstreetmagazine.com. The e-mail should contain your name, address, and a phone number where we can reach you. You may also send a copy of your proposed review. The text can either be included in the body of the e-mail, or you can send it as an attachment in just about any word processing format. Please be sure to include information for the title, author and publisher/edition. ... If your review is accepted, we will pay a small honorarium for your interest & your time. [See Freelancers Wanted for more details.] If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* . |
|
*******
******* ******* ******* For more information, contact DownStreet Magazine by ...
Phone
(802) 453-5124 All
material copyrighted © 2000-2001. All rights
reserved. |
