Paper
History of the Detective Novel
Perhaps the first crime writer was Cicero. He was born Marcus Tullius Cicero in Arpinum, a small town on the outskirts of Rome on January 3, 106 BC. As a young man in Rome his skill as an orator had already begun to grow. He began to plead cases in the public forum in his 20s, becoming well known in a very short period of time. By the time he was in his mid-30s he was the most recognised pleader at the Roman bar. A magistrate as well as a public speaker, at 42 he was elected Consul, Rome’s highest office. His main skill, however was that he was a consummate writer as well as a statesman.
His extensive writings included 58 speeches, about ten thousand pages of philosophy and rhetoric, and some eight hundred letters. He was perhaps most famous, however, for his speeches in the Roman courts and Senate. Since there were no newspapers or any form of organised news flow in Ancient Rome, these speeches took on tremendous importance, providing news for the public as well as entertainment. All of Cicero’s speeches were copied, circulated, read, and reread.
But undoubtedly the originator of the modern day detective story was Edgar Allan Poe. Although he is best know as a poet, he was also considered the founder of the detective story. His five mystery short stories introduced many of the conventions and cliches that the genre would later become famous for.
His greatest contribution was the creation of his detective C. Auguste Dupin, who appeared in three of Poe’s works. Dupin was the first character of his kind, a man who relied on his ability to observe and reason to solve crimes instead of merely waiting for the outcome or guessing. He first appeared in The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841), in which he attempts to clear the name of a friend who is accused of murdering two women. The story features several traditional mystery elements like an apparently locked and impenetrable crime scene, Dupin’s rather less intelligent but loyal assistant, and an unexpected plot twist leading to a surprise solution.
The only writer to rival Poe in importance in the mystery genre is Arthur Conan Doyle. Although Doyle borrowed heavily from Poe s Auguste Dupin when he created Sherlock Holmes, he also managed to give his character a memorable personality to go along with his prodigious knowledge and powers of deduction. These characteristics have helped make Holmes not only the greatest detective of all time, but also the most famous, real or fictional.
This greatest of sleuths was first introduced to the world in A Study in Scarlet (1887) which appeared in the 1887 Beeton s Christmas Annual; the story begins with Holmes meeting Dr. Watson, who is destined to become his life-long friend and partner. Soon after the two take up residence at No. 211B Baker Street, they are called on to help solve the murders of two men, linked by the fact that the word “Rache” is written in blood near each of the bodies. What they discover is a tale of revenge based in London, but with its origins deep in the American West.
Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins also presented works to this genre, but unfortunately Dickens contribution The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870) was not completed before Dickens himself died, leaving the identity of the murderer a mystery. Collins s most known work is The Moonstone (1868), although Collins intended The Moonstone to be a literary experiment studying “the influence of character on circumstances”; the story is an excellent example of the mystery detective novel.
From about 1920 onwards there became two major schools of detective writing, the country house clue puzzle and the private eye or hard boiled school. The leaders in each particular school have become legends of literature.
Agatha Christie was the most famous of the writers in the country house clue puzzle school, where the outcome of the book rested more on the intelligence and thought processes of the hero, which was usually an amateur.
Agatha Christie was responsible for creating many of the world’s best-selling mystery books. One of her most famous detectives was a diminutive, meticulous Belgian named Hercule Poirot. Poirot is famous for using his “little grey cells” to tackle his cases. His first English case was The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920).
Poirot appeared in fifty-one books and short stories. In Curtain, however, he returns to Styles Court for his last case. Sick and enfeebled, Poirot calls on Hastings to help him solve five apparently unconnected murders. The link between these murders is a person Poirot calls X, who was acquainted with all of the convicted murderers and their victims. In the middle of the chase, Poirot dies, leaving Hastings to try and piece together the remaining clues and unmask the true killer.
Another of Christie’s beloved sleuths is Miss Jane Marple. Introduced in The Murder at the Vicarage (1930), Miss Marple is a white-haired old lady who spends most of her time gardening and watching the birds (and people) of the small town of St. Mary Mead. When the body of the rich, unpleasant Colonel Lucius Protheroe is found in the vicarage, it is only natural that Miss Marple should offer her assistance to Vicar Leonard Clement. There are a host of possible suspects: a young wife, a discontented daughter, an artist painting the daughter’s portrait, a convicted poacher, and even the vicar himself.
Miss Marple is the best example of a sleuth in the country house clue puzzle, one who abhors violence and observes everything. She is imitated in most of the more modern novels in this sub genre.
The other school of detective writing is the hard boiled genre. This genre is presented best by the ones who made it popular, Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. There heroes, especially Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade have defined the trademark literary methods in this genre.
Although Dashiell Hammett was not the first writer to create the persona of a tough gumshoe, he was the first to really bring genre to life. As a young man, Hammett worked for the an office of the Pinkerton Detective Agency and he later used these experiences to create the character of Sam Spade, one of the most famous sleuths of this century. Unlike many other gumshoes, Spade hates guns and therefore does not carry one. Spade also does not subscribe to a “normal” view of morality, choosing instead to adhere to his own moral code. In The Maltese Falcon (1929), Spade’s first appearance in print, this code dictates that he venge the death of his partner even though he was having an affair with the man’s wife. Spade also becomes entangled with a beautiful woman, who became the first of the viper-like temptresses to appear in the gumshoe tradition. All of these features have become trademarks for the hard boiled style of detective fiction and are present to a greater or lesser degree in all detective novels of this form. The Maltese Falcon was later made into a movie starring Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade.
Raymond Chandler is one of the most imitated writers in the mystery genre. Like Hammett, Chandler started his career by writing for various pulp magazines of the 1930 s, especially Black Mask. Although his cynical detective/narrator changed names many times over the years before finally becoming Philip Marlowe, he remains the one hero in Chandler’s dark and traitorous literary world. After Chandler’s death, his stories were collected and published under the title Killer in the Rain (1964). Before the book was released, all of the narrators names were changed to Phillip Marlowe.
In the last forty years another school of detective fiction has emerged, the police procedural. This school was mainly formed as a variation from the often extremist action and drama of the hard boiled detective genre, a compromise between the almost pacifist country house clue puzzle school and the action of the private eye school.
The trailblazers of this type of writing were J.J Marric, with his tales of Gideon of Scotland Yard and Ed McBain. This form of the detective novel was carried forth by the now common names of Ruth Rendel, writing of Inspector Wexford and Colin Dexter writing of the famous Inspector Morse. These sleuths were more human seeming than the often flat characters of the private eye novels.
344
Другие работы по теме:
Creative Writing A Murder On The Eighth
Night Was Caused By An Old Mans “evil” Eye Essay, Research Paper Creative Writing: A Murder on The Eighth Night Was Caused By an Old Mans “evil” By Oscar Villa______
Donald Davidson Essay Research Paper In Shakespeares
Donald Davidson Essay, Research Paper In Shakespeare?s Hamlet, there is a murder, and it doesn?t say straight out who the murder is. There are no detectives on the case. No one within in the state is really questioning the murder of the King except for his son. It may not have all the customary qualities of detective story, but it does come across as a detective story in which Hamlet seeks to solve the mysterious death and to revenge for his father.
An Unsuitable Job For A Woman Two
Detectives Essay, Research Paper While reading, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, by P.D. James and Indemnity Only, by Sara Paretsky, one is given the opportunity to slip in to the life of a female private detective and experience the aspects of what occurs during the process of a murder investigation as seem through the eyes of two very independent women.
Hardboiled Detectives Essay Research Paper Throughout all
Hardboiled Detectives Essay, Research Paper Throughout all of the time periods in American history, there have been many different incarnations of the ?hero with attitude.? These heroes are the ones who refuse to take orders from others and abide by the laws of authority, choosing instead to get things done on their own terms.
Art History Essay Research Paper M
Art History Essay, Research Paper ?M & M ? s? When I entered in the gym, the outside morning quiet, softly blowing breeze stopped and the screams of go Phillips was
Hound Of The Baskervilles Essay Research Paper
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is an excellent book, and one of the best mysteries I have ever read. Holmes, the superhuman detective, is asked to investigate the death of Charles Baskerville, which many believe to be the work of the ferocious hound, a curse brought about by the misdeeds of Hugo Baskerville.
The Speckled Band Overview Essay Research Paper
1. Name of book?The Speckled Band.2. Author of book?Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.3. Setting?The story took place in Baker Street London, and in Stoke Moran. April of 1883.4. Identify the theme of your book?It is about a detective who helps find murderers and helps in saving other people’s lives that without him would be victims. 5.
American History X Essay Research Paper This
American History X Essay, Research Paper This movie was a very intense movie. The message that it was trying to send was very powerful and it hit me fairly hard. The message that this movie was trying to send to me was that society as a whole does not have the maturity and inteligence to deal with subjects such as racism and hate.
Chinatown Essay Research Paper Chinatown and JJ
Chinatown Essay, Research Paper ?Chinatown and J.J. Gittes? As a classic detective movie, Chinatown involves a ?hard-boiled? setting and a private investigator. The story takes place in Los Angeles, California during the 1930?s. The mood of the film is typical of that of a detective story, and the gradual discovery of clues completes the film?s mysterious atmosphere.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
’s Influence On Twentieth Century Detective Literature Essay, Research Paper There are many different books, in many different genres. There are horror novels, love stories, suspenseful books, and detective stories. The
House Of Baskervilles Essay Research Paper THE
House Of Baskervilles Essay, Research Paper THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES is by far the most popular of all of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Filmed over twenty times, serialized, illustrated, and endlessly reread, this short novel is an account of the spookiest case ever solved by the world’s best-known detective.
Herodotus Essay Research Paper Herodotus Essay Herodotus
Herodotus Essay, Research Paper Herodotus Essay Herodotus of Halicarnassus was born about 484 B.C. he died 60 years later. For the time he lived in this age was very old though by today’s standards it is not. The reason why his age was so outstanding was in his time the average man live for maybe half that because of the harsh living conditions.
ROTC Entrence Essay Essay Research Paper entrance
ROTC Entrence Essay Essay, Research Paper entrance essay For almost as long as I cn remember, I have been interested in th military. Influenced by such movies as “Patton”, and by my dad’s interest in military history, my
Jeruselem Essay Research Paper Ariel David What
Jeruselem Essay, Research Paper Ariel, David. What do Jews Beleive. New york: Schocken Books, 1995. 8 Dec. 2000 . World history. D, G -. Torah. Egypt: G-D, 1515. 1 Jan. 1000 . The holy book.
In The Heat Of The Night Essay
, Research Paper In the Heat of the Night Essay For my essay I have chosen to write about the topic about Tibbs and Gillespie understanding and respecting each other. In the beginning of this story Gillespie thought of Virgil as he would of thought of any other Negro, but soon he found out he was wrong, Virgil was a very gifted detective with lots of skills.
Sherlock Holmes Essay Research Paper First Holmes
Sherlock Holmes Essay, Research Paper First, Holmes is the first scientific detective. Second, all of his cases ended up solved so therefore there are no flaws in his method. Well after researching in and out of books and web sites, I finally found the “true” way Holmes solved crimes. The site I found such spectacular information is Sherlockian.Net.
What Are The Main Features Of Sherlock
Holmes As A Man And As A Detective ? Essay, Research Paper What are the main features of Sherlock Holmes as a man and as a detective? In this essay I shall seek to describe the character of Sherlock Holmes and compare it to his abilities and behaviour as a detective. It should serve as a testimony to the precision and mental ability of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in using his imagination in building detective cases and building a complex character like Sherlock Holmes.
8 Nights Essay Research Paper 8 nightsA
8 Nights Essay, Research Paper 8 nights -A murder on the eighth night was caused by an old mans “evil” eye. An unidentified old man was murdered in his own residence last night when his butler confessed to murdering him. The butler?s motive was to get rid of the old man?s “evil” looking eye.
St Elizabeth Essay Research Paper I chose
St. Elizabeth Essay, Research Paper I chose the name Elizabeth for my confirmation name after Saint Elizabeth. I feel that she is a very important part in history.
Edgar Allan Poe Essay Research Paper Poe
Edgar Allan Poe Essay, Research Paper Poe’s Never Ending Loneliness “From childhood’s hour I have not been/as others were; I have not seen/ as others say I could not bring/ my passions from a common spring. From the same source I have not taken/ my sorrow; I could not awaken/ my heart to joy at the same tone;/ and all I loved, I loved alone.”
Defintition Of History Essay Research Paper The
Defintition Of History Essay, Research Paper The statement ? History is nothing more than a collection of the static facts of the past; people who say history changes are terribly misguided? is incorrect. History is more than just static facts when ideas and concepts involved in history are understood and applied in life.
Motherless Brooklyn Essay Research Paper Motherless Brooklyn
Motherless Brooklyn Essay, Research Paper Motherless Brooklyn is about crime-scene detective Lionel Essrog. Lionel becomes diagnosed with Tourette?s syndrome. He?s unable to refrain from shouting obscene words to people who pass him on the street or he compulsively tabs people on the shoulder as he passes.
Agatha Christie Essay Research Paper In the
Agatha Christie Essay, Research Paper In the murder mystery by Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express, her style of writing can be described as one of Christie s best works, having an international trend, and being a genius with detective fiction. Murder on the Orient Express was a great book and should be read by all.
Growth In Writing Essay Research Paper Emily
Growth In Writing Essay, Research Paper Emily Gillette DVWR 101.004 Professor Bull September 22,2000 Growth in Writing Writing is one of my favorite things to do. Expressing yourself is so much easier when given time to think about what needs to be said. I would like to believe that I have a very rich writing history.
Something About Mary Essay Research Paper Something
Something About Mary Essay, Research Paper Something about Mary Its a comedy film, that came to Spain in November of the 1998. It was directed by the Farinelli brothers. And his main stars are: Cameron Diaz (Mary), Matt Dylon (a strange detective) and Ben Stiller (Ted).
Untitled Essay Research Paper The history of
Untitled Essay, Research Paper The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of the world.The history of
British War Essay Research Paper Gregg GiassonUS
British War Essay, Research Paper Gregg Giasson U.S. History Period B !! YOU ARE THERE !! The most important event in U.S. History in my opinion would be Washington s escape from the British Army at New York. This event changed the course of U.S. History because it was the closest the movement for freedom came to being crushed.