Since I’m reading the Tommy and Tuppence series at the moment,
I appreciated her insight into Agatha Christie’s skills: Above all she is a
literary conjuror who places her pasteboard characters face downwards and
shuffles them with practiced cunning. Game after game we are confident that
this time we will turn up the card with the face of the true murderer, and time
after time she defeats us. With a Christie mystery no suspect can safely be
eliminated. Her clues are brilliantly designed to confuse. The butler goes over
to peer closely at the calendar. She has planted in our mind the suspicion that
a crucial clue relates to dates and times, but the clue is, in fact, that the
butler is shortsighted. (p. 98)
James credits Edgar Allen Poe (his detective Chevalier C.
Auguste Dupin) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the great
influencers of the detective novel. She mentions authors with whom I am
familiar (G.K. Chesterton, Ronald Knox, Margery Allingham, etc.) but also lists
many I’ve never heard of such as Nicholas Blake, Cyril Hare, G.D.H Cole, H.C.
Bailey, Gladys Mitchell, and Michael Innes.
What I appreciated most was James’ explanation as to why
detective fiction continues to endure: It confirms our belief that we live in a
rational, comprehensible and moral universe.
A good detective story possesses certain qualities of
harmony, internal organization and balance, which respond to certain needs of
the spirit, needs which some modern literature, priding itself on being
superior, very often neglects…. It confirms our hope that despite some evidence
to the contrary, we live in a beneficent and moral universe in which problems
can be solved by rational means and peace and order restored from communal or
personal disruption and chaos. And if it is true, as the evidence suggests,
that the detective story flourishes best in the most difficult of times, we may
well be at the beginning of a new Golden Age. (p. 175)
I'll be investigating some of these new-to-me authors. Anyone have a favorite writer in this genre?
Blessings,
2 comments:
Hi Hope, I am not familiar with any of the authors mentioned. I love Agatha Christie and am working at reading through the Hercule Poirot mysteries in order. I read a lot of cozy mysteries. Some of my favorites are: Daisy's Tea Garden Mysteries by Karen Rose Smith; Seaside Cafe Mysteries by Bree Baker; Max Tudor Mysteries by G. M. Malliet; Noodle Shop Mysteries by Vivien Chen. I also enjoy the Murder, She Wrote books.
I have P.D. James' books on my TBR. "Talking About Detective Fiction" sounds interesting.
I guess we are even because I haven't heard of any of your favorite mystery authors. I enjoy cozy mysteries and will be looking into the series that you mentioned.
Post a Comment