Talking About Detective Fiction

Imagine Copernicus explaining astronomy to you, or Einstein teaching you physics, or Moses clarifying difficult biblical passages that confused clergy and prompted discord and even wars. Imagine also that the expert could write clearly, interestingly and with wit, such as Sigmund Freud explaining the principles of psychology with examples from fascinating case studies.This is what happens with P.D. James marvelous book. James is the queen of modern detective fiction, certainly, without any doubt, one of the royal family.James states that mystery novels are composed of several basic elements: a crime, usually murder; a small circle of suspects, each having a motive to commit the crime; opportunity; a detective; and a solution that is inserted into the novel with deceptive cunning, but with fairness. The last point means that readers will realize when they hear the detective's solution that the solution fits what was disclosed previously in the novel.James describes the differences between detective stories, thrillers and horror tales. Each genre has its own elements and its own purposes. A reader who knows the elements and purposes can appreciate the tale better. Detective stories, she writes, do not, or at least should not, investigate a murder or another crime; nor should they dwell on the bizarre happenings; they should focus on the tragic fate of the people involved.James describes the history of detective fiction and introduces her readers to over a dozen of the best writers, generally focusing on British women. She gives special attention to Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh. She discusses the strength and weaknesses of these stories, their history, psychology and sociology.James is not reluctant to reveal her opinions on the authors she dislikes. She describes Agatha Christie disparagingly. She states that her style is neither original nor elegant and she is not a very good writer. Her characters are pasteboards. James writes cleverly: "Perhaps her greatest strength was that she never overstepped the limits of her talent."Scholars, she reveals, differ as to who wrote the first detective story. Some say it was Caleb Williams in 1784. Some insist it was Edgar Allan Poe who invented the genre in1841 with The Murder in Rue Morgue. Others vote for Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone in 1860. James prefers the latter. She tells the fascinating true story that prompted The Moonstone.James identifies the first great detective as the iconic Sherlock Holmes who Conan Doyle introduced in 1887 in A Study in Scarlet. Doyle was so enthralled and naïve that he sold his rights to this masterpiece for twenty five pounds.James awards second place to G. K. Chesterton who began his Father Brown series in 1911. The tales were so delightful that few readers realized that they were never told the priest's first name.James' book addresses many interesting questions. Why do some critics disparage some or all detective stories? What about these books attracts readers? Can people read detective stories more than once with pleasure? Do Protestants enjoy the books more than Catholics? How do readers experience relief of tensions? Why do many people like to read these tension filled novels in bed before sleeping? How do today's detective stories differ from those written in the past?Those readers who enjoy deductive fiction will enjoy James' perceptive descriptions of it written with the same verve that she employs in her dramas.

This interesting small book by mystery writer, P. D. James, says everything there must be to say about the mystery novel: when it began; how it grew; the detective persona development; some famous authors, British and American we can't get enough of. Too bad Canadian mystery novelist, Louise Penny, wasn't writing when this book came out in the 90s or I am sure she would have included Penny in her description of famous authors who could create an unforgettable mystery-solving detective , as Penny's Gamache.James, as well as others, considers Wilkie Collins's "The Moonstone" to be the first great mystery novel to use the crime-solving detective. Rereading it for the first time after decades, I was not that enamoured with it, but have to admit that I understand the sensation it made when it came out in the 1800s and introduced the world to Detective Cuff, who is a brilliant diagnostician with the passion of growing roses. Enter the brilliant, but slightly eccentric mystery-solving detective, one of literature's most endearing characters.James's book itself is written smoothly in succinct prose and every aspect of the development of the genre is explored. That is, one learns a lot of history of the mystery novel's development without becoming mired in boring academic discussions.It's well worth the read, if you are curious about when and how the public became so enamoured with the mystery novel and when the mystery-solving detective developed. Considered by many literary types to be of a lesser kind of genre, it proves that it has its own adventure in development and is far more than slap-dash writing for entertainment only.I gave the rating of 4 stars only because the genre is not my favourite, although I was curious about how it all began and developed. In other words, the rating of 4 stars has no reflection on P.D. James's writing of the detective development in the mystery novel.

This is a short book comprising a series of elegantly written, inter-related essays about aspects of detective fiction by one of the best writers in this genre. The book will appeal to those who read a lot of detective fiction and will recognize many of the authors and books with pleasure as she reminds us of the books we've read and enjoyed. She has read and re-read a prodigious number of books in this category in her long life and it's interesting to learn what has influenced her own work and also about her views on authors past and present, though there is scant allusion to the authors of modern detective fiction such as Colin Dexter, Ian Rankin, Peter Lovesey or Ruth Rendell, which may reflect PD James's acknowledged reluctance to act as a reviewer/critic of her contemporaries.Talking about Detective Fiction starts with an essay about the birth of this genre and the importance of Conon Doyle in making this kind of book popular. Much of the book concentrates on what she terms the "Golden Age" of detective fiction and the writers Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh figure largely. The American Golden Age also merits a chapter about the more gritty-style of Dashell Hammett and Ryamond Chandler. One of the later chapters touches on why PD James started to write detective fiction and a little about her approach to writing.This is not an in-depth analysis of detective fiction: more a sampler of what's available, mainly from the past, and how these earlier books reflected the society of the time and influenced later writers. I enjoyed this book as not only did it remind me of books I'd read it also referred to authors from the past that I haven't read and might try.

Not quite as wide ranging as I had hoped, well written but only mentions a limited and fairly obvious number of writers. I have always been curious as to why , with one or two obvious exceptions, the overwhelming writers of detective fiction are women. P d James being an obvious example.

A must read for all devoted crime readers - more especially for cosy crime readers who want to know more about their favourite reading genre by a well known crime author whose style of prose in this thin book is not too academic (mainly her own perspective) and at the same time easy to read. In my opinion this small book is way too thin at 160 pages (which includes cartoon illustrations and plenty of spacing) and could have easily been double the size without being boring as well as covering authors and genres that are seldom written about.

The author writes well. The writing is clear, explicit and informative. The text suited the purposes for which it was bought, which was to understand Baroness's thinking and writing on detective fiction

Brilliant insights into the writing and history of detective fiction. A must have for aspiring writers and fans of the genre. Concise and entertaining. A most enjoyable read.