The Art of the English Murder, Lucy Worsley
I'm gonna start right out by saying that this book is a ton of fun.
You may be slightly worried about me, based on that first sentence. That's okay. I promise I am less worrisome than you might otherwise consider, because The Art of the English Murder is actually about literature.
Feel better?
No?
That's okay too.
ANYWAY.
Apparently this book was meant to accompany a miniseries of the same name, but I didn't have any trouble following it. Worsley has divided her book into three sections: "How to Enjoy a Murder," which talks about the development of "murder" as a crime in the English consciousness, and the growing media and personal fascination with it*; "Enter the Detective," about the rise of detective fiction, its basis in real-life murders, and the fascination with murder mysteries; and "The Golden Age," about murder mysteries written between the two world wars. Fans of Sayres and Christie will enjoy that last part, while fans of Arthur Conan Doyle will be happier with Enter the Detective, and true crime fans and those who like penny dreadfuls will enjoy the first part. Though I should note that I liked the whole thing.
It's a clever piece of literary criticism, one I enjoyed very much, the more so for having read some of the authors. Worth looking up, perhaps. Also has some fun trivia and stories, though perhaps the spoiler-averse might wish to wait until they've read the books Worsley discusses, as she tends to talk about the endings in great detail.
*Incidentally, if you're interested in a much more in-depth treatment of this same subject, pick up The Invention of Murder, by Judith Flanders. Excellent book.
This entry is crossposted at http://bookblather.dreamwidth.org/312094.html. Please comment over there if possible.
You may be slightly worried about me, based on that first sentence. That's okay. I promise I am less worrisome than you might otherwise consider, because The Art of the English Murder is actually about literature.
Feel better?
No?
That's okay too.
ANYWAY.
Apparently this book was meant to accompany a miniseries of the same name, but I didn't have any trouble following it. Worsley has divided her book into three sections: "How to Enjoy a Murder," which talks about the development of "murder" as a crime in the English consciousness, and the growing media and personal fascination with it*; "Enter the Detective," about the rise of detective fiction, its basis in real-life murders, and the fascination with murder mysteries; and "The Golden Age," about murder mysteries written between the two world wars. Fans of Sayres and Christie will enjoy that last part, while fans of Arthur Conan Doyle will be happier with Enter the Detective, and true crime fans and those who like penny dreadfuls will enjoy the first part. Though I should note that I liked the whole thing.
It's a clever piece of literary criticism, one I enjoyed very much, the more so for having read some of the authors. Worth looking up, perhaps. Also has some fun trivia and stories, though perhaps the spoiler-averse might wish to wait until they've read the books Worsley discusses, as she tends to talk about the endings in great detail.
*Incidentally, if you're interested in a much more in-depth treatment of this same subject, pick up The Invention of Murder, by Judith Flanders. Excellent book.
This entry is crossposted at http://bookblather.dreamwidth.org/312094.html. Please comment over there if possible.