Fiction_L Archives Fan terms for British mysteries Dates: 12/21/99,4:03 PM  through  12/21/99,4:03 PM  (1 posting) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2008-current     2006-2007     1996-2005    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to December 1999 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Deborah T. Walsh" <dwalsh@dupagels.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 12/21/99, 4:03 PM

Mary K., I've always thought of these as gentleman detective
books - from Peter Wimsey to Tommy Linley - they've never struck
me as "prissy" but I'd love to discover why they might seem that
way to an unadmiring reader. I guess by thinking of them in
terms of "gentlemanliness" the whole British class structure
comes into play. Even if the protagonist is not truly of the
aristocratic class, if he (or she) is noble and pursues his or
her work ethic with a sense of nobility, they work for me.
Barbara Havers is noble. P.D. James' Dagleish, Colin Dexter's
Morse - they all have this overriding compulsion to do the right
thing, and they fascinate me. I like the fact that they write
poetry, or appreciate opera. This adds a dimension to their
character. I find that the books also have the advantage imho of
being well written and well edited. I don't think this is unique
to British crime fiction, but the British setting particularly
appeals to me, for the same reason that I like my historical
romances to be set in Britain. I truly see a relationship
between British romance novels and these gentleman detective
books. Same world, same class structure, same values - but the
gender focus is usually shifted.
What is it about them you find unappealing?
More importantly, are these the books you're thinking about, or
have I completely misunderstood your request?
If you'd rather post off-list, please feel free to do so.

Debbie Walsh
Geneva Public Library District
Geneva, IL
dwalsh@dupagels.lib.il.us

Return to December 1999 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

The Webrary® and Fiction_L are services of the Morton Grove Public Library "Webrary" is a registered trademark of the Morton Grove Public Library. All rights reserved. Copyright of Fiction_L postings belongs to their respective authors; postings may only be reused with the author's permission. Compiled lists (compilations of titles or authors from earlier postings on a particular topic) may not be reused for commercial purposes. To use a compiled list for non-commercial purposes, please credit "Subscribers of the Fiction_L mailing list." All other content is ©2009 Morton Grove Public Library, 6140 Lincoln Ave., Morton Grove, IL 60053-2989, (847) 965-4220.