Fiction_L Archives mystery vs. suspense Dates: 2/12/04,10:23 AM  through  2/12/04,4:11 PM  (10 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to February 2004 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Sewickley Township Public Library" <[removed]@nb.net>
REC'D: 2/12/04, 10:23 AM

Hi,

Can anyone give me a definition of the difference between a book that is
classified as a mystery and a book that is simply suspense. Specifically,
what characteristics make it a mystery. Thanks!

Mandy

FROM: "ROBIN BEERBOWER" <[removed]@mail.open.org>
REC'D: 2/12/04, 10:34 AM

I remembered this was covered in FL a number of years ago and found it
in the archives. I still have a copy as I find it very helpful in
explaining the different to new librarians.

http://www.webrary.org/MaillistF/msgold/2000/10/Re.Mysteryvsthriller.html

Robin Beerbower
Salem (OR) Public Library

>>> [removed]@nb.net 02/12/04 08:19AM >>>
Hi,

Can anyone give me a definition of the difference between a book that
is
classified as a mystery and a book that is simply suspense.
Specifically,
what characteristics make it a mystery. Thanks!

Mandy

FROM: Pamela Payne <[removed]@cpl.org>
REC'D: 2/12/04, 10:56 AM

Thumbing around in some RA notes, I also came across this:

Mysteries usually have (But nothhing set in stone):
1.A Sleuth or Amateur detective
2.A detective
3.Private investigator

And all of these:
1.Dead body
2.An unexplained death
3.Clues
4.Resolution in the form of a logical explanation
(Whodunit, Why, and How)

Mysteries wouldn't normally have (But never say never)
One of these:
1.A lawyer
2.A psychologist
3.A journalist
4.A spy

Or any of these:
1.A graphic murder
2.A serial or psychopathic killer
3.Trials
4.Ghosts or other supernatural phenomena

Hope this helps!
Pam Payne
Cleveland Public Library

****************************************************
"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished,
but by what you should have accomplished with your ability."
-Anonymous
****************************************************

----- Original Message -----
From: Sewickley Township Public Library <[removed]@nb.net>
Date: Thursday, February 12, 2004 11:19 am
Subject: mystery vs. suspense

> Hi,
>
> Can anyone give me a definition of the difference between a book
> that is
> classified as a mystery and a book that is simply suspense.
> Specifically,what characteristics make it a mystery. Thanks!
>
> Mandy
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org
>

FROM: David Wright <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 2/12/04, 11:03 AM

....Also, since the appearance of Carolyn
Wheat's very helpful taxonomy of Mystery/Suspense
included in 'Writing the Thriller,' found in the
archives as indicated below, Wheat has written
her own book in which she expands on the subject
considerably: "How to write killer fiction : the
funhouse of mystery & the roller coaster of
suspense." It is a fine handbook for writers,
and one I would highly recommend for any size
library.

David Wright

--- ROBIN BEERBOWER <[removed]@mail.open.org>
wrote:
> I remembered this was covered in FL a number of
> years ago and found it
> in the archives. I still have a copy as I find
> it very helpful in
> explaining the different to new librarians.
>
>
http://www.webrary.org/MaillistF/msgold/2000/10/Re.Mysteryvsthriller.html
>
>
> Robin Beerbower
> Salem (OR) Public Library
>
>
> >>> [removed]@nb.net 02/12/04 08:19AM >>>
> Hi,
>
> Can anyone give me a definition of the
> difference between a book that
> is
> classified as a mystery and a book that is
> simply suspense.
> Specifically,
> what characteristics make it a mystery. Thanks!
>
> Mandy
>
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the
> archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
> http://fictionl.webrary.org
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the
> archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
http://fictionl.webrary.org

=====
“Do not do unto others as you would they should do unto you.
Their tastes may not be the same.”

-George Bernard Shaw

__________________________________
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FROM: Darlene Peasley <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 2/12/04, 11:08 AM

This reminds me of my recent thoughts of rather to
classify the latest Cat Who... book with the mysteries
with the rest of the series (we do have a separate
section for mysteries) or just give up and call it
fiction and have people have to look in two places for
these books. I find it hard to call it a mystery this
time. Did anyone else question this?

Darlene
Coudersport Public Library
Coudersport PA

--- Sewickley Township Public Library <[removed]@nb.net>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Can anyone give me a definition of the difference
> between a book that is
> classified as a mystery and a book that is simply
> suspense. Specifically,
> what characteristics make it a mystery. Thanks!
>
> Mandy
>
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://fictionl.webrary.org

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online.
http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html

FROM: "Diane Brown" <[removed]@scld.org>
REC'D: 2/12/04, 11:25 AM

To add to the excellent responses you've already received, this is what
Guidelines on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, Etc.
(commonly referred to as GSAFD) 2nd ed. has to say:

Mystery fiction -- Use for novels and stories dealing with the detection and
solution of crime... (The rest has to do with additional subject headings.)

Suspense fiction -- Use for works whose prime purpose is to produce a
feeling of frightened anticipation. These works may contain secondary
elements, espionage, romance, or psychology.

For those who aren't familiar with GSAFD, it is a thesaurus of genre
headings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diane Brown
Collection Services Librarian
Spokane County Library District
[removed]@scld.org

**This is not an official communication. All opinions are my own.**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-----Original Message-----
From: [removed]@maillist.webrary.org [[removed]@maillist.webrary.org]
On Behalf Of Sewickley Township Public Library
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2004 8:19 AM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: mystery vs. suspense

Hi,

Can anyone give me a definition of the difference between a book that is
classified as a mystery and a book that is simply suspense. Specifically,
what characteristics make it a mystery. Thanks!

Mandy

FROM: "Smith, Jeff" <[removed]@marshall.usc.edu>
REC'D: 2/12/04, 12:01 PM

Mystery: Some awful thing -- perhaps a murder -- has already happened. Question: Who did it?

Suspense: Some awful thing -- perhaps an assassination -- *might* happen. Question: How to stop it?

As this suggests, suspense thrillers are often drawn on a bigger canvas, with politics, government leaders and globe-trotting heroes. The setting of a mystery is typically a city, while the setting of a suspense thriller is often the whole world, or large parts thereof.

Of course, there are lots of combinations and variants.

Jeff Smith

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FROM: "christine jeffords" <[removed]@hotmail.com>
REC'D: 2/12/04, 12:06 PM

I seem to remember reading somewhere that a mystery is a story in which
reader and main character alike are trying to figure out whodunit, while a
suspense story starts out with that knowledge and follows the reactions of
the characters to the situation, or sees the action from the perp's POV.
(This is a paraphrase, but you get the idea.)

_________________________________________________________________
Let the advanced features & services of MSN Internet Software maximize your
online time. http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200363ave/direct/01/

FROM: David Wright <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 2/12/04, 2:29 PM

I think you should keep 'em together,
definitely.
One source of low-level frustration for me is
how messed up our Mystery/Suspense cataloging
gets here - we regularly have mystery titles
winding up in Fiction, and Suspense titles
winding up in Mystery. This happens a lot with
the Alex Cross and Luke Davenport books, but even
with Harry Bosch and so forth - its a royal pain
for our users, and at times I've wished we could
convert to a broader CRIME section or
MYSTERY/THRILLERS section or some such. I think
this has been discussed on the list before, but
anybody done this, and have positive/negative feedback?

=====
“Do not do unto others as you would they should do unto you.
Their tastes may not be the same.”

-George Bernard Shaw

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online.
http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html

FROM: "Jeanne Etling" <[removed]@nsls.info>
REC'D: 2/12/04, 4:11 PM

Darlene,

I agree that the mystery is nearly nonexistent, but with 2 dozen + books,
they all go into mystery. She has such a following that there would be a
hue if the books went anywhere else. My issue is that the recent book was
157 pages, but printed on heavier paper. Is this to a)make it look like a
longer book; or b)justify the price of the book.

Jeanne Etling
Dundee (IL) Township Public Library District

----- Original Message -----
From: "Darlene Peasley" <[removed]@yahoo.com>

> This reminds me of my recent thoughts of rather to
> classify the latest Cat Who... book with the mysteries
> with the rest of the series (we do have a separate
> section for mysteries) or just give up and call it
> fiction and have people have to look in two places for
> these books. I find it hard to call it a mystery this
> time. Did anyone else question this?
>
> Darlene
> Coudersport Public Library
> Coudersport PA

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