NationStates Jolt Archive

So, does anyone else like to read Detective novels? I like to read The Dresden Files novels, and I've also picked up the complete work of Sherlock Holmes. Back in Undergrad I took a class on Detective Novels for an English requirement and I found it interesting.

Now in the Dresden Files, I could see why someone would go to Harry when someone got murdered, mainly because most of the time it has to do with the supernatural or magical world. However, why would someone go to a Private Dick about a homicide committed by a gun or whatever? Why not just go to the police?

Sherlock Holmes is awesome.

*peeks in*

Yiddish Policeman's Union FTMFW.

*leaves*

Ramond Chandler's works are simply brilliant. While I appreciate E.A.Poe, A.C.Doyle, and Agatha Christie, Chandler strikes me as more real. Sue Grafton's OK. And Glen Cook's Garrett, PI books are pretty good. Finally, on the somewhatr strange side, Mel Gilden's Zoot Marlowe books are an interesting take on the genre... (Cross Ramond Chandler with Douglas Adams, and you'll get close to that neighborhood ...)

Check out the Rebus series by Ian Rankin. They're pretty good.

If you like Chandler, read Walter Mosley, especially his 'Easy Rawlins' series.

I like Rebus, but my fav has got to be anything by the autour Joe R Lansdale. He's a native of Texas, now come my Americam brethern don't let me down and tell me you have at least heard of the man?

Sherlock Holmes is awesome.
i was surprised to find out that NO ONE really likes sherlock holmes and that he is dry as dust to read.

he's my favorite detective ever.

What do you mean, nobody likes Sherlock Holmes? I love those stories! Holmes is an excellent character.

I'm a big Harry Dresden fan as well. Dead Beat is the best one so far. :)

I don't know about detective novels per se, but I do like mysteries. Agatha Christie rules. Anne Perry has two series of mysteries set in the Victorian Age, and while they aren't fantastic as mysteries go, she has an excellent sense of setting and character.

I think the reason why people don't like Sherlock Holmes (okay, the reason I don't) is because his deductions are often unbelieveable and convenient.

I don't know about detective novels per se, but I do like mysteries. Agatha Christie rules. Anne Perry has two series of mysteries set in the Victorian Age, and while they aren't fantastic as mysteries go, she has an excellent sense of setting and character.

I think the reason why people don't like Sherlock Holmes (okay, the reason I don't) is because his deductions are often unbelieveable and convenient.

Every detective story writer makes mistakes, of course, and none will ever know as much as he should. Conan Doyle made mistakes which completely invalidated some of his stories, but he was a pioneer, and Sherlock Holmes after all is mostly an attitude and a few dozen lines of unforgettable dialogue.

And there is a scheme of Agatha Christie's featuring M. Hercule Poirot, that ingenious Belgian who talks in a literal translation of school-boy French. By duly messing around with his "little gray cells" M. Poirot decided that since nobody on a certain through sleeper could have done the murder alone, everybody did it together, breaking the process down into a series of simple operations like assembling an egg beater. This is the type that is guaranteed to knock the keenest mind for a loop. Only a halfwit could guess it.

Thus Raymond Chandler, in The Simple Art of Murder (which I recommend very highly and which is available in a Ballantine paperback version). Now in the very sentence Chandler does say that there are much better plots by the writers he has just savaged, but his opinion of the English School of detective novels remained pretty low.

I have to say, I have not read much of Christie, but I have enjoyed Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey books (especially Murder Must Advertise). I like Dashiell Hammett, too, The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man.

I've discovered Donna Leon's Commisario Brunnetti series lately and like those very much.

One thing, though, that pisses me off about series, would it kill the publishers to indicate the order in which the books should be read? It isn't absolutely necessary for Chandler's work, since he doesn't make much reference to previous events, but in a good number of detective series the order is important. I've had to stand in the bookstore looking at the friggin' publish date in each one to figure it out.

Anyway, my two cents.

Thus Raymond Chandler, in The Simple Art of Murder (which I recommend very highly and which is available in a Ballantine paperback version). Now in the very sentence Chandler does say that there are much better plots by the writers he has just savaged, but his opinion of the English School of detective novels remained pretty low.

I have to say, I have not read much of Christie, but I have enjoyed Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey books (especially Murder Must Advertise). I like Dashiell Hammett, too, The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man.

I've discovered Donna Leon's Commisario Brunnetti series lately and like those very much.

One thing, though, that pisses me off about series, would it kill the publishers to indicate the order in which the books should be read? It isn't absolutely necessary for Chandler's work, since he doesn't make much reference to previous events, but in a good number of detective series the order is important. I've had to stand in the bookstore looking at the friggin' publish date in each one to figure it out.

Anyway, my two cents.I've read the Maltese Falcon, and enjoyed it. It was awesome to see a book with gay characters from that period, and not only that, but they don't die. However, other Hammett books are hard to find.

Chandler's analysis of Christie isn't bad, but that's part of her genius - that her plots could be guessed by the reader, but the reader usually wouldn't do so.

Looking at the contents of this thread, I would say the answer to the question

So, does anyone else like to read Detective novels?

is yes. :D

I don't know about detective novels per se, but I do like mysteries. Agatha Christie rules. .


Agatha Christie is boring and repetitive, IMHO. Her characters are all stock characters, like the-old-retired-major or the butler, the body is always found in the library, etc...

Hmmm, the only things I can think of that I've read comes close are Douglas Adam's Dirk Gently series and Terry Prachets series on Vimes. They're great though, so I don't feel too bad about being uncultured.

Agatha Christie is boring and repetitive, IMHO. Her characters are all stock characters, like the-old-retired-major or the butler, the body is always found in the library, etc...They're only stock characters because she invented that concept. Her writing might seem familiar, but only because it's inspired so many hundreds of other writers.

What do you mean, nobody likes Sherlock Holmes? I love those stories! Holmes is an excellent character.

I'm a big Harry Dresden fan as well. Dead Beat is the best one so far. :)
nope, not only does no one LIKE sherlock holmes, no one has actually READ the books. they are less often read than war and peace.

or something.

like i wrote, i was surprised to find out that there is a general bad feeling about sherlock holmes. i started reading those books back in highschool and i loved them.

What do you mean, nobody likes Sherlock Holmes? I love those stories! Holmes is an excellent character.

I'm a big Harry Dresden fan as well. Dead Beat is the best one so far. :)

Did you read the latest, Turn Coat?

Robert Fate is pretty good(http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Shark-Robert-Fate/dp/0977627691/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240421001&sr=1-1) as is Andrew Vachss(www.vachss.com)

Sherlock Holmes is still the King and Grand Master of the detective story, though.

Looking at the contents of this thread, I would say the answer to the question



is yes. :D

Indeed.

Hmmm, the only things I can think of that I've read comes close are Douglas Adam's Dirk Gently series and Terry Prachets series on Vimes. They're great though, so I don't feel too bad about being uncultured.

I'd really suggest the last two in my post above. :)

nope, not only does no one LIKE sherlock holmes, no one has actually READ the books. they are less often read than war and peace.

or something.

like i wrote, i was surprised to find out that there is a general bad feeling about sherlock holmes. i started reading those books back in highschool and i loved them.

Nothing of what I said above should be taken as a negative towards A.C.Doylw and S.Holmes.

Did you read the latest, Turn Coat?

Unfortunately I haven't yet - they get released about half a year later down here, so I have to wait a while. I'm not sure if the paperback for Small Favour is out down here yet, even.

I am very fond of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, I think they both wrote beautifully. Enjoyed quite a few of the Kinky Friedmann books. Also love the Fu Manchu books but not quite sure if they are really the same genre. Quite liked the couple of Arturo Pérez-Reverte books I read.

Classic 1930s-style British murder mysteries are pretty much my favorite thing when I'm tired and cranky and want something fluffy to read. Christie, Sayers, Allingham, Marsh, Peters - all lovely when you just want to snuggle down under the covers and turn off your brain for a while. :)

Classic 1930s-style British murder mysteries are pretty much my favorite thing when I'm tired and cranky and want something fluffy to read. Christie, Sayers, Allingham, Marsh, Peters - all lovely when you just want to snuggle down under the covers and turn off your brain for a while. :)

Peters, Ellis Peters? Because if it is, her Borther Cadfael series is just amazing.

I think I've read those! Or seen them in the library, at any rate. I may have to give them a closer look. It's set in the ... fourteenth century, I think? Somewhere in the high medieval period.

I think I've read those! Or seen them in the library, at any rate. I may have to give them a closer look. It's set in the ... fourteenth century, I think? Somewhere in the high medieval period.

I think it's the 13th century, and they are sent in an abbey. Brother Cadfael is Welsh and he's like, like the monk in The Name of the Rose. Quite the mystery solver. I saw an episode in the BBC one time and then I read "A morbid taste for bones". I was hooked.

Does Batman count?

I think I've read those! Or seen them in the library, at any rate. I may have to give them a closer look. It's set in the ... fourteenth century, I think? Somewhere in the high medieval period.

Twelfth century, actually, during the Anarchy. They're fun. :)

Unfortunately I haven't yet - they get released about half a year later down here, so I have to wait a while. I'm not sure if the paperback for Small Favour is out down here yet, even.

You might as well buy the hard back. I have hard back for Small Favor and Turn Coat.

Unfortunately I haven't yet - they get released about half a year later down here, so I have to wait a while. I'm not sure if the paperback for Small Favour is out down here yet, even.

That's why God created Amazon.

Back when Pterry Pratchett's books were still getting released a year late here I used to order them from Amazon.co.uk. Not to mention the books that never got released in the US.

The only reason I didn't buy it is because I refuse to spend more than $6 on a book that I'll finish reading the day after I buy it.

So, does anyone else like to read Detective novels? I like to read The Dresden Files novels, and I've also picked up the complete work of Sherlock Holmes. Back in Undergrad I took a class on Detective Novels for an English requirement and I found it interesting.

Now in the Dresden Files, I could see why someone would go to Harry when someone got murdered, mainly because most of the time it has to do with the supernatural or magical world. However, why would someone go to a Private Dick about a homicide committed by a gun or whatever? Why not just go to the police?

If I understand them correctly it's because usually the client feels the police are looking in the wrong direction, are not properly motivated, or suspect the client him/herself.

I like the Dresden Files, but I'm not sure I'd consider them Detective Novels, despite the protagonist being a Detective. It would be like calling the Harry Potter novels a Romance just because he gets a girl at some point.

In most detective novels the detective isn't really the protagonist. He goes through no changes and the story isn't really about him. The story is usually about the Villain's destruction or the Client's triumph, but at lot of the drama is lost because none of it is revealed until the end.

With most of the Dresden novels you've got a clear idea of who/what the villain is for much of the book, just not how Dresden is going to beat him. That makes it more action/adventure than Detective.

Does Batman count?

He should. DC used to stand for Detective Comics.

like most even the post war Biggles when hes an Air Detective

Eh. The closest I get to 'Detective' Novels, are a few of Poe's short stories.