This is my genre: Golden Age Detectives
Thanks to Alex for this blogging prompt, here's my own favourite reading genre.
What is your favourite genre?
It has to be Crime/Detective Fiction. It's a massive genre; very populous and busy with authors vying for attention.
I love reading new, independent authors rather than the main-stream churn. I'd never pick up a celebrity-written pile of words when there are so many great indi-authors.
I enjoy a wide range, but I am less keen on fiction which focuses on too much gore. Blood and guts have their place, but subtly. I have, in the last few years, gravitated towards the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
This is generally defined as fiction written in the 1920s and 30s. However, it has widened slightly to the inter-war years (plus a few years either side).
Who is your favourite author in this genre?
So many to choose from. The Queens of Crime were consider to be Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. All write in different styles, but follow a similar theme.
Most of the authors during this period were female but there were some notable male writers: Edgar Wallace; Milward Kennedy; Henry Wade
If I had to pick one Queen I would focus on Dorothy L Sayers. As well as a struggling author most of her life, despite her popularity, she had a private life that remained with her until her death. Only then did we learn that she had a son (as a single parent) who was brought up by a friend and she was only ever Auntie Dorothy. That must have been a challenge for her soul. In her will she bequeathed the literary estate to her son -- he knew nothing of this or that she was his mother.
What is it about the genre that keeps pulling you back?
The 1920/30s era fascinates me. It was a very different, and largely unfair class-heavy society in the UK. This hierarchy had been in place for many decades, but was slowly evolving and eroding. The First World War forced significant change in society, as we relied on women to keep the country running while the men were away at war. After the war, change was rapid (in comparison to earlier decades) and society adapted.
Putting aside the twists and turns of the plot, I love reading about the day to day mundane details of the characters. How did they travel; shop; entertain? What challenges did they face during the inter-war period? How did they make do and mend?
It's worth noting that many of the novels during this time carried varying degrees of racism. It is yet another window into how we lived during this time; the opinions held; how we have (in most cases) moved on and are more accepting of other life choices.
Importantly, during the early years, a set of rules were adopted. Not to make the writing process formulaic, but to be fair to the reader and give them an opportunity of solving the mystery.
Some of the rules include:
- The criminal must be mentioned early in the story.
- Supernatural themes are not acceptable as the main element.
- No more than one secret room or passage is permitted.
- Complex or fictitious poisons are to be avoided.
- The detective must not commit the crime.
- The detective must declare any clues discovered - no hiding them until the end.
- Twins must not appear unless the reader is well prepared.
What is the book that started your love of this genre?
I think it was a TV series that first sparked my interest. It would be one of Agatha Christie's works; they were very popular on TV. I'd guess at a Miss Marple in the 80s with Joan Hickson (the best Miss Marple in my opinion).
I soon moved on to read the majority of the Christie canon.
If you had to recommend at least one book from your favourite genre to a non-reader/someone looking to start reading that genre, what book would you choose and why?
Dorothy L. Sayers' Whose Body? She introduces her detective: Lord Peter Wimsey, accompanied by his valet Bunter. While not a fully formed character at this stage, Wimsey is eccentric, funny, and politely curt. The series progresses into 11 novels.
Why do you read?
Simple: Escapism. It's great to read well written prose that transports me to another time.
If you've written a blog post about your own genre, let me know and I will list it below.
