A Counter-History of Crime Fiction takes a new look at the evolution of crime fiction, drawing on material from the Middle Ages up to the early twentieth century, when the genre was theoretically defined as detective fiction. Considering 'criminography' as a system of inter-related, even incestuous, sub-genres, Maurizio Ascari explores the connections between modes of literature such as revenge tragedies and providential fictions, the gothic and the ghost story, urban mysteries and anarchist fiction, while taking into account the influence of pseudo-sciences such as mesmerism and criminal anthropology. The result is a fascinating inquiry into the nature of a genre whose formulaic nature has not prevented imaginative, not to say heretical, variations on the themes of crime and detection. Theoretically informed, with an innovative approach to its subject matter, and written in an accessible style, A Counter-History of Crime Fiction is essential reading for those researching in, studying, or just intrigued by crime fiction and its development.
Shortlisted for Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards 2008 (Category: Best Critical/Biographical)
'Maurizio Ascari's book is a thrilling journey through the supernaturally dark side of crime fiction. It excavates material that critics have not previously considered in the context of classic crime writing and also explores innovatively the role of the super-rational in the development and meaning of the genre. The book thoroughly justifies its challenging title as a Counter-History of Crime Fiction.' - Stephen Knight, Distinguished Research Professor in English Literature, University of Cardiff, UK
'...a well-written, insightful and important piece of criticism.' - Kim Toft Hansen, Kulturekapellet
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Revising the Canon of Crime and Detection
PART I: SUPERNATURAL AND GOTHIC
Detection Before Detection
Persecution and Omniscience
Victorian Ghosts and Revengers
Pseudo-Sciences and the Occult
PART II: SENSATIONAL
The Language of Auguste Dupin
On the Sensational in Literature
London as a 'Heart of Darkness'
The Rhetoric of Atavism and Degeneration
The Age of Formula Fiction
Bibliography
Index
MAURIZIO ASCARI is Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Bologna, Italy. His publications include books and essays on anarchist fiction, the formation of the literary canon and travel writing.
Description
A Counter-History of Crime Fiction takes a new look at the evolution of crime fiction, drawing on material from the Middle Ages up to the early twentieth century, when the genre was theoretically defined as detective fiction. Considering 'criminography' as a system of inter-related, even incestuous, sub-genres, Maurizio Ascari explores the connections between modes of literature such as revenge tragedies and providential fictions, the gothic and the ghost story, urban mysteries and anarchist fiction, while taking into account the influence of pseudo-sciences such as mesmerism and criminal anthropology. The result is a fascinating inquiry into the nature of a genre whose formulaic nature has not prevented imaginative, not to say heretical, variations on the themes of crime and detection. Theoretically informed, with an innovative approach to its subject matter, and written in an accessible style, A Counter-History of Crime Fiction is essential reading for those researching in, studying, or just intrigued by crime fiction and its development.
Reviews
Shortlisted for Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards 2008 (Category: Best Critical/Biographical)
'Maurizio Ascari's book is a thrilling journey through the supernaturally dark side of crime fiction. It excavates material that critics have not previously considered in the context of classic crime writing and also explores innovatively the role of the super-rational in the development and meaning of the genre. The book thoroughly justifies its challenging title as a Counter-History of Crime Fiction.' - Stephen Knight, Distinguished Research Professor in English Literature, University of Cardiff, UK
'...a well-written, insightful and important piece of criticism.' - Kim Toft Hansen, Kulturekapellet
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Revising the Canon of Crime and Detection
PART I: SUPERNATURAL AND GOTHIC
Detection Before Detection
Persecution and Omniscience
Victorian Ghosts and Revengers
Pseudo-Sciences and the Occult
PART II: SENSATIONAL
The Language of Auguste Dupin
On the Sensational in Literature
London as a 'Heart of Darkness'
The Rhetoric of Atavism and Degeneration
The Age of Formula Fiction
Bibliography
Index
Authors
MAURIZIO ASCARI is Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Bologna, Italy. His publications include books and essays on anarchist fiction, the formation of the literary canon and travel writing.
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