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Talking About Detective Fiction
(OverDrive MP3 Audiobook, OverDrive Listen)

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Published:
Blackstone Publishing 2010
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description

To judge by the worldwide success of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie's Poirot, it is not only the Anglo-Saxons who have an appetite for mystery and mayhem. Talking about the craft of detective writing and sharing her personal thoughts and observations on one of the most popular and enduring forms of literature, P. D. James examines the challenges, achievements and potential of a genre which has fascinated her for nearly fifty years as a novelist. P. D. James explores the metamorphosis of a genre which has gripped and entertained the popular imagination like no other type of novel. Written by the author widely regarded as the queen of the detective novel, this book is sure to appeal to all aficionados of crime fiction.

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Format:
OverDrive MP3 Audiobook, OverDrive Listen
Edition:
Unabridged
Street Date:
4/1/2010
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780792769057
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

P. D. James. (2010). Talking About Detective Fiction. Unabridged Blackstone Publishing.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

P. D. James. 2010. Talking About Detective Fiction. Blackstone Publishing.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

P. D. James, Talking About Detective Fiction. Blackstone Publishing, 2010.

MLA Citation (style guide)

P. D. James. Talking About Detective Fiction. Unabridged Blackstone Publishing, 2010.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
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Shared Digital Collection11
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Grouped Work ID:
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Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 15:53:09
Date Updated:
Jun 12, 2018 15:53:09
Last Metadata Check:
May 05, 2024 07:07:44
Last Metadata Change:
Jun 04, 2023 08:54:01
Last Availability Check:
May 05, 2024 07:07:47
Last Availability Change:
Apr 28, 2023 16:10:33
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
May 08, 2024 02:11:22

OverDrive Product Record

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edition
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title
Talking About Detective Fiction
fullDescription

To judge by the worldwide success of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie's Poirot, it is not only the Anglo-Saxons who have an appetite for mystery and mayhem. Talking about the craft of detective writing and sharing her personal thoughts and observations on one of the most popular and enduring forms of literature, P. D. James examines the challenges, achievements and potential of a genre which has fascinated her for nearly fifty years as a novelist. P. D. James explores the metamorphosis of a genre which has gripped and entertained the popular imagination like no other type of novel. Written by the author widely regarded as the queen of the detective novel, this book is sure to appeal to all aficionados of crime fiction.

reviews
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        October 26, 2009
        One of the most widely read and respected writers of detective fiction, James (The Private Patient
        ) explores the genre's origins (focusing primarily on Britain) and its lasting appeal. James cites Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone
        , published in 1868, as the first detective novel and its hero, Sergeant Cuff, as one of the first literary examples of the professional detective (modeled after a real-life Scotland Yard inspector). As for Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, James argues that their staying power has as much to do with the gloomy London atmosphere, “the enveloping miasma of mystery and terror,” as with the iconic sleuth. Devoting much of her time to writers in the Golden Age of British detective fiction (essentially between the two world wars), James dissects the work of four heavyweights: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh. Though she's more appreciative of Marsh and Allingham (declaring them “novelists, not merely fabricators of ingenious puzzles”), James acknowledges not only the undeniable boost these women gave to the genre but their continuing appeal. For crime fiction fans, this master class from one of the leading practitioners of the art will be a real treat. 9 illus.

      • premium: True
      • source: Library Journal
      • content:

        Starred review from July 1, 2010
        James, who turns 90 in August, wrote this Edgar Award-winning book on the history, development, and craft of detective fiction as a charitable contribution to the University of Oxford's Bodleian Library. Exploring the genre in great detail, she begins with Wilkie Collins's seminal 1868 novel, "The Moonstone" also discussing the Golden Age of British detective fiction that gave us the works of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, among others. James additionally addresses her own contributions to the genre; namely, her Adam Dalgliesh series. Throughout, her prose is as clear and precise as her readers and listeners have come to expect. Actress/writer Diana Bishop does an extraordinary job of narrating this material; her British accent is crisp and lucid, and her pacing is perfect for optimal understanding by American audiences. Highly recommended for James's fans as well as anyone interested in fiction writing and literary history. The Knopf hc was described as being "entertaining [and] approachable…an appealing read for a wide audience," "LJ"1/10.—Ed.]—Barbara Valle, El Paso P.L., TX

        Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

popularity
108
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awards
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      • value: Grand Master Award
      • source: Crime Writers’ Association
      • value: Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement Award
      • source: Library Journal
      • value: Best Audio Books
publisher
Blackstone Publishing
bisacCodes
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      • description: LITERARY CRITICISM / Mystery & Detective