All about detectives. Laws of the detective genre

Introduction. 3

1.1 Detective as a literary genre. 5

1.2 Stylistic devices in the English detective novel. 10

Chapter II 20

1.1 Stylistic analysis of the detective novel Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens. 20

Conclusion. 37

Bibliography. 39

Introduction

Today, detective literature is one of the most popular genres of mass literature in the system. This is due to the advertising of detective works in the media and the creation of various films, television series and graphic novels based on them. In addition, the popularity of detective literature lies in the fact that throughout its existence it absorbed the most painful, acute and hidden from the eyes of society problems. Mysteries, secrets, unusual and mysterious situations attract the reader, contribute to increased attention, cause tension. Also, the popularity of detective works is associated with the cathartic function of the detective: with emotional experience, fear and purification, which brings the investigation of a mystery by a detective.

The relevance of this course work is associated with the growing popularity of detective literature in English-speaking countries over the past 10 years. During this period, in the category " Best Detective» included more than 5,000 detective stories.

The subject of the research is the detective novel Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens.

The subject is a stylistic device used in Robin Stevens' Murder Most Unladylike detective novel.

The purpose of this course work is to identify and analyze stylistic devices on the example of Robin Stevens' detective novel "Murder Most Unladylike".

Objectives of the course work:

1. Analyze the source text;

2. Reveal stylistic devices;

3. Give an analysis of the identified stylistic devices.

To solve the tasks in the course work, the following research methods were used:

1. Stylistic analysis of the translation;

2. Theoretical analysis of scientific sources on the research problem.

The methodological basis of the research in the course work was the works of V.A. Kukharenko "Workshop on the style of the English language", Galperina I.R. "Stylistics of the English language", Arnold I.V. "The style of modern English".

The theoretical significance lies in the definition and analysis of the stylistic devices of detective works on the example of the detective novel Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens.

Chapter I

Detective as a literary genre

Detective (eng. detective, from lat. detego - I reveal) - a literary work or film, which is based on the investigation of a complicated crime, more often a murder.

Detective fiction is a type of literature that includes works of fiction whose plot is dedicated to solving a mysterious crime, usually with the help of logical analysis of facts.

Detective (lat. detectio - disclosure) is a work of art, the plot of which is based on the conflict between good and evil, realized in the disclosure of a crime.

There are a large number of interpretations of the detective as a genre, but the following stable genre indicators of the detective can be distinguished from dictionary entries: the disclosure of a mysterious crime, the use of logical analysis of facts, the clash between justice and lawlessness, the victory of justice.

The main thing in a detective story is a logical structure leading to a single and correct conclusion. Thanks to this, the reader can feel like a participant in the investigation process.

Edgar Allan Poe is considered the father of detective fiction. American writer, poet, literary critic and editor. In his novels, he created the type of the Great Detective, the technique of deductive crime solving, many plot moves, such as false keys, the mystery of the locked room. But the detective as a popular literary form did not immediately begin to assert itself. Literary critics believe that the spread of the detective story is associated with acute social problems in society and the weakening of the religious principle. The reader began to show particular interest in detective literature in the 1840s, when a large number of regular police forces and various detective offices began to appear, which did not always solve the tasks assigned to them safely, while in the detective story good always triumphs over evil, justice - iniquity.

A major role in the further development of the detective as literary genre played English writer Arthur Conan Doyle who created the popular image of the private detective Sherlock Holmes. Today, this image is one of the most popular and recognizable around the world. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote that two storylines must be present in a detective story: about the victim and the criminal and about the criminal and the detective. These storylines can intersect, deliberately confuse the author, but certainly lead to a denouement, where the author must give answers to all questions. A. Conan Doyle also believed that the criminal should in no case look like a hero.

The English thinker, writer and journalist Gilbert Keith Chesterton became the first theorist of the detective story as a special genre. In his article “In Defense of Detective Literature,” he emphasized that the detective story is a completely finished literary genre.

After the First World War, the detective literature changed markedly. The plot became more complex, there were unforeseen turns of intrigue and denouement.

Two stand out plot type detective literature: intellectual, where the main interest focuses on the very process of investigation, and adventure, where the plot is built on forcing new dramatic episodes, often new crimes.

The detective is characterized by the following features:

1) High degree of standardization;

2) Entertainment function;

3) Availability of content;

4) Fascination and entertainment.

The universal formula of the detective as a work of art is based on these features. The formula includes stereotypical images of characters, a general plot scheme, traditional ways of describing people and objects. All works of popular literature are based on such formulas, since they allow the most complete realization of the genre. In each specific detective work of a specific author, the detective formula acquires its own unique content.

At the heart of any detective work, there are three main stages: a mystery, the course of the investigation and exposure, which corresponds to the plot, culmination and denouement. In shift detectives, this sequence can be broken.

A detective-shifter is a detective work where the plot, climax and denouement go in reverse order.

The purpose of any detective work is to solve a riddle, solve a crime. Solving a crime is a mandatory and unified outcome of any detective story.

According to the Hungarian literary critic Tibor Köszthely, there is the following classification of detective stories:

1) Detective-mystery and task (works by Arthur Conan Doyle),

2) Historical detective (works by John Dickson Carr),

3) Social detective (works by Dorothy Lee Sayers),

4) Realistic detective story (works by Erle Stanley Gardner),

5) Naturalistic detective (works by Dashiell Hammett).

Also distinguished are such detectives as a political detective, a fantastic detective, a gothic detective, a picaresque detective, a spy detective.

In the period from 1918 to 1939, detective literature was enriched with new and colorful images of detectives. The authors of works with such characters include Agatha Christie, Freeman Croftsis, Anthony Quinn, Margery Allingham and others. But whatever the detective and its author, the main character should always be a person with such common features, like: erudition, unsurpassed mind, developed intuition, determination, eccentricity, a peculiar sense of humor.

The American school of "hard-boiled fiction" dealt a big blow to the image of an amateur detective familiar to readers. The new detectives remained honest, but became cruel and unscrupulous in their means. Most often, an aggressive person acted as a detective, able to navigate well in any particular situation and adapt to certain events. Anyone could turn out to be a criminal, even the main character's best friend, as, for example, in Dashiell Hamett's detective novel The Glass Key. The detective becomes pragmatic. To search for truth, not analytical abilities are used, but cunning, resourcefulness. The authors of the "cool school" tried to get away from the old scheme of the guilty caught - punished. They believed that the main character does not have to be positive, the style of narration should preferably be gloomy, and the denouement should be pessimistic.

But eccentric detectives have not disappeared. In the works of George Chesbrough, the main character is the dwarf Monroe, a colorful character, a professor of criminology, a karateka and a circus performer.

In the second half of the 1900s, a significant innovation of the genre was the appearance of female detectives. They, like men, have a license to detect and do just as well with dangerous and complicated cases. Examples of such heroines are Sharon McCone from the detective novels of Marcia Muller and Kinsey Milhoun from the works of Sue Grafton.

The main characters of modern detective stories are different from those of two centuries ago. Today's hero can be both a psychic detective and a blind detective, a detective-prince, he can also be a victim at the same time. The search for truth can only be carried out with the help of some kind of personal-moral revolution. Such a hero may not shine with intelligence or strength. This is due to the fact that in detective literature there are no established canons and the literary type of the detective as such. For example, Lawrence Sanders and Harry Kemelman in their work went beyond the formal framework of the detective.

Thus, a detective story is a work of art, which is based on the unraveling of secrets and crimes through a logical analysis of facts and the struggle between good and evil, justice and lawlessness.

Zhirkova M.A.

Detective: the history of the emergence and development of the genre

Tutorial

Introduction

Formulation of the problem. The peculiarity of the detective genre

Questions and tasks

Literature

Chapter I

The birth of the detective genre in the United States

1.1 Edgar Allan Poe

1.2. Development of the detective in the second half of the 19th century, the female face of the American detective: Ann Katherine Green, Carolyn Wells, Mary Roberts Rinehart

1.3. Release of mass detective publications

Questions and tasks

Literature

The emergence and development of the English detective story

2.1. Prerequisites for the emergence of the English detective

2.2. Charles Dickens

2.3. Wilkie Collins

2.4. English detective in the second half of the 19th century: Ellen Wood, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Mary Elizabeth Breddon

2.5. Robert Louis Stevenson

2.6. Arthur Conan Doyle

2.7. Gilbert Keith Chesterton

2.8. Edgar Wallace

Questions and tasks

Literature

The emergence and development of the French detective

3.1. Prerequisites for the emergence of the French detective

3.2. Emil Gaborio

3.3. Gaston Leroux

3.4. Maurice Leblanc

Questions and tasks

Literature

Chapter II. The development of the detective genre in the twentieth century

Development of the American detective

1.1. 1920-30s 20th century: Stephen Van Dyne, Earl Derr Biggers, Black Mask magazine

1.2. Cool detective in the works of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and other American writers

1.3. Genre forensic detective: Erle Stanley Gardner

1.4. Classic detective in the works of Rex Stout, Ellery Queen, John Dixon Carr

1.5. 1950s Police Detective Ed McBain

1.6. 1990s John Grisham Legal Detective

Questions and tasks

Literature

Development of the English detective

2.1. The crisis of the genre at the turn of 1920-30. The work of Anthony Berkeley

2.2. Classic Detective by Dorothy Sayers, Nyo Marsh

2.3. The work of Agatha Christie

2.4. The development of the "tough detective" in the work of Peter Cheney and James Hadley Chase

2.5. A spy novel by Graham Greene, Ian Fleming and John Le Carré

2.6. Hard Detectives and Action Movies by Alistair MacLean and Frederick Forsyth

2.7. "Sports" detective Dick Francis

Development of the French detective

3.1. A series of novels by Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allen about Fantômas

3.2. Socio-psychological detective in the work of Georges Simenon

3.3. Traditions of the American "hard" detective and "black romance" in the work of Leo Male

3.4. The new structure of the novel and suspience in detective work

Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac

3.5. Antidetectives by Sebastian Japriso

3.6. Humorous Detectives by Frederic Dar

3.7. "Black romance", noir, polar and neopolar: some terminology

Questions and tasks

Literature

Questions for offset

Bibliography

Internet resources

Dictionary

Application

S. Van Dyne. Twenty rules for writing detective novels

R. Knox. The ten commandments of a detective novel

R. Chandler. Random Notes on a Detective Novel

Synchronistic table

INTRODUCTION

I always read and read detective stories: on vacation, just in free time during the working period, escaping from stress with a heavy load. At some point, there was a desire to systematize what was read, so a special course for students on the history of the development of the detective appeared, the result of which was student theses and term papers on the detective genre in Russian literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as in children's literature based on Soviet classics and works recent years. Work with students and the preparation of term papers and theses largely determined the content of the proposed manual.

The course material covers primarily detective stories. foreign countries: USA, England, France, where this genre originated and began to develop especially actively, the following will be devoted to the history of the Russian, Soviet and modern detective story in Russia. The presentation is subject to the chronological principle: from its inception to the end of the 20th century, while conventionally literature is divided into two periods: from late XIX century to the first decades of the 20th century and from the 20-30s to the end of the 20th century. With great caution I approach the latest works written in the detective genre, I'm afraid of disappointment, so let's dwell on this period.

The textbook does not claim to cover all the material, for this there are various encyclopedic and reference publications. Target– trace the history of the emergence and development of the detective genre, identifying the main directions of its development in different countries.

Course objectives:

– definition of the genre canon of the detective story and its varieties,

– study of the history of the detective genre,

– consideration of the main stages of development and formation of the detective genre in individual countries,

Detective works are usually classified as fiction, popular literature, which is often equated with low-grade. Entertaining reading, a fascinating plot - what constitutes the main advantage of a detective, is also often assessed as a disadvantage in contrast to serious, "real" literature. At the same time, it is forgotten that even serious writers paid tribute to the detective and did not consider writing it an easy task (C. Dickens, W. Faulkner, I Shaw, etc.). Despite this point of view, a different view of the detective has long been established. Among the diverse detective literature, a classic layer stands out; there is a high level of detective works, not only classical, but also modern, deserving philological attention. This is confirmed by numerous literary works devoted to various aspects of the detective genre; emergence of dissertations.

Unfortunately, the time frame of the special course is limited, which makes it difficult to study the development of a foreign detective story in other countries, a foreign detective story at the present stage, so this material is offered for self-development as one of the options for credit work.

After each section, there is a list of references that served as the source of the material. Each topic also ends with questions and assignments for practical exercises, which can develop into reports and reports in practical classes, as well as, possibly, into student term papers and theses.

Proposed Dictionary contains a definition of the terms and concepts that were encountered in the preparation of the manual. Many genre designations have a wide scope of use; in this case, correlation with detective literature is important. Some terms are very close and intersect in their meaning, it is important for us to indicate the small difference that exists between them. It must be borne in mind that the works of art themselves are not always limited to one definition; several genre varieties can be distinguished within one text. The formation of the definition is also significantly influenced by the national characteristics of the development of the detective.

IN application a synchronistic table is presented, which contains various information that is directly or indirectly related to the detective story, which will allow you to see the overall picture of the history of the development of the detective genre, as well as its development in a particular country.

FORMULATION OF THE PROBLEM.

CHAPTER I

Edgar Allan Poe

Thanks to "logical stories" or ratiocinations, by definition of the Edgar Allan Poe (1809 - 1849) , the exact birth date of the detective genre is known - this is a publication in April 1841 short stories "Murder in the Rue Morgue" . E. Poe's short stories are closely connected with romantic aesthetics; of great importance in them are the category of "terrible", "terrible", the combination of "mysterious" and intellectual analysis, "unusual" and clear logic. A small volume becomes a structure-forming element, and a criminal investigation becomes the subject of a fictional narrative. E. Poe's "logical stories" are characterized by analyticity and rationalism, the presence of a lengthy description and reasoning; the thoroughness of the developed system of details, the impression of the reliability of fiction, naturalism and plausibility. There is an assertion of a rigid structure of detective stories:

1) information about the crime,

2) a description of unsuccessful attempts to find the police,

3) appeal to the detective hero for help,

4) unexpected revelation of a secret,

5) clarification of the main character's train of thought.

First appearance of a classic pair of protagonists: a personality of striking analytical ability, intellectual, erudite, prone to observation and analysis, and a common person, very sincere, naive storyteller, chronicler, communicative assistant function. The exclusivity and eccentricity of an amateur detective (a penchant for solitude, a closed life, night time, closed curtains, green glasses), Auguste Dupin, for whom solving the mystery of a crime is an exciting mind game. The value of human intelligence. The focus of E. Poe's short stories is not so much on the investigation of the crime as on the person who solves it. The writer reveals to the reader all the information about the crime, giving the reader the opportunity to unravel it.

The weakening of the external plot, which is compensated by intense internal action, the work of thought. The emphasis in the writer's stories is on the process unraveling mystery of the crime, and not on the very solution and motives of the crime. In E. Poe's short stories, an artistic study of the activity of the intellect takes place. Yu.V. Kovalev notes: “Edgar Allan Poe does not just talk about the intellectual activity of the hero, but shows it in detail and in detail, revealing the process of thinking, its principles and logic. It is here that the main action of rationalizations, their deep dynamics, is concentrated. Speaking about the pathos of Poe's detective stories, it should be recognized that he is not only in revealing the secret. The brilliant solution of the riddle demonstrates the beauty and vast possibilities of the mind triumphing over the anarchic world of the “inexplicable”. Poe's detective stories are a hymn to the intellect." Induction + deduction + intuition are the main components of the success of the hero E. Poe.

In the stories of E. Poe, the chronotope of a detective novel is built: a rectilinear movement of time with an excursion into the past. The writer is the first to introduce the development closed space in the detective genre - the model of the "locked from the inside of the room" in the story "Murder in the Rue Morgue"(1841) . The real story of American Mary Cecily Rogers and the story "The Secret of Marie Roger"(1842) . The illusion of documentary, the introduction of newspaper articles, the disclosure of a crime through their analysis, the predominance of analysis over action, eventfulness to the detriment of the integrity and entertaining plot.

"The Stolen Letter" (1844), according to A. Adamov, can be considered as a psychological study on the topic of cunning and wisdom, we have an example of amazing observation, logical analysis and subtle knowledge of human characters and passions.

We meet a new structure in the story "Thou art the man who did this" (1844) . The narrator acts as a detective, an ironic style of narration.

Logic stories also include "Golden Bug"(1843) - about secret writing and treasure hunting with the main character William Legrand. In the center of the story is also the work of the intellect, the disclosure of the process of thinking.

In addition, self-accusation novels are sometimes referred to as detective stories: “The Black Cat”, “The Demon of Contradiction”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Barrel of Amontillado”, in which there is a crime as such, there may be police officers, but the investigation itself is absent. The focus is on the criminal himself, and the retribution for the crime occurs in a fatal or mystical way.

Since 1945, one of the most prestigious detective genre awards has been presented Edgar Allan Poe Award.

Charles Dickens

The plot basis of many works Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) becomes a mystery. The detective mystery lies at the heart of the writer's social novels.

In the novel "Barnaby Rudge"(1841) there was a murder of the owner of the estate, another corpse was found in the pond, in the clothes of the manager, and the gardener disappears from the estate, on whom the suspicion of a double murder falls. But the main theme of the novel is historical events, the detective story is woven into the historical theme. In his review of Dickens' novel, Edgar Allan Poe analyzes the detective line and notes the obviousness of the mystery (the writer guessed who the real killer was already in chapter 5 of 82) and predicts the ending of the novel even before its publication.

Novel "The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit"(1844) focuses on family relationships and the pursuit of a rich inheritance. The mystery of the murder is solved by the private detective Nadzhet. He was not drawn very respectfully: the process of tracking down the criminal is interesting and important for him, and not the restoration of justice and the punishment of the criminal.

In the novel "Cold House"(1853) Inspector Bucket appears, modeled on the London Police Inspector Charles Frederick Field, whom the writer portrays with great respect, in contrast to the detective Nadzhet. This is a socio-psychological novel containing a satire on English justice.

Dickens provides support to the Crime Department of the London Police. He publishes a number of articles and stories about the work of the London police and with detective elements ("Three stories about detectives", "At work with Inspector Field", "Downstream", "A pair of gloves", "Detective police"). He also goes along with the police to London dens, extracting literary material for himself.

Story "Caught in the act"(1859) based on the real-life criminal case of the poisoner Thomas Griffiths Wainwright, whom Dickens visited in Newgate Prison. Detective elements are present in Our Mutual Friend (1865).

unfinished romance "The Mystery of Edwin Drood"(1870) , gave rise to new mysteries: “a very curious and new idea that will not be easy to unravel ... rich, but difficult to implement” (C. Dickens).

The main characters of the novel: Mr. John Jasper and his nephew Edwin Drood, there is an outward love and care of the uncle towards his nephew, but hatred for him as a rival in love. Edwin Drood and Rosebud, between whom there is friendly affection. Rosebud is disgusted and horrified by John Jasper. Calm, restrained Elena Landles is opposed by her quick-tempered, but noble brother Nevil. The absolute kindness of Mr Crisparkle. John Jasper's all-consuming passion for Rose Button may serve as a motive for the murder. There are many details that hint at the killer and the method of murder, but do not give answers about the method and the hero of his exposure.

The focus of the novel on the mystery of human characters (E. Genieva). The duality of human nature: the bright, musically gifted, artistic nature of Jasper and the passionate, dark, opium-doped, pathological side of his personality.

Unsolved mysteries: 1) the fate of Edwin Drood: was he killed, if so, by whom and how, and where is his body hidden? If not, where is he, what's wrong with him, and will he appear in the novel? 2) Who is Mr. Datchery, the stranger who appeared after the disappearance of Edwin Drood? 3) Who is the old woman smoking opium and why is she following Mr. Jasper?

"The most misleading of all the books Dickens wrote", questions and version of George Carming Walters. repeatedly nominated various options the end of the novel. The illustrations on the cover of the first edition by Ch.O. help solve the mystery. Collins.

In 1914, the trial of Jasper took place with the participation of B. Shaw, G. Chesterton. As a result, the accused John Jasper was found guilty of manslaughter.

Wilkie Collins

William Wilkie Collins (1824 - 1889) was educated at the oldest law firm in London, Lincoln Inn; the legal profession great material for creativity. Writes detective stories and novels. The story "The Terrible Bed" (1852) first appeared as a police officer, while "The Stolen Letter" (1854) can be seen as the first English detective story; The Diary of Anne Rodway (1856) features the first female detective in English literature, a milliner investigating the death of her friend and bringing the killer to justice. The Bitten Biter (1858) can be seen as the first humorous detective story. Detective elements are present in other works of the writer.

In 1851, an acquaintance with Ch. Dickens took place, which grew into many years of friendship and creative cooperation. Joint creativity writers: "The Idle Journey of Two Lazy Apprentices", 1857; "Doctor Dulcamara, Member of Parliament", 185; "No Exit", 1867, etc. W. Collins collaborates with the magazine "All the Year Round", published by Dickens.

In the 1860s, the writer turns to the novel form: "the novel of secrets" "The Woman in White"(1860) and detective novel "Moon rock"(1866) . In the first, there is no detective hero, the secret and crimes of Sir Percival Glyde are revealed by the artist Hartright. One commits terrible crimes in the name of wealth, the other leads a noble struggle in the name of love and justice.

The plot of the novel "The Woman in White" the writer found in the "Handbook of Famous Trials" (1808) from the French legal practice of M. Mezhan, where, in particular, it was told about the unfortunate Marquis de Duho, who in 1787 brother under an assumed name, put her in a lunatic asylum in order to take possession of her fortune. Although the Marquise managed to escape, she never succeeded in regaining her legal rights, since she was officially considered dead. legal battle lasted several years, the marquise died without waiting for a decision on her issue.

For the second famous novel The writer got the plot in " True history precious stones "D. King. The very history of the Moonstone, its abduction from a Buddhist temple, its appearance in England, the Hindu priests spying on it - all this creates a special atmosphere of mystery and exoticism. In the novel, the Scotland Yard detective Mr. Cuff appears, but the secret of the stolen moonstone and he fails to immediately reveal. At the same time, Kuff is very smart, observant, he combines scientific methods with psychological ones.

Collins came up with this time such a "move" that could not be guessed at all, because not only was it not amenable to any logical or psychological analysis, but in principle, it was theoretically impossible to assume anything like that. The novel "Moonstone" is rich in psychological characteristics of the characters. The writer uses the reception of a story from different characters, which allows you to look at the events from the inside, to reveal the characters of the characters. This technique allows you to give the story an additional mystery, since neither of the narrators knows what he knows and then tells the other. And this other sometimes unexpectedly refutes, it would seem, quite convincing considerations of the previous narrator, or suddenly starts an argument with him, or even simply ridicules him (A. Adamov).

In the novel Moonstone, Collins also draws on the real case of the 16-year-old girl Constance Kent, which was widely reported in the newspapers in 1861. She was arrested in 1860 on charges of murdering her little brother on the basis of the testimony of Inspector Whicher of the London Detective Department . The inspector noticed that the home linen record included a women's nightgown, which could not be found, apparently because it had blood stains on it, and it was destroyed. Such circumstantial evidence was not enough evidence for the prosecution, while Sergeant Whicher was condemned by everyone. Only a few years later, in 1865, the girl herself confessed to her spiritual father that she had committed the murder in order to take revenge on her parents.

The originality and novelty of the novel "Moonstone" consisted in the fact that the detective mystery became the main content of the novel, in fact, before us first English detective novel. In his works, the writer adheres to the belief that readers must be treated “honestly” and consistently provides all the evidence and clues to unraveling the mystery. The work of W. Collins as a whole is characterized by drama and life material, and in his novels there was a shift in emphasis: from the question “who killed?” to "why?"

2.4. English detective in the second half of the 19th century:

Robert Louis Stevenson

Detective elements are present in adventurous and adventure cycles Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894)"Suicide Club" And "Diamond Raja" included in the book "New Thousand and One Nights"(1878) . They present a parody of adventurous and sensational literature, written on modern material. The main character is the mysterious Prince Florizel, the ruler of Bohemia. The author's irony is noticeable in the style of the narration.

Adventure novel "Treasure Island"(1882) brought the writer worldwide fame. It is known that the beginning of work on the novel is associated with the creation of a map of the island and the reading of the chapters just written in the circle of relatives and friends. In the first magazine publication, the novel appeared with the authorship of Captain George Norton. In a separate edition of 1883, the novel was published under real name writer. The confidential story of the protagonist Jim Hawkins creates the illusion of authenticity, a vivid picture of events, the impression of accuracy and psychological authenticity of what is happening. An ambiguous hero is represented in the novel by John Silver, he is cruel, cunning, but also smart, cunning, able to inspire pity and respect.

After reading the French translation of the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment" in 1885. Stevenson writes a story "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"(1886) about a split personality by a chemical drug, as a result of which the good-natured doctor Henry Jekyll becomes a criminal, a brutal killer, causing disgust and disgust Edward Hyde. Mr. Hyde is pure evil, isolated from human personality through chemistry, but gradually taking over the soul and body of Dr. Jekyll. Free choice turned out to be unmanageable. In the story there is a combination of fantasy, mysticism, detective and psychologism.

Reflection of the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky can also be seen in the story Markhain (1885). In 1889 R.L. Stevenson has completed The Possessor of Ballantrae, which re-examines the boundaries of good and evil.

Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 - 1930) – doctor of medicine, traveler, politician, publicist, sportsman, spiritualist and writer of historical, detective and fantasy works.

IN 1887 the story comes out "A study in Scarlet" in which Sherlock Holmes first appears. It will be released as a separate edition in 1888 with drawings by Arthur Conan Doyle's father, Charles Doyle. The writer admitted that he was fascinated by the work of Edgar Allan Poe and Emile Gaboriau. Thus appeared the first detective work in his literary experiments.

The story, written in 1886, could not be attached for a long time. Finally, the publishers agree, but put a number of conditions: the story will be released no earlier than next year, the fee for it will be 25 pounds, and the author will transfer all rights to the work to the publisher. It is worth paying attention to the fact that in 1892, when the publishers asked for the continuation of the stories about Sherlock Holmes, Doyle, hoping that they would leave him alone, declared the amount of 1000 pounds, to which he immediately received consent, and in 1903 the American publishers offered a writer to be paid $5,000 per story if he figures out how to resurrect his character.

Usually the doctor, professor at the University of Edinburgh, Joseph Bell (1837-1911) is considered as a prototype of Sherlock Holmes. It is from the observation, analysis and conclusions of the professor that the deductive method of Sherlock Holmes follows. As a university student, Doyle was surprised and admired by the professor's ability to determine the occupation or past of the patient by appearance, even outwardly the writer makes his hero look like Bell: just as tall, thin, dark-haired, with an aquiline nose, gray penetrating eyes. Although Bell himself said that the real prototype of Holmes is Arthur Conan Doyle himself. The writer called Major Alfred Wood, who was Conan Doyle's secretary for about 40 years, the prototype of Dr. Watson.

In the detective work of the writer, a classic pair of heroes is formed: the eccentric Sherlock Holmes and the mundane Dr. Watson. The image of Sherlock Holmes combines the features of a noble knight and egocentrism, genius and romanticism, accurate knowledge and love for music; analytical talent, the power of human thought, aimed at combating evil, protecting a person from violence, which the police are powerless to prevent. Holmes keeps up with his times; when investigating crimes, he widely uses the achievements of science (for example, chemistry), skillfully makes up (camben, sailor, beggar, old man) and uses the deductive method to reconstruct the picture of the crime. Holmes solves crimes not only for the sake of justice, but also for the sake of curiosity, interest in new complex cases, otherwise he yearns, suffers from inaction and boredom.

His faithful assistant and chronicler, Dr. Watson, may be endowed with excessive emotionality in contrast to the impassive and restrained Holmes, but he also possesses cordial good nature, delicacy and sincere devotion to his friend. He is very personable and likable.

Doyle's works are characterized by the repetition of the plot scheme: energetic and intriguing start a story that can immediately captivate the reader; the appearance of a visitor with his request or secret; investigations, which are often carried out in parallel with the police; the enigmatic behavior of Holmes and the bewilderment of Watson; possible danger to which the investigator is exposed; revealing and explaining all the mysteries at the end of the story. And the lack of descriptions, secondary details, focus on the main storyline creates a concise, businesslike and tense style of narration.

The writer maintains accuracy in details, creating the image of old England at the end of the 19th century on the pages of his works. Chesterton notes that Kona Doyle surrounded his hero with the poetic atmosphere of London.

in the story "The Last Case of Holmes" V 1893 K. Doyle "kills" Sherlock Holmes in order to take a break from his hero, who overshadowed the writer himself and interferes with work on serious literature: historical and social novels(for example, "The White Squad", 1891; "Rodney Stone", 1896, etc.), which the writer considers as his main literary work. But the death of a literary hero aroused indignation among readers; the Strand magazine, where K. Doyle's stories were published, lost 20,000 subscribers; and the editorial office itself is inundated with letters from angry subscribers.

In 1900, the writer went to the Anglo-Boer War as a surgeon in a field hospital, and the book The Great Boer War (1900) became a kind of result. In 1902, Conan Doyle was awarded a knighthood for services to his homeland in the Boer War.

The return of Sherlock Holmes took place in the novel "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1901) . The idea arose from a story told by journalist Fletcher Robins, with whom Doyle was staying in Devonshire. The writer heard a legend about the cruel, unbridled and jealous Sir Richard Cabbell, who killed his wife, but also died from a dog that rushed at him, protecting his mistress. "Resurrection" is presented in the story "Empty house" (1903) ; included in the compilation "The Return of Sherlock Holmes"(1905) .

Conan Doyle participated in criminal trials more than once, thanks to his efforts innocently convicted were acquitted. For example: George Edalji case , who is accused of cruel murders of domestic animals and sentenced to 7 years of hard labor in 1903. In 1906 he was released without justification; then he writes to Conan Doyle, asking for help. In 1907, D. Edalji was acquitted. The Oscar Slater case , accused of murder in 1908 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Conan Doyle joined the cause in 1912, but it was not until 1927 that Oscar Slater was acquitted.

A. Conan Doyle also owns fantastic works about Professor Challenger: The Lost World (1912), The Poisoned Belt (1913) and later The Maracot Abyss (1929), which, unlike historical novels were successful. But readers expected detective stories from the writer.

In a detective novel "Valley of Fear"(1915) elements of the American detective story can be noted: the image of organized crime led by Professor Moriarty. The last collection of short stories "The Sherlock Holmes Archive" went out in 1927

Interestingly, the methods of Sherlock Holmes in the study of the crime scene were reflected in the first textbook on criminalistics by G. Gross, A Guide for Forensic Investigators (1893).

Other writers joined in writing stories about Sherlock Holmes, giving rise to a whole series of books, for example: Adrian Conan Doyle, John Dixon Carr « The Unknown Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" or "The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes"; Ellery Queen "Study in cruel colors" or "Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper", etc.

Arthur Conan Doyle also owns a book of memoirs: Memoirs and Adventures (1924).

In 1990, the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London (221-b Baker Street) was opened with an accurate reproduction of the interior based on the works of A. Conan Doyle. The beginning of the museum was an exhibition in 1954; and in 1999, a monument to Sherlock Holmes was erected near the museum.

In 2002 literary hero Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes was admitted to the British Royal Society of Chemistry.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Genre originality of novels Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874 - 1936) associated with the parable and preaching character, theology and psychology. Yu.M. Lotman called Chesterton's detective stories scientific and psychological studies in art form. Chesterton's goal was not only to describe an entertaining story and conduct a fascinating investigation, but lay in a much deeper philosophical and moral background, reflected primarily in the instructions of his protagonist, Father Brown (L. Romanchuk).

A. Adamov: “Chesterton's detective genre suddenly and at the same time quite naturally expanded its boundaries, showed the most valuable ability to absorb deep philosophical and moral views and truths, to make the works of this genre by no means only fascinating or even instructive, but ideological, force to solve the problems of being and faith, human essence and destiny, that is, to stand on a par with the “genuine”, “high” literature of the century within the framework of the bourgeois, Catholic worldview and worldview in which Chesterton himself remained.

The religiosity of the writer played a significant role in the life and work of the writer. In 1904, he met the Catholic priest John O'Connor, who made a strong impression with the depth of his knowledge of human nature and whom the writer makes the prototype of his main character in detective stories, Father Brown. The priest became a friend and confessor of the writer. In 1922, Chesterton converted from the Anglican faith to Catholicism. After Chesterton's death, D. O'Connor wrote a book about him: Father Brown on Chesterton (1937).

Storybook "Club of amazing crafts"(1905) can be regarded as a test of the pen, a kind of parody of the detective genre. Amateur detective Rupert Grant sees signs of a crime everywhere, and his older brother, retired judge Basil Grant, in each case solves, if not a crime, then one or another mystery.

One of the most unusual amateur detectives is Father Brown, endowed with the ability to "notice everything strange." He appears in the first collection "Father Brown's Ignorance"(1911) . Characteristic features of the protagonist: humility, innocence, comicality, clumsiness, absurdity and outward mediocrity. This is an inconspicuous village priest, who at first causes a dismissive grin, no one expects strength of mind, subtle observations from such, turns out to be a sensitive and insightful psychologist, who is characterized by attentiveness and respect for a person. It is no coincidence that the very titles of the collections of short stories sound ironic: Father Brown's Ignorance (1911), Father Brown's Wisdom (1914), Father Brown's Distrust (1926), Father Brown's Mystery (1927), Father Brown's Shame (or "The scandalous incident with Father Brown") (1935). Ironic overtones are characteristic of many of Chesterton's stories in general.

An uneasy relationship connects Father Brown and Flambeau. The image of Flambeau is given as the image of a romantic hero, this is both a genius for theft and a great artist.

Father Brown's method consists in a psychological approach to solving crimes and understanding the essence of a person. Interest in the criminal, attention to inner world, secret and obvious motives of actions, to human psychology, the ability to look at the world through his eyes. The main thing for Father Brown is to save the soul of the criminal. The goal of Father Brown is not so much to punish the criminal as to establish the truth, to save the innocent suspect from punishment, to re-educate the guilty (I. Kashkin). Therefore, Chesterton has the opportunity to create a detective without a criminal, since repentance and correction are possible. For example, the story of Flambeau.

The basis of Father Brown's actions is christian motif salvation, so his investigation process is very peculiar. Father Brown uses non-standard methods of solving crimes, he often turns to intuition, reveals logical inconsistencies in the character's reasoning, betraying his true face.

Other cycles of the writer, for example: a cycle of stories about Horne Fisher: "The Man Who Knew Too Much"(1922) , where the main character reveals political and near-political intrigues, relying on a good awareness of the life of the highest circles of society. We are talking about the crime of the entire state system.

In the storybook "The Poet and the Fools"(1929) The crimes are solved by the artist and poet Gabriel Gale. Here, the crimes are psychiatric, and Gale uses his ability to see the world through the eyes of a madman as a method.

Close to the detective are two more collections of Chesterton's short stories: Hunting Tales (1925) and Five Righteous Criminals (1930).

Collection "Mr. Pond's Paradoxes" published after Chesterton's death. The protagonist of the stories is a high-ranking official who solves crimes using the logic of a paradox, and his companions: the diplomat Sir Hubert Wotton and Captain Gehegen,

In 1928, Gilbert Chesterton became the first chairman of the Detective Writers' Club in London.

Chesterton also owns a number of articles on the detective genre,

One of the favorite genres of literary works for many readers in our country is a detective story.

Detective (from English detective, from Latin detego - I reveal, expose) is a cinematic or literary genre. The works of this genre consistently describe events that ultimately lead to the clarification of all circumstances and the disclosure of the mysteries of the mysterious case. In most detective novels, a mysterious incident refers to a murder or theft. They are a kind of catalyst that starts the whole mechanism of further events.

Detective could not exist without criminals of various stripes: thieves, deceivers, maniacs, murderers. After all, it is they who “help” the authors of literary works to draw interesting plots and unusual stories not only from their imagination, but also from everyday life.

The history of the emergence and development of the detective genre

Edgar Allan Poe is considered to be the founder of detective stories. It was in his works that the reader was first able to enjoy a brilliant plot, which was based on a mysterious incident - a crime. The works of Edgar Allan Poe, in which the author introduces us to the detective Dupin, laid the foundation for further development this literary genre around the world. TO famous books Edgar Allan Poe can be attributed to The Secret of Marie Roger (1843), The Stolen Letter (1845), Murder in the Rue Morgue (1841).
In fairness, it should be noted that elements of the detective genre were present in the works of other authors. For example, these are the novels by W. Collins "Moonstone", "The Woman in White", which were wildly popular in the 60s of the 19th century.

Some authors mixed the detective genre with others literary trends. For example, the American writer Anderson Cooper in his children's books talked about the life of the Indians. It is noteworthy that the author similarly described how the heroes of his books pursued their victim, what signs they paid attention to: a stump overgrown with moss, a broken bush, footprints on the ground, etc.


A significant contribution to the development of the world detective genre was made by Charles Dickens. Several works of this author were devoted to the detective case. For example, in his magazine The Household Word, Dickens published a series of articles whose main topic was the work of the detectives of that time.

Another author who has made a significant contribution to the development of the detective genre is Arthur Conan Doyle. The first work that had a strong effect on readers is A Study in Scarlet. It was followed by a series of short stories dedicated to the life and work of one of the most famous detectives of all times and peoples - Sherlock Holmes.

The development of the genre led to the emergence of scientific and medical detective subgenres. For example, the writer T.L. Mead in 1902 publishes the book The Sorceress of the Strand, in which the author describes in detail the questions medicine: murder with the help of x-rays and hydrocyanic acid, as well as somnambulism, hypnosis, etc.

In 1920, Agatha Christie's first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published. Soon there will not be a single person in the world who would not be familiar with the smartest detective Hercule Poirot and the noble Miss Marple. The works of Agatha Christie have rightfully won their leadership in world cinema. During the years of perestroika, domestic readers enthusiastically plunged into the magical world of the detective.

Later, works by Russian authors appear: Marinina, Shilova, Dontsova, etc. Each of the writers has her own own style. D. Dontsova writes in the genre of an ironic detective story. Quite realistic series come out from Marinina's pen, which allows her books to be wildly popular.

I would like to note that detective stories will always be popular, regardless of time. Each reader decides for himself what genre (classical or modern) he prefers!

The first works of the detective genre are usually considered stories written in the 1840s, but elements of the detective story were used by many authors earlier.

For example, in the novel by William Godwin (1756 - 1836) "The Adventures of Caleb Williams" (1794), one of central characters- an amateur detective. E. Vidocq's Notes, published in 1828, also had a great influence on the development of detective literature. However, it was Poe who created the first Great Detective - the amateur detective Dupin from the story "Murder in the Rue Morgue". Then came Sherlock Holmes (C. Doyle) and Father Brown (Chesterton), Lecoq (Gaborio) and Mr. Cuff (Wilkie Collins). It was Edgar Allan Poe who introduced into the plot of the detective story the idea of ​​rivalry in solving a crime between a private investigator and the official police, in which the private investigator, as a rule, takes over.

The detective genre becomes popular in England after the release of W. Collins' novels The Woman in White (1860) and The Moonstone (1868). In the novels "Hand of Wilder" (1869) and "Checkmate" (1871) by the Irish writer C. Le Fanu, the detective story is combined with the Gothic novel.

The founder of the French detective is E. Gaborio, the author of a series of novels about the detective Lecoq. Stevenson imitated Gaboriau in his detective stories (especially in "The Diamond of the Raja").

Usually, a crime acts as an incident in a detective story, the author describes its investigation and the identification of the perpetrators, and the conflict is built on a clash of justice with lawlessness, culminating in the victory of justice.

The main feature of the detective as a genre is the presence in the work of a certain mysterious incident, the circumstances of which are unknown and must be clarified. The most frequently described incident is a crime, although there are detective stories that investigate events that are not criminal (for example, in the Sherlock Holmes Notes, which belongs to the detective genre, there are no crimes in five stories out of eighteen).

An essential feature of the detective is that the actual circumstances of the incident are not communicated to the reader in their entirety until the investigation is completed. The reader is guided by the author through the process of investigation, getting the opportunity at each stage to build their own versions and evaluate known facts.

Detective contains three main plot-forming elements: crime, investigation and solution.

Features of the classic detective genre:

- completeness of the facts (by the time the investigation is completed, the reader should have enough information in order to independently find a solution on its basis)

- the routine of the situation (the conditions in which events take place are generally common and well known to the reader)

- stereotyped behavior of characters (actions are predictable, and if the characters have any prominent features, then those become known to the reader)

- the existence of a priori rules for constructing a plot (the narrator and the detective cannot turn out to be criminals)

A distinctive feature of the classic detective story is the moral idea, or morality, marking to varying degrees all the works of this genre. The detective ends with the punishment of the criminal and the triumph of justice.

DETECTIVE(lat. detectio - disclosure English detective - detective) - a work of art, the plot of which is the conflict between good and evil, realized in the disclosure of a crime.

In a detective story, there is always a mystery, a mystery. Usually this is a crime, but unlike mysticism, in this genre the mysterious is objective, "real" in nature, despite its mystery and inexplicability. The goal of a detective story is to solve a riddle; the narrative is tied to a logical process by which the investigator, along the chain of facts, comes to solve the crime, which is the obligatory single denouement of the detective. The main thing in a detective story is an investigation, so the analysis of the characters' characters and feelings is not so important for him. Very often, the mystery is solved by inference based on what is known to both the investigator and the reader. A detective work should not be identified with a thriller, where there is always an element of horror or naked violence, and with a crime novel that reveals the causes and nature of crime, depicting the underworld or the world of police.

The first detective stories were created in the 1840s by E. Poe, who is considered the founder of the detective story, but even before him, many authors used separate detective elements. Among his predecessors, an honorable place is occupied by the anarchist philosopher W. Godwin, in his novel Caleb Williams(1794) the main characters are an amateur detective driven by curiosity and a ruthless police agent. Perhaps the most significant impetus for the development of the detective was given Memoirs E. Vidoka. He was a thief, went to prison several times, then became a police agent and rose to the rank of head of the famous French detective police Surte. IN Memoirs He in the most detailed way described his investigative methods and vividly, albeit with exaggeration, told about the exciting adventures associated with catching criminals.

E. Poe combined all these influences in his work: in five short stories from his extensive heritage, all the fundamental principles that authors of detective literature have followed for more than a hundred years have been developed. Poe himself, who highly appreciated the "analytical abilities of our mind," called these novels stories about inference. They are still read today with great interest. This Murder in the Rue Morgue, which marked the beginning of the tradition of storytelling about the "mystery of the locked room"; golden beetle, the progenitor of hundreds of plots based on the decryption of a cryptogram; Mystery of Marie Roger– experience of purely logical investigation; Stolen letter, which successfully confirms the theory that the only explanation remaining after all the others have been discarded must be the correct one, however improbable it may seem; You are the man who made this where the killer turns out to be a person beyond suspicion. In three of these stories, the cavalier S. Auguste Dupin, the first great detective in fiction- categorical in judgments, despising the police, rather a thinking machine than a living person.

Despite Poe's discoveries, the detective began to establish itself as a popular literary form only with the emergence in the 1840s of a regular state-salary police force and its detective units. The spread of the detective as the most popular reading is associated, according to literary critics, with the weakening of the religious principle in society, as well as with acute social problems that in real life are far from always resolved and are resolved safely, while in the detective story the "law of the genre" is victory. good over evil, justice over lawlessness. C. Dickens, who was keenly interested in the activities of the underworld and methods of investigation, created in cold house(1853) a very convincing image of Inspector Bucket from the detective department. A long-term friend, and sometimes co-author of Dickens, W. Collins, brought out in the novel Moon rock(1868) of the detective Sergeant Cuff, whose prototype was Police Inspector Whicher, and showed how his hero comes to amazing, but logically sound conclusions from the facts known to him. In any case, in these, as well as other detective stories, there are obligatory characters - a criminal, a detective, a victim, who, depending on the social and genre orientation of the work, can be various representatives of society.

By the time A. Conan Doyle presented to the general public the image of Sherlock Holmes, the greatest detective in world literature, the detective story was already an established genre, which many authors turned to (E. Gaborio, Collins, F. Hume, etc.). The basis of this genre (which is also evidenced by Doyle's work) is the presence of two storylines, which are based, as a rule, on two conflicts: between the victim and the criminal and between the criminal and the detective, lines that can intersect, deliberately confuse the author, but certainly lead to a denouement that explains everything incomprehensible, mysterious and mysterious. Another "law of the genre," according to Doyle, is the prohibition that the criminal should look like a hero.

Behind the first Sherlock Holmes novel, A study in crimson(1887), books of stories followed, thanks to which the great detective and his assistant Dr. Watson became known almost all over the world. The best of these collections - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes(1892) and Notes about Sherlock Holmes(1894). Today, in these short stories, the charm of the era recreated in them and the image of Holmes himself attract most of all. Self-confident intellectual-egocentric, and even taking drugs, he not only appears as a surprisingly lively person, but also causes great sympathy. Conan Doyle developed a type of "great detective" and in this way served to increase the popularity of the detective story. In England, prominent followers of Conan Doyle included A. Morrison (1863-1945), who invented the investigator Martin Hewitt; Baroness Orksy (1865–1947), who created an unnamed master of logical reasoning, referred to simply by other characters as "The Old Man in the Corner"; R. Austin Freeman, inventor of the "reverse" detective story, in which the reader knows everything about the crime from the very beginning; E. Brama, the "father" of the first blind detective in literature, etc. In America, the tradition of Conan Doyle was supported by M. Post, author famous stories about Uncle Abner, and A. Reeve (1880-1936) with his detective Craig Kennedy.

The greatest detective masters of this period were the English writer G. Chesterton (1874–1936) and the American journalist J. Futrell (Futrel) (1875–1912). Chesterton stories about a Catholic priest as a detective, especially in collections Father Brown's ignorance(1911) and Wisdom of Father Brown(1914), are witty examples of the genre. Futrell, author of two books on Professor Augustus C.F.C. Van Ducene, who is called the "thinking machine", is almost as inventive as Chesterton. In the Holmes tradition, although with the opposite sign, the short stories of Conan Doyle's son-in-law E. Hornung about the adventures of an amateur burglar Raffles and the stories of M. Leblanc about Arsene Lupin are sustained; both authors ignored Conan Doyle's instructions that a criminal should not be made a hero.

Leavenworth Affair(1878) by Anna Katherine Green was the first significant American detective novel. Mary Roberts Rinehart became famous as the founder of the “If only you knew then…” school: in any of her works, a phrase with such an opening sooner or later comes from the mouth of the narrator. Among the books of the early 20th century, the novels of the Englishman A. Mason (1865–1948), in which the giant detective from Surte M. Ano acts, are still interesting. Mystery of the yellow room(1909) G. Leroux (1867-1927) remains one of the most cunningly twisted stories about a crime in a locked room, and Trent's last case(1913) E. Bentley - one of the first detectives, where the detective appears as a living person, and not a thinking machine.

World War I markedly changed the nature of detective prose. The novel supplanted the story as a form that allows you to unfold a more complex plot with unforeseen turns of intrigue and denouement. In the so-called "golden age of the detective", covering 1918-1939, literature was enriched with many images of new detectives. Agatha Christie in her first novel The Mysterious Incident at Stiles(1920) introduced the mustachioed intellectual Hercule Poirot to readers. Three years later, Lord Peter Wimsey, the hero of Dorothy Sayers, appeared, and three years later, readers were alternately delighted and annoyed by S.S. Van Dyne's detective, the extremely erudite rake Philo Vance. The list of authors who created the images of colorful detectives is extensive: F. Crofts (Inspector French), E. Queen (detective Ellery Queen), J. Carr (Dr. Gideon Fell and - in books under the pseudonym Carter Dixon - Sir Henry Merivale), E. Berkeley (Roger Sherigem), F. Macdonald (Anthony Getrin), and in the "second wave" (1930s) - E. Gardner (Perry Mason), Margery Allingham (Albert Campion), Nyo Marsh (Roderick Alleyne), M .Innes (John Appleby), N. Blake (Nigel Strangeways) and R. Stout (Nero Wolfe). All of them are British or American authors.

Master detective of the second half of the century - J. Simenon; his books about French police inspector Maigret began to appear in the late 1920s. In addition to Simenon, the European detective story is represented by the works of J. Le Carré, S. Japriso and others, which differ from the American detective story by some nostalgic melancholy and almost no irony.

In the 1920s, one of the first works of the detective genre in Russia was Hyperbolod engineer Garin A.N. Tolstoy and Mess Mend M. Shaginyan, as well as an anonymous pseudo-translation Nat Pinkerton.During the years of Soviet power, the detective conflict between good and evil was considered in line with class contradictions, which led to a more “pure” form of the genre - a spy novel (br. Vainers, A.G. Adamov, Yu. Semenov).

In detective prose, a variety of plot moves and techniques are richly represented. Some authors have shown how cast iron alibis are refuted; others specialized in locked room killings; still others tried in every possible way to deceive the reader. A cunning deceptive trick came up in Murder of Roger Ackroyd(1926) Agatha Christie, which caused indignation among her colleagues in the pen: her killer turned out to be the narrator, who performs the function of Dr. Watson in the novel. Monsignor R. Knox, who wrote detective stories himself, formulated the "Ten Commandments of the Detective", which every author was obliged to follow if he aspired to become a member of the closed British "Detective Club". Agatha Christie was seriously considered to be expelled from the club.

Over time, the great detective, this egocentric amateur, began to look a little more like a living person, and his Watson gradually disappeared from the story. Although the classic detective story, represented by the early books of J. Carr, E. Quinn and S. Van Dyne, gave masterpieces of impeccably built intrigue, its lack of depth and psychologism in the depiction of characters began to annoy readers. Dorothy Sayers foresaw that this form could exhaust itself "for the simple reason that the public will learn to recognize all the tricks." E. Berkeley refused to follow the principle of a "naked riddle", saying that the detective story would develop into a novel "captivating not so much in logic as in the psychology of the characters", and brilliantly demonstrated this in two novels about the murder, which he released under the pseudonym Francis Isles: Evil intent(1931) and Before the fact (1932).

The blow to the stereotype of the great amateur detective, who always knows a lot more than the stupid policemen, was dealt by the American school of the "tough" detective in the face of its outstanding masters D. Hammett and R. Chandler. Hammett's Sam Spade and Chandler's Philip Marlowe are private investigators who work for money, and not always big ones. They are honest, but rather cruel and unscrupulous in their means. Hammett and Chandler received recognition - full in Europe, less unconditional in the USA - as serious writers, talented masters of fiction. Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and E. Queen significantly changed the characters of their heroes and brought the plots of the books beyond the strict framework of the classic detective story. The latter, i.e. Mystery detective, by definition, is rare in our time: it has been greatly supplanted by spy and crime novels and other varieties of the detective.

Spy novel, or action-packed thriller, for a long time was considered a paraliterary genre, although even serious masters of literature occasionally turned to its form, for example, the British W.S. Maugham ( Ashenden, or British Agent, 1928) and G. Green ( Hitman, 1936) and Americans J. Kane ( The postman always rings twice, 1934) and H. McCoy ( The shroud is sewn without pockets, 1937).

The spy novel began to develop in the 1950s with the advent of J. Fleming's writings about the secret agent James Bond. In a sense, Bond can be considered the literary heir to the great detectives. He is not omniscient, but invulnerable, any dangers and torture are beyond him. Bond owes its wide success not so much to dubious literary merit as to the atmosphere of omnipotence and violence that reigns in it. In addition, Fleming's novels noted another feature of the modern detective story - the principle of cyclization, when a series of works is created, united common heroes. Among the most popular detective series of this kind are the novels written with a fair amount of humor by the American Stout about the great gourmet detective and orchid lover Nero Wolfe and his faithful assistant Archie Goodwin. Books by J. Le Carré and L. Dayton are marked by a much more realistic interpretation of espionage. Le Carré's anti-hero spies Alex Leamas and George Sailey are outwardly unattractive and weighed down by a guilt complex; these underground characters operate in the underground world - the realm of deceit, the victims of which are often themselves. Under Le Carré's pen, espionage symbolizes corruption modern society. American R. Ladlem (1927) in such novels as Scarlatti's legacy (1971), Chancellor Manuscript(1977) and Mosaic of Parzival(1982), pits ordinary, unsuspecting citizens against conspirators operating on an almost global scale, a paranoid plot modeled on by many contemporary writers. The themes of terrorism, in particular neo-Nazism, have become widespread. F. Forsythe novel Dossier "Odessa"(1972) introduced the term "Odessa", the code name for a secret organization of former SS officers, and in Dog of War(1974) made mercenaries full literary characters.

The most obvious difference between a detective novel and a crime novel is that in the first reader the reader knows exactly as much as the detective knows, and in the second - no less than the criminal knows, and the main thing in the story is not the unraveling of the mystery of the crime, but its depiction and the capture of the criminal. The image of police work gradually came to the fore, as evidenced by E. McBain's novels about the 87th police station or J. Wembo's books about the Los Angeles police. At the center of these works is the ugly reality of everyday police life: corruption, bribery, deceit, and work with informants. The poetics of the "tough" detective perfectly matches the cruel and rough atmosphere of the crime novel.

Eccentric detectives have not disappeared from literature. M. Collins brought to Fear(1966) by the one-armed Dan Fortune, and in the novels by J. Chesbrough The shadow of a broken man (1977), The case of sorcerers(1979) and Incident at Bloodthide(1993) is the most colorful private detective of modern literature - the dwarf Mongo, a former circus performer, a professor of criminology and a black belt in karate. A significant innovation of the genre was the emergence of female detectives who have a license to detect and cope with a dangerous business as well as men. For example, Sharon McCone in the novels of Marcia Muller Edwin Iron Boots(1978), Sunday is a special day(1989) and others, or Kinsey Milhoun, the sharp-tongued private investigator, the heroine of Sue Grafton's detective stories, arranged in alphabetical order: "A" for "alibi" (1982), "B" for "fugitive" (1989), etc. .

Some modern writers have gone beyond the formal framework of the detective in their work; the most prominent of them are L. Sanders, G. Kemelman, the "father" of the restless detective rabbi David Small, D. Francis, F. James, J. McDonald and E. Leonard.

Modern Russian detective in the 1990s - early. The 2000s is rapidly developing and becoming the most massive genre, attracting a diverse reading public. Among the most popular authors of the early 2000s in Russia are B. Akunin, the author of detective stories written on the edge of the genre with their mixture of mysticism, intellectual play and famously twisted plot; F. Neznansky, the author of quite "classical" series of novels about Turetsky, but based on Russian material, E. Topol, A. Konstantinov and other authors, whose number is steadily growing. The phenomenon of recent years in Russian literature has become "detective" women: A.Marinina, P.Dashkova, T.Polyakova, T.Stepanova, who stands out against the general background with violent fantasy and stylistic refinement of her "pulp fiction".

The detective genre turned out to be very tenacious and continues to develop in many countries, taking various forms - there is detective dramaturgy, detective stories, novels, social, ironic, psychological, fantastic and other detective stories. All of them attract readers with the opportunity to digress from the “pressing matters” and focus all their attention on solving ingenious riddles or on chilling stories that happen to someone else and promise in the end the desired triumph of justice.