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fandomhigh2006-11-14 11:09 pm
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Heroism, Humanism & Hijinks: Literature in Action, Week 10, Period 5
The classroom was sadly lacking fictional characters today. Thursday was there though. "My son has seen fit to pass on his cold to me, so don't get too close today unless you want a sudden abundance of mucus. If I've done my job right so far, I'm sure your imaginations kicked in and you had a rather unpleasant mental image just now.
On a completely unrelated note, today's class is on the detective novel. There are nuances to the genre, which I'm sure you can pick up on by reading any decent detective novel. The Maltese Falcon was on the reading list, but I also recommend A Study in Scarlet for a general feel of the detective genre and any of the Perkins and Snell series for your typical hard-boiled noir detectives.
Detective fiction is an intellectual game. It's sport for the mind. The struggle is between the author and the reader. Can the author outsmart the reader? Can the reader unravel the mystery? If both fulfil their roles correctly, the answer is yes. What you should take away from this class today is an understanding that detective novels require two important things - an engaging lead detective and a mystery that readers can struggle with."
Thursday passed around two handouts. "The first is a blank dossier. You have the opportunity to create your own detective. The second has a mystery for you to solve. Feel free to give it a shot."
On a completely unrelated note, today's class is on the detective novel. There are nuances to the genre, which I'm sure you can pick up on by reading any decent detective novel. The Maltese Falcon was on the reading list, but I also recommend A Study in Scarlet for a general feel of the detective genre and any of the Perkins and Snell series for your typical hard-boiled noir detectives.
Detective fiction is an intellectual game. It's sport for the mind. The struggle is between the author and the reader. Can the author outsmart the reader? Can the reader unravel the mystery? If both fulfil their roles correctly, the answer is yes. What you should take away from this class today is an understanding that detective novels require two important things - an engaging lead detective and a mystery that readers can struggle with."
Thursday passed around two handouts. "The first is a blank dossier. You have the opportunity to create your own detective. The second has a mystery for you to solve. Feel free to give it a shot."
Re: Make Your Own Detective
Occupation: Former soldier, wrongly-accused fugitive from the law.
Distinguishing physical features: Tall, dark, handsome but imposing.
Favourite hat: Who needs a hat when you're tall and good-looking?
Investigating style: Smooth and charismatic. People trust him and he's smart enough to make a living at it.
Partners/sidekicks/mentors: A couple soldier buddies with connections, but he works solo most times.
"The Big Case" that puts them on the map: Finding out who really killed his family and framed him for it. Not that the authorities believe him, of course.
Arch-Nemesis: The guy with a wooden leg and the government.
Throwaway line that becomes a catchphrase sensation: "It was him; the guy with the wooden leg."