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fandomhigh2006-11-14 11:09 pm
no-toast-thanks.livejournal.com) wrote in 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: Boxer
Distinguishing physical features: A broken nose which only gives him a more roguish appearance.
Favourite hat: A fedora left to him by his grandfather, also a boxer.
Investigating style: Observation and nosiness.
Partners/sidekicks/mentors: Mentor: His trainer. Partner: His cop girlfriend.
"The Big Case" that puts them on the map: Ronald tracks down the person blackmailing boxers to throw fights after one of his friends at the gym is killed when he refuses the blackmailer.
Arch-Nemesis: The owner of a gym across town.
Throwaway line that becomes a catchphrase sensation: "It's a knockout!"