The Literature of Crime and Detection: An Illustrated History from Antiquity to the Present (Ungar Writers' Recognitions Series) (English and German Edition) - Hardcover

Text: English, German (translation)

In her useful reference work, Oleksiw lists annotations of over 1440 novels by 121 authors, arranging them first alphabetically by writer. They are also listed chronologically by the story's time frame, with novels featuring series characters entered first. The 50- to 75-word annotations sketch the plot; numerous specialized indexes are helpful in finding one's way around the unconventional arrangement. Slight annoyances include a failure to define satisfactorily the "classic" British mystery and the inclusion of a superfluous list of 100 best mysteries. Woeller and Cassiday trace the development of the detective story from its roots in Greek drama to the present in this interestingly illustrated volume. They draw connections between the mystery and various social phenomena, including changes in reading habits and legal concepts of guilt and innocence. American, English, and European literature are covered about equally, although there is a strong emphasis on German contributions. The influential subgenre of pulp fiction is ignored. Given the coupling of the ambitious premise with brevity, this book unsurprisingly treats its subject with more breadth than depth; it is best suited for general readers and students seeking a starting point for further study. Despite major idiosyncracies, both books are largely successful and hence worthy additions to any size collection. Lonnie Beene, West Texas State Univ. Lib., Canyon
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