P.D. James On The Enduring Appeal Of Detective Fiction

Telegraph:

The greatest mystery of detective fiction is why generations of readers have continued to read it in such huge numbers. Obviously, it is partly to do with the pleasure of a satisfying plot, but it also seems to touch a deeper psychological chord.

Read the whole story: Telegraph

Comments

[Aroon]

05:23 PM on 07/12/2010

P.D james is one of the "Grand Dames" of British Detective fictions. I got hooked to British Detective fiction when I first read Sherlock Homes while in Highschool. The Britishers are master at creating "atmosphere of mystery" much better than their American counterparts. Two Americans who come closest is Edgar Allen Poe & G.K.Chesterton (Father Brown series).

[EnPointe3]

07:45 PM on 07/12/2010

Agree. My mother got me started on Dorothy Sayers, (the tops, in my humble opinion) and Dick Francis.

[Mace Moneta]

11:33 AM on 07/12/2010

Personally, I think detective fiction is popular because people want a sense of justice. In the real world, justice is frequently elusive - you only have to look at a daily news report to see that. Detective fiction exonerates the innocent, finds the guilty, and punishes them appropriately. It provides the sense of balance and fairness that is missing in many people's lives.

[VOTER]

08:28 AM on 07/13/2010

Good point.