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Title: The Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery by Bruce F. Murphy ISBN: 0-312-29414-X Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan Pub. Date: 01 February, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.3 (10 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Alas, Serious Mystery Criticism
Comment: If the mystery genre has lacked anything over the past century it's serious criticism. Aside from Jon L. Breen's reviews in Ellery Queens Mystery Magazine and Marilyn Stasio's pieces for the Times Book Review, mysteries have been virtually ignored by critics despite their permanent presence on bestseller lists. Bruce Murphy's The Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery satisfies this need for insightful, intelligent commentary. Mr. Murphy provides a thorough analysis of mystery fiction from Edgar Allan Poe's Dupin to Bill Pronzini's nameless detective and even includes literary greats who have given the mystery a try-Jorge Louis Borges, William Faulkner, and Chester Himes to name a few. The mystery is also dealt with internationally through explorations of Manuel Vazquez Montalban, Paco Taibo, and Mario Vargas Llosa. Moreover, Mr. Murphy provides etymological histories of terms often encountered in the mystery novel and dispels common misconceptions readers have about the true purposes of agencies like INTERPOL. No subgenre is ignored: cozies, malice-domestics, psychological suspense, police procedurals, and the hard-boiled novel are all given equal attention. Brilliant, but forgotten crime writers like Charles Willeford, often ignored in other encyclopedias and bibliograpies, are finally given the respect they deserve. And cozy novelists Leo Bruce and Patricia Wentworth are rarely examined in the depth that they are here. Bruce Murphy's The Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery is for every reader. Besides being comprehensive and informative, the book is just plain fun to read-a must for home libraries and coffee tables.
Rating: 4
Summary: Opinionated, informative and entertaining
Comment: Yes, this book is biased, and in many cases my opinion differs from that of the author. (I love cozies and cat mysteries, for example.) Still, Mr. Murphy's writing style is most engaging, and I find that it's fun to mentally argue with him as I read. "The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing" is more comprehensive and objective than "The Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery," but there is much to learn and enjoy here that is not in the Oxford book. I see the two books as complementary rather than as competing. If you are a mystery fan, and if you can possibly afford it, get both.
Rating: 5
Summary: Buy It If You Love Mysteries
Comment: This is a great book, full of interesting info and ideas. People who nitpick about the author's opinions miss the point--this is not a dry-as-dust reference book with lists of titles (though it does give you the stuff you expect out of an encyclopedia), but an engaging guide that will provoke you to think about what you like in a mystery and why. Instead of complaining that the author may be cool about your favorite author, be glad that he's giving you some credit for being intelligent, and inviting you into a conversation about writing. Not a lot of reference books do that!
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Title: The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Modern Crime Fiction by Mike Ashley ISBN: 0786710063 Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers Pub. Date: 10 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing by Rosemary Herbert, Catherine Aird, John M. Reilly, Susan Okeksiw, Susan Oleksiw ISBN: 0195072391 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $65.00 |
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Title: 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by Jim Huang ISBN: 0962580465 Publisher: Crum Creek Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 2000 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Encyclopedia Mysteriosa: A Comprehensive Guide to the Art of Detection in Print, Film, Radio, and Television by William L. Deandrea ISBN: 0671850253 Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc Pub. Date: 01 September, 1994 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
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Title: The Perfect Murder: A Study in Detection by David Lehman ISBN: 0472085859 Publisher: UMP Pub. Date: 01 January, 2001 List Price(USD): $20.95 |
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