Terell Winney
3/14/10
Per. 5 English 11H
Research Paper Draft
In the world of literature there are a plethora of genres. There are also genres that
are broken down into more genres. Mystery novels have attributes about them that absorb
readers within them and the plot of each of these novels allow the brain to work freely
while trying to comprehend what is happening within the book. Authors who take on the
task of writing this genre have worked hard to bring it to the top; such as Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Edgar Allan Poe. There is no doubt that this genre
will keep rising on the charts as one of the most popular and with greater demand must
come greater supply. Libraries should consider the addition of this growing genre. The
mystery genre is a broad selection of books that hook and hold readers, and the variety of
authors in this genre have enhanced the popularity and interest by manipulating the mind
in such a way, that people become addicted to the thrill of these books.
Mystery has a remarkable history. Mystery was first introduced in 1841 by Edgar
Allan Poe when he published The Murderers in the Rue Morgue. Possibly one of the
most famous literary characters of the mystery genre was brought to life in 1887 by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle. This character was none other than Sherlock Holmes who made his
debut in A Study in Scarlet. In 1903 the first narrative movie in history was filmed called
The Great Train Robbery, which was based upon the mystery genre. Jumping ahead, in
1998 out of the top 50 grossing, 14 movies were mysteries and in 1999 books of the
mystery genre placed second only to romance novels in units sold (Evolution of the
Mystery Genre). Although numbers can be stale, this compressed timeline above shows
the rapid progression of the genre in roughly 150 years. Romance which has been around
for much longer has a right to be the leading seller but the point is, mystery is not that far
behind. Since coming into the world in 1841, the genre has exponentially grown to
become quite popular. Throughout its’ years many labels have been attached to it in order
to classify it. Some examples are thrillers, whodunits, mysteries, crime fiction, detective
fiction; bottom line is that they all essentially refer to the overall mystery or crime story.
While there is no one definition of Mystery, throughout the years of its existence
evolutions in the categories of writing have occurred. You have the puzzle mystery first
shown by Edgar Allan Poe. This type of writing uses misdirection and illusion to deceive
the reader into thinking the solution is impossible when in fact a relatively simple
solution is available from the beginning. The cozy mystery which originated in England
is when you have members of a closed group, often in a country house or village, who
became suspects in a generally bloodless and neat murder solved by a great-detective
kind of investigator. Then there is the police procedural category which is most
intriguing to people today. The main characteristic of these types of stories are their
realistic portrayal of police methods in the solving of crime (Mystery Genres). As you
can see, the history of the mystery genre is deep and full of information. Its growth is
significant and the authors deserve all the credit.
When the effectiveness of mystery novels leads to bestsellers and a significant fan
base, there is one vast reason; the authors are extraordinary. The greatest authors of this
genre have a way of keeping readers on their toes and presenting information in such a
way that some find it frustrating. This frustrating aspect is stimulating. Not one person
can read through a mystery book and be able to predict the outcome without running it
through their mind several times, and attempting to put the blame upon several different
characters. How is this done? Popular authors of mystery such as Edgar Allan Poe, Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, and Agatha Christie have mastered this trait and have produced
award winning novels. Agatha Christie, Queen of the Golden Age, one of the most
popular Mystery writers in history has continuously grasped the attention of readers for
many generations now. One reason Christie was able to hook and hold readers with her
mystery novels was because of the development of characters. Christie’s characters were
based upon real people and when writing a Mystery she would look around in trains, the
neighborhood, and public places to gain an idea for her “murderer” (Agatha Christie’s
Method of Writing). Having the murderer being someone that any reader can easily
imagine worked to her advantage. Since the murderers of Agatha Christies’ Mystery
books were such normal people, readers could easily find someone in their life and relate
them directly to the book. This may cause people to relish having this mysterious
murderer since their may possibly be one in their life. The plot in Agatha Christie books
also aids in the captivation of readers. Most mysteries written by Christie begin with the
murder which reels in reader’s right from the beginning. Gradually suspects and clues
were presented and this got the mind going in its’ quest to solve the mystery. At this
point, the reader is hooked. An important technique of Agatha Christie was that when
writing Mystery she would be quite careful not to add too many false clues in the plot.
She believed this would cause the book to be to difficult to read and solve and the readers
attention would be lost (Agatha Christie’s Method of Writing). These methods used to
captivate readers must have been successful due to the fact that Christie has sold over two
billion books.
Edgar Allan Poe is another author that has mastered the art of manipulating the
mind of his readers. As the first Mystery author he is sometimes referred to as the
inventor of the detective genre. Poe was such a prolific Mystery writer that the Mystery
Writers of America (MWA) instituted the Edgar Allan Poe awards (The Edgar’s). This
award is to recognize excellence within the Mystery genre (Evolution of the Mystery
Genre). Yet again, the ability to intrigue readers, is the characteristic that causes Poe to
be such a fantastic writer of Mystery and able to create best-selling novels which can be
appealing to many different crowds. Poe’s first Mystery story was “The Murderers in the
Rue Morgue”. In this short story, Poe gets the attention of readers by his obscure
characters and introduction of them. The “mental” character in this story is Roderick
Usher. Usher in one of Poe’s character doubles in this book. He is an intellectual who
eventually becomes driven to insanity (SparkNotes: Poe’s Short Stories). A character
like this in a mystery is what allows the readers to search and find a culprit. Sometimes
the obvious person is not involved at all. The character created by Edgar Allan Poe that
perhaps has the greatest impact on readers is C. Auguste Dupin. Dupin was the first
expert sleuth in the Mystery genre. This alone brought readers to explore this story.
Today, people read this to experience the first ever Mystery type story along with the first
detective in the literature era. In a time where life was lived by the book, the detective
character used unconventional methods to solve crimes. Readers who enjoy problem
solving will become addicted to this book because C. Auguste Dupin viewed crime
scenes as a calculation and the moves attempted by himself and the murderer as a chess
match (SparkNotes: Poe’s Short Stories). Characters play a big role in Edgar Allan Poe
stories and his imagination allows the reader to feel as if they are in the book. Especially
with “The Murderers in the Rue Morgue”, the solving of the crime is a step by step
solution and as in many books of the Mystery genre the reader finds him/herself
attempting to solve to crime along with the character in the story (The Murderers in the
Rue Morgue Text). This attribute of the genre is what keeps people interested throughout
the book and it does not get stale; but more interesting with every twist in the plot.
The final author whose work will be researched and analyzed is Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle. Arthur Doyle was also a fruitful writer of the Mystery genre. Indisputably his
most famous accomplishment was the introduction of one of the most famous literary
characters of all time; Sherlock Holmes. Responsible for writing a series of short stories
called “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, Doyle attracted and continues to attract
readers with his abstract character that never fails to solve a mystery. *************
When rummaging through the shelves of our school library, the selection of
books of the Mystery genre is thin. A section of about 70 novels are in the ScotiaGlenville HS library and with the abundance of books out there, and the popularity of this
genre, a bigger selection should be instituted. There are tens of thousands books of the
Mystery genre and the Library has roughly 70. Authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha
Christie, Sir Conan Doyle, Lois Duncan, John Grisham, and many more have worked to
make this genre a commonplace in every bookstore and library. The ability of this genre
to attract readers of many ages is why it should have a greater stock in our school library.
Complexity within these novels makes them appealing to those who enjoy solving
problems. Authors such as Edgar Allan Poe present crimes as if they are math problems
or some sort of chess match. This attribute keeps readers on their toes and eager to learn
more. When there is not a clear answer, the natural thing to do is to dig deeper to find
one. Mystery novels, and techniques by authors such as presenting false facts, kicks the
brains problem solving into gear and readers come up with hypothesis’ of the solution.
The first guess is most likely incorrect because the author throws a curveball into the
story at some point. What keeps readers intrigued and causes them to not become bored
of the book is the fact that there are some many directions mystery books can go. Authors
present many suspects and have certain facts of the crime that may pertain to each
suspect. Also, kids of the high school age, as interesting as it may seem have a sort of
fascination with murder mysteries and crimes. Just look at one of the most popular
television shows out there; CSI is a show that attracts much of the youth. Why not add to
this interest and put more mystery books in the library?
The mystery genre is a unique genre that uses characters and plot to hook and
hold readers. Characters range from being vulnerable to cold blooded killers, skeptics to
crime solving detectives, and an every day person to the hero of the book. Most
mysteries begin with the presentation of a crime with no details or clues. As the
characters are introduced it seems as if each one is a culprit. This element plays with the
mind of a reader. This genre will slowly become one of the most popular around the
world due to its’ sheer gift of being applicable to all types of readers. The vast selection
of genres within the genre allows it to be flexible and satisfy a large crowd. History of
the mystery genre started raw and has grown to becoming world wide. Many will read it,
and many will love it. If you wish to get lost in the struggles of solving a mystery, read
the mystery genre and experience all of its distinctive characteristics that have captivated
readers since 1841.
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