The Origins of the American Detective Story [Paperback]

LeRoy Lad Panek (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786427760 | ISBN-13: 978-0786427765 | Publication Date: September 8, 2006

Edgar Allan Poe essentially invented the detective story in 1841 with Murders in the Rue Morgue. In the years that followed, however, detective fiction in America saw no significant progress as a literary genre. Much to the dismay of moral crusaders like Anthony Comstock, dime novels and other sensationalist publications satisfied the public’s hunger for a yarn. Things changed as the century waned, and eventually the detective was reborn as a figure of American literature. In part these changes were due to a combination of social conditions, including the rise and decline of the police as an institution; the parallel development of private detectives; the birth of the crusading newspaper reporter; and the beginnings of forensic science. Influential, too, was the new role model offered by a wildly popular British import named Sherlock Holmes. Focusing on the late 19th century and early 20th, this volume covers the formative years of American detective fiction.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

LeRoy Lad Panek is the award-winning author of a number of books about crime fiction, including The American Police Novel (2003, Edgar Award Finalist). Also the author of Reading Early Hammett (2004), he is an English professor at McDaniel College and lives in Westminster, Maryland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 235 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (September 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786427760
• ISBN-13: 978-0786427765
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,651,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A critical and close scrutiny, May 11, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Origins of the American Detective Story (Paperback)

Award-winning author LeRoy Lad Panek presents The Origins of the American Detective Story, a chronicle of the creation and rise of this now-classic literary genre, particularly focusing on the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although Edgar Allen Poe essentially invented the detective story in 1841 with "Murders in the Rue Morgue", there would be years of stagnation and unoriginal popular culture dime novels until transforming social conditions would be reflected in fundamental changes in the detective novel. The rise and decline of police as an institution, the development of private detectives, the inception of the crusading news reporter, and the rise of forensic science, not to mention the literary influence of one Sherlock Holmes, would all transform and diversify the genre. A critical and close scrutiny, especially intended for literary scholars but sure to fascinate passionate detective story enthusiasts as well.