Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Is crime fiction the “comfort food” of literature?

by Rick Blechta

Yesterday, I was listening to The Next Chapter, a weekly radio show on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) hosted by Shelagh Rogers. She convened her usual summer mystery panel, who made some very interesting recommendations — which actually included some Canadian books for a change.

While interesting, that segment of the show got me thinking in another direction entirely.

Around this time of year, I’m sure we’ve all seen folks at the cash with a stack of crime fiction. You only need to ask and uniformly be told that these fine folks are heading out on vacation. Heck, I’m sure most of us have done this exact thing. I certainly have. My good friend, Marian Misters of the (fabulous) Sleuth of Baker Street bookstore here in Toronto sees a steady stream of these large-volume book buyers every Friday over the summer months. And that’s a very good thing.

What do these people read? Usually something new Marian has told me, so she’s busy making recommendations. “But then there are some who buy older books, one’s they’ve enjoyed in the past and no longer own.” In other words, we’re talking about something people find familiar and enjoyable to read at least a second time. And isn’t that sort of like literary comfort food?

Me being who I am, I started thinking of my favourite places to read, and if I were there right now with a complete crime fiction library of old series, what would I reach for in order to spend an enjoyable afternoon?

For me, I would have to say it would be Nero Wolfe novels. I first discovered crime fiction through the works of Agatha Christie, but one summer, I got a job as the pool boy at a resort in Bridgton, Maine. The place wasn’t very busy and had an older clientele, so I had long days of sitting beside an empty pool, and even if some folks toddled down, it didn’t take a lot of time to fetch fresh towels, a soft drink or cocktail, or send up for food from the kitchen. (I also was expected to save folks from drowning, which fortunately never came up.)

Not knowing about the empty hours when I took the job, I arrived without reading material. Fortunately, the resort had a fairly large library of donated books (or ones left behind), and there were at least two dozen of Rex Stout’s novels and short story collections featuring his corpulent detective, ably assisted by Archie Goodwyn, his man-about-town — as well as a recurring cast of great supporting characters. I found and devoured those books like candy over the first two weeks of my summer, and then scrounged some more in local libraries.

After all this time, put me in a cabin in the woods for a week, hand me a few Nero Wolfe books, and you’d have a very happy reader on your hands.

Now, here’s the thing: I’d like to know what book series (that you’ve already enjoyed) would like to have in your reading pile while enjoying some much-needed time off — and what is it about this series that attracts you?

Please answer! I’d really like to know and I’m sure Type M readers would, as well. Come on. All we need is a couple of quick sentences and that won’t take you long, will it?

9 comments:

Donis Casey said...

For me it's historical novels or foreign settings. I can go back over and over again to a setting/time period that interests me just as much as I enjoy going somewhere cool during a Phoenix summer. I've read Colleen Mc Cullough's Roman series several times, Ellis Peters' Bro Cadfael set in 12th century England/Wales. Love Lindsay Davis' Falco series, and Stephen Pressfield's novels set in ancient Greece. Oh, and Steven Saylor's Gordianus too. Several others as well, but we must end somewhere....

Sybil Johnson said...

For me, it's Agatha Christie, the Miss Silver novels by Patricia Wentworth and the Aunt Dimity books by Nancy Atherton. I find comfort in all of them. Something about the rhythm of the writing in the Aunt Dimity books calms me down considerably.

Rick Blechta said...

That's a good point about the rhythm of the writing, Sybil. In reflecting on that, I can understand why the Nero Wolfe books attract me so much, coming from the New York City area as I do. I know so many of the locations Stout uses, especially when Archie goes "upstate" in various books. The speech patterns of most of the characters are so quintessentially New York, and that's my formative roots showing.

Sybil Johnson said...

One of the reasons I find the movie "Fargo" and its TV incarnations interesting is because of the accents of the characters. My parents grew up in the northwestern part of Minnesota, not that far from Fargo, ND, so the accents my relatives had are similar. Kind of comforting, strangely enough, in the madness that's in those stories.

Eileen Goudge said...

My earliest inspiration in the mystery/crime genre was James M. Cain. I devoured "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and "Double Indemnity" before moving on to the more complex "Mildred Pierce." He reigns supreme, in my opinion. Few tell as good a story with so few words. He should be required reading for anyone writing in this genre. I often reread his novels to remind myself to pare down on the literary excess.

Vicki Delany said...

I almost never re-read books. There's just too much new stuff coming up. But in the Lighthouse Library series they have a classic novel book club, and when I start writing a new book I need to read what they are reading. Right now I'm into The Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers. The writing style is so different than what's normal these days, I am enjoying it, but I don't think I'd be wanting to read many more.

Donna S said...

Oh boy!A question right up my alley: Pauline Gedge for her ancient Egyptian books; Candace Robb,Ellis Peters and Ariana Franklin for their medieval mysteries; Charles deLint for fantasy; Phil Rickman for mystery/horror and Steven Saylor for Gordianus. These are all re reads and I find them comforting. I know what to expect and can put them down at any time without a qualm.

Donis Casey said...

Donna, I own all of Pauline Gedge's Egyptian book. She is wonderful.

Rick Blechta said...

These are all some great -- and interesting -- opinions.

Thanks everyone for weighing in on this!