I don't usually write too much about the history of mystery here on Mysterious Matters, but a few recent emails pointed out to me that I seem to write a lot about female mystery writers. I wouldn't say that I have done so consciously, as I grew up with all the great male writers (Erle, Ellery, Raymond, Ross, Georges, et al.) as well as the great ladies (Agatha, Ngaio, Dorothy, Josephine, Margaret).
I do think it's true that Sisters in Crime had a massive impact on the industry's (and reading public's) willingness to read more types of book by female writers; and I'd venture to guess that of the new mystery series being published, probably 65% are by women. I look at my own list and know that I definitely have substantially more women than men.
It's always hard to get into generalizations, but I think I have to credit women with bringing more psychology into the genre, which has been the key to their success. Once we as a culture became aware of psychology and began using the terminology in common parlance, this became a necessity in fiction; and women seemed to be more on the cutting edge of that. The old-time guys did a good solid whodunnit, with a wisecracking detective, snappy writing, and the occasional femme fatale. They missed the boat in terms of the deeper psychology, and when I think about the particularly good male writers in the genre today (Michael Connelly, Reed Farrel Coleman), it's usually because I think they have a good command of the psyche over and above their ability to tell a story.
I realize, too, that I end up reading a lot of the books my wife has discovered or purchased, and she tends toward female writers. Since we like to read the same books and then discuss, this means I have been made aware of many writers who would otherwise have passed my notice.
One of them is ELISABETH SANXAY HOLDING, who was quite the rage in the 1940s. Two of her best-known books are THE INNOCENT MRS. DUFF and THE BLANK WALL. Reading them now, it's easy to see why they appealed to mystery readers: they were tightly plotted novels of suspense that you wanted to read through in one sitting. A common theme (though that may be too strong a word) is a rather weak or sheltered woman who somehow finds the strength amidst her general incompetence to take a stand against a bad guy to protect herself or her family. If these novels were submitted to me today, I would think "You've got to be kidding - this is not the way the world is, not the way women behave." But they're interesting as period pieces, even though I found my eyes rolling up into my head occasionally. My wife loves them because the protagonists always remind her of her mother and many aunts, who were all expert at playing at being helpless or ignorant while being quite manipulative behind the scenes.
Wrting around the same time was a different woman writer, very successful in her day: DOROTHY B. HUGHES, one of MWA's deserved Grand Masters. I recently reread IN A LONELY PLACE (story of a serial killer, told from that point of view, playing cat-and-mouse with the cops) and THE DAVIDIAN REPORT (Cold War tale of spies and espionage). I came away with a tremendous amount of respect for Hughes, who wrote true noir. Every sentence in these books rings true. They're tough as nails but show a much stronger mastery of character and psychology than Holding's books do. Another thing I noticed about the books is that, though relatively short, they take longer to read than you would expect. I think this is because they are very "interior," with very little dialogue, and you have to read every word of every paragraph to make sure you aren't missing anything important. When I feel that I have to, and want to, read every single word of every page, I feel like I have been transported into the realm of literature. As for female characters, Hughes wasn't afraid to make her women smart and perceptive (Sylvia in IN A LONELY PLACE) or conflicted (Janni in THE DAVIDIAN REPORT).
It's almost as if you can see the continuum of feminist writing and awareness in the work of these two women, with Holding being on the low end of the scale, and Hughes at the high end. Of course, I am not a historian of the mystery, and I know there have been several excellent works written about women in mystery, so if anyone would like to recommend them here, please do.
I have gushed in the past about MARGARET MILLAR, who really hit her stride in the 40s and 50s, and while I'm on the topic of favorite women writers, I should also mention the really superb CELIA FREMLIN, who just died last month. She got started in the late 40s and, like Millar, had unpredictable output, with each book being quite unique and different from the last. If you've not read any Fremlin, you really must.
Those are two good examples of male writers who convey their characters' psychological struggles. Their writing has more depth because of it.
Two more (imho): Robert Crais and Jonathan King
Posted by: Alan Orloff | July 15, 2009 at 04:29 PM
Kool post. No matter what, somethings will always remain mystery.
In fact, I myself have been trying to solve the mystery of the legend that forces you to have "earn it before having it", for a wile now. Could not understand much though.
Let me know in case you get to understand the mystery of the Old Hound and the Legend
By the way, good writing style. I'd love to read more on similar topics
Posted by: Tanya | July 16, 2009 at 02:54 AM