EN41015
Crime and Detection in American Fiction
Semester: 2, Credits: 30
This module examines a range of 19th and 20th century American fiction dealing with the themes of crime and detection. We will study issues of race, gender, technological progress and urban living as they manifest themselves in crime fiction.
Texts
- Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’, ‘The Purloined Letter’, ‘The Man of the Crowd’.
- Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson
- Dashiell Hammett, Red Harvest
- Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep
- Chester Himes, Cotton Comes to Harlem
- Walter Mosley, Devil in a Blue Dress
- Patricia Cornwell, Body of Evidence
- Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49
- Paul Auster, The New York Trilogy
A note on books: Some of the novels go out of print, so occasionally substitutions need to be made. Please do not buy any books for this module until you have consulted with the module organiser. Also feel free to nominate books that you would like taught on this module.
Teaching Method
Weekly two-hour seminar.
Assessment
- One essay of 2,000 words, 40%
- A research essay of 3,000, 60%
Last updated Tuesday, 18-Aug-2009 21:02:27 BST by RESL
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