Cracking the Hard-Boiled Detective: A Critical History from the 1920s to the Present

by Lewis D. Moore

The hard-boiled private detective is among the most recognizable characters in popular fiction since the 1920s--a tough product of a violent world, in which police forces are inadequate and people with money can choose private help when facing threatening circumstances. Though a relatively recent arrival, the hard-boiled detective has undergone steady development and assumed diverse forms. This critical study analyzes the character of the hard-boiled detective, from literary antecedents through the early 21st century. It follows change in the novels through three main the Early (roughly 1927-1955), during which the character was defined by such writers as Carroll John Daly, Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler; the Transitional, evident by 1964 in the works of John D. MacDonald and Michael Collins, and continuing to around 1977 via Joseph Hansen, Bill Pronzini and others; and the Modern, since the late 1970s, during which such writers as Loren D. Estleman, Liza Cody, Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton and many others have expanded the genre and the detective character. Themes such as violence, love and sexuality, friendship, space and place, and work are examined throughout the text. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may .

306 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2006

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 2006. Deeply researched and densely packed with a good index and an extensive bibliography, which I've already mined for a half-dozen other reads. Moore divides hard-boiled detective history into three eras: Early (1920s-1950s), Transitional (1960s-1970s), and Modern (1980s-2000s). After defining each era he disects the detective literature of each era and examines themes such as character, violence, work, sex and friendship, among others. Fascinating approach. First time through I made a dozen pages of notes and a lengthy list of new books and authors to check out. Moore also wrote a book Meditations on America about John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series. MacDonald was one of the key authors of the Transitional period so plenty of analysis of his books in this one as well.