2.8 famous fictional detectives: questions and expression

 

2.8 MC Beaton and other Famous British detectives

Famous Fictional Detectives

adapted from the culturetrip.com

 

Filled with red herrings, smoking guns, and false alibis, mystery has long been a popular aspect of modern literature. What with the proliferation of detective fiction and detectives on television and in literature, mystery is now more relevant than ever! Here’s our list of the most famous detectives from books.

 

Cadfael

A monk living during the Anarchy (the period of unrest in the mid-12th century due to the power struggles between King Stephen and Empress Maud), Cadfael offers something a little different from the 20th-century gentleman detective. An unusual combination of sensitivity and shrewdness, Cadfael, before converting to monasticism, was both a soldier and sailor, enabling him to have astonishing range of skills that become useful for crime-solving. The Cadfael Chronicles are not only exciting but also seminal, as they popularised the historical murder mystery…

Dalgliesh

A late example of the Golden Age staple of the gentleman detective, Dalgliesh has been the protagonist in fourteen James mysteries and also had a starring role in two novels featuring Cordelia Gray (P. D. James’ other detective), many of which are thought-provoking and haunting studies of human psychology and the nature of justice. An intensely private and erudite individual, Dalgliesh is well known for composing poetry (much of which has been published!) and, despite his introversion, being considered attractive to women who, in an allusion to Mr Darcy, describe him as ‘tall, dark, and handsome.’

 Auguste Dupin

Though Dupin is not featured in as many stories as his counterparts, this creation of the infamous Edgar Allan Poe plays a pivotal role in the evolution of detective fiction — as The Murders in the Rue Morgue, in which he first appeared, is widely considered to be the first detective story. Characterised by his almost superhuman abilities of deduction and understanding of criminal psychology, Dupin was, indeed, such an innovation that he was actually created even before the term ‘detective’ was coined, and his character thereby created a model on which other works of detective fiction were based.

 

Sherlock Holmes

Quite possibly the most famous detective of all, Holmes has been a household name since publication — indeed, he was such a popular figure that when Conan Doyle killed him off in the story The Final Problem, Victorian London was said to have gone into mourning until Conan Doyle revived him! Famous for his brilliant skills in deduction, lodgings in 221B Baker Street, violin playing, and his infamous deerstalker hat and pipe, his brand has reached even greater heights of international cult status since the inception of the critically and commercially acclaimed BBC Sherlock series, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.

Hercule Poirot

One of two of Christie’s famous fictional creations (the other being Miss Marple), Poirot is undoubtedly one of Detective Fiction’s most delightful contributions to world literature. A fop to the extreme, with his love of absolute symmetry, meticulous order, and fine foods, none of his idiosyncrasies eclipse the brilliance of his ‘little grey cells.’ Tackling all manners of crime with his unflappable cool and easy charm, from high-octane murder to animal kidnappings and theft, Hercule may not match his Grecian namesake in size and valour, but he certainly makes up for this with his acuity and intellectual brilliance.

Hamish Macbeth

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A)  Questions

1.    Read the whole text and then find who…

a)   is also a poet

b)   is said to have written the first short story

c)    investigates in the Middle Ages

d)   is a member of a religious community

e)   has a Greek name and the same creator as an elderly lady

f)      was born before the name of his job

g)   is a symbol of Victorian London

h)   is compared to a famous fictional gentleman invented by Jane Austen.

 

2.    Without using a dictionary, try to guess the meaning of:

-        red herring (intro. l.1)

-        relevant (intro. l.3)

-        shrewdness (Cadfael, l.4)

-        seminal (Cadfael, last line)

-        staple (Dalgliesh, l. 1)

-        unflappable (Poirot, l. 5)

-        theft (Poirot, l.6)

 

3.    Culture: browse the web to find who Empress Maud was and why there was a struggle in the 12^Th century…

 

 

B)  Expression

As you have already understood, you need to write a summary about H. Macbeth (kind of character, qualities and shortcomings, creator, other famous detective invented by the same author…)