The Art of the Mystery Story

 The Art of the Mystery Story (1946) by Howard Haycraft (ed)

This is a very comprehensive (for its time) collection of essays and pastiches, poems and lists regarding the mystery. We have everything from "A Defense of Detective Stories" by G. K. Chesterton to Rex Stout's controversial address to a meeting of the New York Baker Street Irregulars title "Watson was a Woman." There are essays dissecting what makes the mystery popular to the best methods of detection to examinations of the various forms. There is a biting parody of Philo Vance in Christopher Ward's "The Pink Murder Case." We are told that the detective sstory is everything from a modern romance with the detective in the role of a modern knight-errant to a morality tale. And, Edmund Wilson's essay "Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?" notwithstanding, those of us who love a good mystery will agree with Willard Huntington Wright (known for detective fiction under the name S. S. Van Dine) in "The Great Detective Stories" that

There is no more stimulating activity than that of the mind; and there is no more exciting adventure than that of the intellect. Mankind has always received keen enjoyment from the mental gymnastics required in solving a riddle; and puzzles have been its chief toy throughout the ages.

There are other elements that are important (setting/atmosphere; characters; etc.), but a good puzzle is absolutely essential and we love it when we can solve the puzzle before the sleuth in the story.

I will say that if this volume had not come up as a prompt in the Reading Randomize reading challenge, that I probably would not have read this straight through. My suggestion is that those who are interested should pick and choose--read a few essays here, put the book away for a while, and then come back to it. Trying to gulp all this down in one reading was a bit much. There is a lot to think about and a lot to enjoy and it would be best to do so in small batches. ★★★★

First line (1st essay): In attempting to reach the genuine psychological reason for the popularity of detective stories, it is necessary to rid ourselves of many mere phrases.

Last line (last essay): Possibly the alternative (pace Edmund Wilson!) is for the whodunit to take over the novel of manners.