Detective stories have never been so popular. Indeed, many TV programmes, be it films or series, feature investigators and detectives not to mention books which sell like hot cakes...

What makes them so successful ? Why do the sometimes fail to appeal to viewers or readers ?

To start with, I must admit that reading has always been one of my favourite past times and though I am keen on all sorts of books, I can't deny I have a soft spot for detective stories. Thus a novel by Wilkie Collins is bound to keep me on tenterhooks as I not only love the way he writes but the characters, the setting and the plot are so enthralling that any of his stories are complulsive reading that I can't put down! I remember the first time I read one of Collins' novels. I was in my early twenties and the book really held me enthralled. I was breathless, with excitment and I couldn't wait to find out who the culprit was. I had started reading it late in the afternoon and I can still picture myself lying in bed, late at night, turning the pages, eager to gather more clues that would lead me on the trail and solve the mystery. I simply couldn't switch the light off! Needless to say that I have been reading all his novels ever since and that his books are still by large my favourite!

Loving England as much as I do, I am also a huge fan of the TV series « Midsomer Murders » starring John Nettles. Indeed, I have been watching all the episodes ever since it started, thirteen years ago. What I particularly appreciate is the setting as it is usually filmed in rural, picturesque Cotswolds villages. Besides as the episodes go by, I end up identifying with the characters, feeling attached to them. Last but not least, this series really holds me spellbound as the atmosphere often reminds me of Agatha Christie's novels which I am also very found of. The story is always terribly exciting and thrilling and unveiling the murderer is no easy task!

All in all, watching that series or reading a detective story while sipping a cup of tea is most likely to be the key to a successful evening as it keeps me entertained and thrilled!

This being said, though I am undoubtedly a detective story lover, there are still some books or films which fail to appeal to me. There may be various reasons to account for the lack of interest, I feel towards them. For instance, I can't stand the German TV series « Derrick »! I can't help finding it boring as it usually takes the investigator ages to unearth the slightest clue that will get him on the trail. Thus, I feel no pleasure whatsoever in that king of stories which lack rhythm and pace to keep me in suspense. The thing is there are so many detective stories to chosse from that, as a viewer, you may end up being a little hard to please. Actually, whatever night you turn the TV on, you are bound to see one of the CSI films. I first used to watch them but after so many episodes, they tend to lose their appeal and are always based on the same framework which is a shame as it makes them look too common and repetitive for me to enjoy.

Last but not least, I may also be disappointed by a story when it is adapted from a book I read. This is usually the case of the films based on Agatha Christie's stories and featuring Miss Marple. As I first read them, I figure I imagined that old lady and the image which is embedded in my mind seldom matches the actress who plays that rather unusual detective. Therefore, though I love the books which stage that character, I don't feel the same excitement when it comes to the adaptation on the screen!

To put it in a nutshell, I may well be keen on detective stories but that doesn't mean that any detectives story would do! As a reader, I love being transported in bygone days, and stories taking place in the nineteenth century quite appeal to me all the more so as these detectives did not have the lastest state-of-the-art-technologies at their disposal to lead their investigation. As Poirot would say, they therefore had to rely on « their grey matter », which makes the plot all the more gripping and their characters all the more fascinating...

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Agathe

Professeur de langues dans le secondaire, je partage avec vous mes cours de linguistique !