The Re-re-read: Craft Talks on Classic Literature

What makes a good ending--in a mystery story, or in any story? A combination of the unexpected and the inevitable, of course. But there's also something to be said for one final twist (or trick, depending on how you see it), plus a few moral loose ends. 

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In this week's episode, Conan Doyle shows us how to make reason and logic--in other words, detective work--not only enchanting, but downright spooky.

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You know that old saw: genre fiction is about plot, literary about character. But in The Hound of the Baskervilles--and, I suspect, in most satisfying mystery stories--the complexities of character drive the plot forward. Also, an update on the progress of my literary mystery novel. 

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In Sherlock Holmes's world, and perhaps in ours as well, you can never be certain that you know what you know, at least until the end of the story. Conan Doyle balances the need to preserve mystery with the equal need to provide information that moves the story forward. Once again, the key to the balancing act is Watson.

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In this extra-short episode, we take another look at how Conan Doyle establishes character through dialog--this time focusing not on what characters say, but how they say it. Also, you can hear me attempt to say "dolichocephalic," a word I have never said before in my life.

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In our first foray into Conan Doyle's creepy classic "The Hound of the Baskervilles," we examine the subtly cruel dynamic between Watson and Holmes, as revealed by their seemingly playful opening conversation. By showing these two as much more than a genius and his humble admirer, Conan Doyle helps us invest in the mystery emotionally as well as intellectually.

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Probably not. But as I constantly struggle with endings to my own stories, I wonder...did Conrad force a change in Winnie's character in order to wrap the plot up? What do you think?

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Plots should be fast-paced, with plenty of action and well-timed jolts, right? In The Secret Agent, however, Conrad sidelines the big events and makes the revelation of those events the real story. This is no more true than near the end, when Winnie, almost in real time, processes what has happened to her brother, as her boorish husband tries to cajole her.

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The Secret Agent is not an action-packed novel. Yes, it includes a grisly bombing, but that central event occurs too early according to Freitag's Triangle--and it's reported, not even presented directly. Yet TSA is an exceptionally suspenseful novel because of the way Conrad intertwines structure and point-of-view through a series of hand-offs.

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Even a squeamish reader like me has to admit that there are certain times, in certain stories, when depicting horror is necessary. In this episode, Conrad shows us how to do it, relatively subtly but still very distressingly. (CW: gore, violence)

Ann Gelder on Bluesky: @anngelder.bsky.social