Forever young or aging (un)gracefully: what to do with series detectives?

Thanks to fellow reviewer and prolific crime reader Maxine Clarke (of Petrona and EuroCrime fame), I read an interesting Wall Street Journal over the weekend about the ways in which various crime fiction authors had dealt with (or not) the issue of an aging detective when their popular series' ended up running for decades. You can read Alexandra Alter's article, "The (Really) Long Goodbye", in full here.

It's a topic that has intrigued me for a while, and was brought home to me again recently when I read THE TROUBLED MAN by Henning Mankell, a book that is all about his popular detective Kurt Wallander getting older and looking back on his life and what he has done (interestingly, Alter overlooks this book in her article). When I interviewed Mankell for an article in the New Zealand Listener earlier this year, he told me:

"In all of the Wallander stories there has been questions - why is this? How come this happened? And every one of these questions has been connected to a story, a case you might say, that Wallander must solve - with one exception. That is the last novel, THE TROUBLED MAN - where he himself is the question and the case. That is why I wrote it actually, because I felt there was a book missing, and that’s where he was his own case. Where he in a way tried to find out about himself, his own life."

And also:

"And that had really to do with something, his age... I think when you come up to the 60s there are for most people a need to turn around a little and look at what you did with your life, what happened in your life, and for many people that can be quite scary. Because many people have [frittered] away a lot of their lives, they haven’t done anything really with their dreams that they should have done... So this is also a story about getting old... I really wanted to write about the scary thing of getting a bit older, because that is what Wallander and I have in common, we have the same age."

Personally, as much as I love certain detectives and crime fiction characters, and would love to see them go on and on and on, I think it adds something to series if the character ages and evolves. It's part of life, and different things are important to us at different ages, and stages, of our lives. So I think it's great for literature (and I very much include crime fiction in that phrase, although some critics may disagree) to address that.

For me, the best crime fiction is about much more than it's plot, and even the best characters will get less interesting if they don't evolve over time. The best crime fiction addresses issues about people, and perhaps even about society, and aging is a part of that, and allows the author to address (hopefully in a subtle or subtextual way, raising issues rather than hammering us over the head with them) different things that concern not only their characters, but us as readers. I'm still (only) 32, but I can certainly appreciate this, and I'm sure many older readers might do so, even more.

One of my favourite books of 2010 was THE GLASS RAINBOW, by the incomparable James Lee Burke (Alter did mention this book in her article). In it, Dave Robicheaux (played by aging actor Tommy Lee Jones in In The Electric Mist, pictured above), like Burke himself, is in his early 70s, and along with the murky gumbo of violence and other issues he finds himself entangled with during the book, Robicheaux and his elderly hulk of a sidekick Clete Purcel, also deal with things like aging and mortality. And I personally felt this added to the book. I like what Burke says in Alter's article:

"Mr. Burke, whose books have sold 20 million copies, says he ages his characters as a matter of artistic principle. "Not to do so would be aesthetically dishonest," says Mr. Burke, 74, who sells Robicheaux-themed hats and T-shirts on his website. "You'd be rigging the game."

And of course, Agatha Christie kills off Poirot in his last case (sorry for the spoiler, for those who haven't read it). However not all authors want to age their characters, and I can understand the struggle; not only are there the commercial factors to take into account (it's a brave move to age then 'retire' a bestselling character like Rebus, for example), but I imagine some authors see their characters in a certain way, as do their readers, and aging - with everything that brings to the table, if you treat it realistically - simply wouldn't work for the character and stories they want to write (or read). And if you age them, then at some point you'd have to end them, and not every author can be like Michael Connelly and create a second high quality series (eg his Mickey Haller novels) that likewise satisfies critics and fans as their main character (Harry Bosch) ages. It's a risk, aging your series character, and I can understand that not everyone would be willing to take it.

Some writers start aging their characters, and then change their mind. As Alter says in her WSJ article:

"Patricia Cornwell, who has been writing about forensic expert Dr. Kay Scarpetta for more than 20 years, said she decided to stop Scarpetta from aging further when both she and her character turned 50 five years ago. "People don't want to read about her when she's 80," she said.

Thriller writer Lee Child dutifully aged his laconic, violent drifter Jack Reacher for the first several books, then realized his character would soon be too old to plausibly dispense head-butts and elbow strikes to a room full of villains. So Mr. Child stopped the clock. "I'm going to play his age down a little bit and make the reader assume he's stuck in his mid-40s," says Mr. Child, who recently finished book 16."

Others like Robert B. Parker have decades-long series where the character is near frozen in time, and while the world changes around them, their hero stays forever young. I believe Parker may have even changed Spenser's background in the later books, updating the wars in which he fought to explain his static age.

What do you think about aging detectives, or not? Do your favourite authors age their characters? Are your favourite detectives getting older, or not? Do you care, either way? Would you rather see an evolution of issues (perhaps with a decline of physical skills), or a detective hero who stays forever young?

I'm not sure myself. I loved THE GLASS RAINBOW, and enjoyed the way Mankell aged Wallander in THE TROUBLED MAN, but then, if I'm honest, I might want a MacGyver or Magnum PI remake to focus on the young, action-packed, characters I remember from the '80s, rather than older version.

Something to ponder anyway. I'd love to read your thoughts about this issue.

In search of answers: my feature interview with Henning Mankel in this week's New Zealand Listener (full version now available online)

My first-ever large feature article for the New Zealand Listener was recently published in the April 9-15 2011). It's a three page article, "In search of answers", based on my interview with Henning Mankell. I was fortunate enough to be the only New Zealand journo granted an interview with Mankell in the lead-up to the release of his tenth and latest Wallander title, THE TROUBLED MAN. Although, as anyone who's spent some time on the Internet recently will realise, Mankell has given plenty of interviews about this book to other overseas publications.

Still, I think my article is well worth reading, and that I've taken a somewhat different tack to many of the other features out there. And now, the full version is available online.

In search of answers
A decade after his last Inspector Wallander novel, Henning Mankell has brought back his most popular creation for a final encore. By Craig Sisterson

It always starts with a question, says acclaimed Swedish writer Henning Mankell, his heavily accented voice resonating down the phone line. “In everything I write, there must be a question, there must be something I do not know, something I would like to find an answer to, something I would like to explore,” he says.

Whether it’s his internationally bestselling series of crime novels starring dogged and dour Inspector Wallander, his gripping stand-alone thrillers, his 40-plus radio and theatre plays, his socially conscious children's stories or his atmospheric novels set in Africa, Mankell is always inspired by questions, by a need to tackle the things that concern him about society, about our modern world, about life.

READ FULL ARTICLE BY CLICKING HERE or by clicking on the image above.

Comments welcome - on Wallander, Mankell, the article, or whatever you wish...

In search of answers: my feature interview with Henning Mankel in this week's New Zealand Listener

My first-ever large feature article for the New Zealand Listener has been published in this week's issue (dated April 9-15 2011). It's a three page article, "In search of answers", based on my recent interview with Henning Mankell.

I was lucky enough to be granted the only New Zealand interview with Mankell in the lead-up to the release of THE TROUBLED MAN, the final Wallander novel (note - a NZ newspaper also published an interview with Mankell recently, but this was a republication of a Guardian article). So for all of you in New Zealand, go out and grab a copy of this week's issue of the New Zealand Listener. The feature is on pages 34-36.

I've been fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to write for many great publications here in New Zealand and overseas, and I'm very pleased to now be contributing (occasionally) to the New Zealand Listener as well. It's a great magazine.

Traditionally the New Zealand Listener places the first paragraph of its articles online, and then about three weeks after an issue is published in print places the entire article online for anyone to read. However, just this week the magazine's website has had a major overhaul (it looks terrific), and it doesn't seem the entire contents of the current issue are listed. I'm not sure if or when my feature will now be placed online - I will let you know as soon as I do. [EDIT: I have this afternoon been told by the NZ Listener Books Editor that articles will continue to be freely available online two weeks after the issue is no longer current - so for all of you overseas I will link to the online version of my feature when it's available].

You can search for and read previous Books articles from the Listener, here. For example, you can read Guy Somerset's terrific feature on New Zealand crime fiction and the Ngaio Marsh Award here, and Jane Bowron's feature on Paul Cleave here.

The New Zealand Listener has long been considered one of our premier magazines. It is a weekly current affairs and entertainment magazine, renowned (amongst other things) for having one of the best books sections around. Near the end of each year the Listener also publishes a “100 Best Books of the Year” issue, where its reviewers compile their list of best novels, short stories, poetry, biography, memoir, and other non-fiction books of the year. You can see the crime fiction content from last year's Top 100 list here.

Have you picked up this week's Listener, and perhaps read my article? If so, what do you think? Have you read THE TROUBLED MAN, or do you intend to? Are you a Wallander fan (in books or on TV)? What do you think of the Listener's new website? Thoughts and comments welcome.

Biography on John le Carré planned for 2014

Recently I was lucky enough to be granted the only New Zealand interview with superstar Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell, whose 10th and final Wallander tale, THE TROUBLED MAN (written a decade after the ninth book) is about to be released downunder. I had a very enjoyable 40mins or so discussion with Mankell, who is a very interesting guy, passionate about many things. My feature article based on the interview will be coming out in an upcoming issue of the New Zealand Listener - I will let you know when it's available.

One of the things that was clear from our interview was that Mankell really, really rates thriller writer John le Carré (pictured) as a shining example of terrific writing, regardless of genre. As someone whom the 'literary establishment' should have far greater affection for when it comes to recognising the best in literature. Not just one of the 'greatest spy novelists of our time', as he's been described, but one of the greatest novelists.

As such, I'm pleased to note the news (hat tip to Graham Beattie for the heads-up) that a biography on le Carré will be written to mark the fiftieth anniversary of THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. Here's the press release:

Adam Sisman is to write the definitive life of John le Carré. Bloomsbury plan to publish in 2014, half a century after the worldwide success of The Spy who came in from the Cold, which Graham Greene dubbed "the best spy story I have ever read."Le Carré will provide Sisman with information and introductions, as well as access to his hitherto unseen private archive but he will have no control over the biography. Sisman will have a free hand, which is at the wish of both the biographer and his subject.

Sisman approached le Carré, whose real name is David Cornwell, last summer. Sisman says: "David Cornwell is a rich subject for a biographer. His writing is intensely personal, and permeated by strongly-held values. From the moment when his identity became public, readers around the world have speculated about the degree to which he has drawn on his own experiences in his fiction, in particular on his career with the intelligence services. His semi-autobiographical novel A Perfect Spy provided tantalising clues to his extraordinary childhood."

The book will deal openly with these subjects, and with Cornwell's personal life, including the difficulties that led to the breakdown of his first marriage, depicted in his novel The Naive and Sentimental Lover."I have admired and enjoyed David's work since I discovered him in my teens," Sisman continues, "and believe that his enormous commercial success has hindered recognition that he is writer of the highest quality, who will eventually be acknowledged as one of the finest British post-War novelists. Philip Roth rated le Carré's A Perfect Spy as "the best English novel since the war".

Le Carré's twenty-second novel, Our Kind of Traitor, was published in September 2010 by Penguin. Le Carré's agent is Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown.

Sisman has written four previous biographies, including Boswell's Presumptuous Task, which received a National Books Critics Circle award. His most recent book, a life of the historian and intelligence officer Hugh Trevor-Roper, was published in the UK in July 2010, and will be published in the US later this year. He is represented by Andrew Wylie.

You can read some of Le Carre's own thoughts on himself and his work at his website here.

Have you read any of John Le Carre's work? Is THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD an all-time classic, of any type of literature? Should thriller and crime novelists be more recognised by the 'mainstream' literary awards like the Booker Prize or Nobel Prize?

Crime Fiction in the news and on the 'Net: Weekly Round-up

There have been some more great crime fiction stories on the Web this past week - from newspapers, magazines, and fellow bloggers. Hopefully you will all find an interesting article or two linked here, that you enjoy reading.

Just a quick reminder for those readers in the south of the South Island that this coming week Vanda Symon's excellent fourth Sam Shephard novel, BOUND, will be launched at the University Book Shop in Dunedin. All Crime Watch readers are invited to the event, which will be held at 6pm on Wednesday 2 February 2011 at the UBS store, which is located at 378 King Street, Dunedin. RSVP to bronwynw@unibooks.co.nz.

Onto the round-up.

Crime Watch Weekly Round-Up: In the News and on the 'Net

• Speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival this past week, Swedish crime writing superstar Henning Mankell discussed the end of Kurt Wallander, that he is inspired by Greek Tragedy, and that Shakespeare's MacBeth is the "best crime story" that he's ever read.
• Deadline Hollywood reports that ABC has greenlit a pilot for "Poe", a new crime prodcedural that would see author Edgar Allan Poe as a detective using unconventional methods to investigate dark mysteries in 1840s Boston.
• On the Books South Africa website, acclaimed South African crime writer Margie Orford discusses the desire to write 'a proper book', the flexibility of crime writing, and the trope of feminity and death. In another post Orford discusses the "devilish details" so vital for good crime writing.
• The Waikato Times interviews local short story writer Stephen Ross, who has been shortlisted for a prestigious Edgar Award, a rare feat for a New Zealand writer.
• Jeff Pierce, editor of the excellent website The Rap Sheet, is on the lookout for "any authors or critics out there would like to contribute an essay to The Rap Sheet’s regular 'forgotten books' series" - see here for more details.
• The Parkridge Herald-Advocate takes a look at the upcoming "Love is Murder Mystery Conference," the premiere Midwest gathering of mystery authors, readers, publishers, and agents which returns this year on 4-6 February after a hiatus in 2010 (this is the thirteenth instalment in 14 years).
• Scott Eyman of the Palm Beach Post grabs a few moments with a very busy Robert Crais, currently touring in support of his latest novel THE SENTRY, for an interesting Q&A.
• Star News Online reports that wo mystery writers, Judy Nichols and Joyce Lavene, have helped revive the defunct and once-popular Cape Fear Crime Festival, which ran in Wilmington, North Carolina from 2001 to 2007. You can read the news story about the new festival, which will be on Saturday 5 February, here, and check out the festival website here.
• Ngaio Marsh Award judge and acclaimed book blogger Graham Beattie comments on the latest thrillers from British author Robert Goddard and Norwegian Ann Holt here.
• The Kansas City Star reviews MR HOOLIGAN, a crime novel by Florida journalist Ian Vasquez set in his native Belize (perhaps a good option for some of the readers undertaking Dorte Jakobsen's excellent 2011 Global Reading Challenge).

What are the roots of crime fiction - do you agree that Greek tragedies and Shakespearean plays are also crime fiction, at least in part? Does the modern focus on 'detective fiction' unnecessarily constrain many critics from realising crime fiction is much wider and longstanding than that? Do you like attending crime fiction festivals and meeting authors? Are you taking part in the 2011 Global Reading Challenge? Comments welcome.