I’m delighted to be announcing the first session of Pop Culture Theory Group for the new academic year.
On Wednesday 2nd October 2024, from 5-7pm BST, we will be looking at Tzvetan Todorov’s article ‘The Typology of Detective Fiction’, originally published within The Poetics of Prose in 1971.
It’s a fun introduction to the structuralism at the core of genre theory, through a case study of a genre we all know (and I hope love!), and is beautifully short. However, if you’re unable to find the time to read it, please do still come along!
Some questions to think about as you read the piece:
- Do you agree with Todorov’s characterisation of detective fiction?
- Can you think of any examples of “major works”, using Todorov’s definition? (works that create new genres by transcending prior ones)
- Do you agree that the greatest genre works are the ones which epitomise their genre?
You can access the reading via Crime and Media: A Reader, edited by Chris Greer.
For info about the room booking or zoom link, email Georgie @ gxr697@student.bham.ac.uk.
