Czytanie (o) PRL-u. Z Ryszardem Ćwirlejem rozmawiają Justyna Tuszyńska i Dariusz Brzostek

Ryszard Ćwirlej: sociologist, journalist, and writer; former Polish Television reporter and editor-in-chief of the newscast Telekurier. A lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. An author of numerous detective novels and an inventor of Polish “neo-militia literature”, a literary genre depicting the everyday life of the militiamen in the PRL (The Polish People’s Republic).

Lexical-semantic peculiarities of Andrii Kokotiukha’s detective novels

The article touches upon various lexical-semantic peculiarities of Andrii Kokotiukha’s detective novels, specifically the nomination of people – characters of the novel. Such research are presented mostly from the point of view of literary studies. Scientists studied peculiar features of composition, genre, and plot of detective novels. The question of language and style of detective novels would uncommonly become a subject of research as they are regarded to as so-called mass literature, that is one that is focused on literature preferences of a wide circle of readers, in other words – it is a popular, entertaining, trivial literature. Linguistic research of detective works were mostly done on the material of literary texts of English and French languages, Ukrainian detectives were not a subject of such analysis. Questions of influence of genre peculiarities on the choice of linguistic units was also left beyond attention of researchers, which predetermines the relevance of the research. The source basis of the research consists of detective novels by Andrii Kokotiukha – one of the most notable Ukrainian detective authors. That is a series of retronovels, where the action takes place at the beginning of XX century in Lviv, and three novels about the modern period as well. The aim of the work is to explore lexical units that denote a person in Andrii Kokotiukha’s detective novels in terms of their expressive functions depending on the aim and genre features. Vocabulary of denomination of people is widespread in Kokotiukha’s works. Specifics of detective novels involves agile, dynamic nature of vocabulary and their text. Semantics of people’s names is diverse: its affiliation to the biological genus of humans; gender; age; family status; profession and occupation; status from the point of view of law; class and social structure of Ukrainian society; social status; financial situation; nationality or confession; affiliation to political parties; names of dead people, external signs; temporary sign. The author frequently uses descriptive compounds, metaphors, jargon, and colloquial language. A distinctive method of nominating a person which, according to genre requirements, creates mystery and enigma of presentation, is descriptive compounds with pronouns. Quantitative ratio of lexical groups mentioned depends on the peculiarities of the plot of specific novel. Nomination of people in A. Kokotiukha’s detective novels are components of dynamic and static descriptions, help convey the cultural-historical background, create the appropriate emotional tint. That is one of the elements which ensures that the text corresponds to the canons of detective genre.

O funcionamento discursivo dos textos de contracapa da “Coleção Vampiro”

The present article presents a comprehensive study on the discursive functioning of the detective novels back cover texts of the Coleção Vampiro (CV), published every month in Portugal between 1947 and 2008. From a descriptive and linguistic perspective which assumes the discourse types (Bronckart 1997, 2008) as a category of analysis, they are analysed the back cover texts of 104 volumes from the CV (14,6% of the collection), adopting a mixed methodology which integrates both quantitative and qualitative methods. It is concluded that, in the first part of the collection, the book cover texts present a predominantly expositive dimension as well as a strong implication of both the speaker and the receiver, which contributes to the dissemination and popularization of the detective novel genre. In the second part, the texts present a predominantly narrative dimension and they are marked by the erasure of the speaker and the receiver, corresponding almost entirely to the synopsis of the detective novel in question

An Age of Contradiction, or Who Killed Colonel Protheroe?

Crime Fiction studies have entered something of a new age. It is no longer necessary to begin an article with defensive remarks about sales numbers or the literary qualities of detective novels; indeed, this may be the start of a new Golden Age. In this article, I shall review two phenomena that may be considered instrumental in this critical turn: adaptations for the screen and Pierre Bayard’s self-styled critique policière, or ‘detective criticism’. Screen adaptations of Agatha Christie’s works have, by turns, enthralled and dismayed viewers. In removing their cosy edges and transforming Christie’s novels into films fit for contemporary audiences, they have gone as far, in some cases, as to change the sacrosanct ending. Here, I shall discuss the ways in which Charlie Palmer’s 2004 adaptation of The Murder at the Vicarage points to a potential rereading of the novel. I shall then deploy Bayardian detective criticism not only to demonstrate the implausibility of Miss Marple’s final solution to The Murder at the Vicarage, but also to suggest that Christie’s greatest skill lies perhaps in saving her greatest red herring until last.

Agatha Christie’s Poirot novels as fairy tales: Two case studies

The popularity of detective stories may result from the attraction of the hero, the entertaining thrill of the plot or the comforting power of the overall message which promises that evil will be defeated in the end: there is always someone able to fight it and determined to do so. But the immense success of detective stories can also be explained otherwise, which is the purpose of this article. In this research, Vladimir Propp’s narratemes – understood as recurring, genre-specific structure elements of the plot – are evidenced in two successful detective novels by Agatha Christie. The nature of detective novels in general and the uniqueness of the detective Poirot as a character are outlined, followed by the presentation of Propp’s narratemes. Then, the contents of two selected works by Christie, The mysterious affair at Styles and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, are scrutinised and retold in terms of the narratemes identified in them. It is thereby claimed and confirmed through selected examples that the detective novels examined draw on a modified morphology typical of fairy tales, as is described by Propp. Consequently, further research is postulated to verify the hypothesis of similarities between detective novels and fairy tales as a factor contributing to the tremendous success of the former as a genre.

The Salt of the Earth or the Murderess? The Problem of Femininity in the Novels of Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie’s outlook on gender, as depicted in her novels, has been described as conservative or even criticised as anti-feminist. However, more recently, a growing number of feminist scholars (Alison Light, Susan Rowland, Merja Makinen) have begun to oppose this view and instead argue that Christie’s approach to the various social phenomena depicted in her novels, including gender, is more nuanced and ambiguous than previously assumed. This paper explores the role of domesticity in general, and of food, eating and cooking in particular, in constructing such ambiguous portrayal of femininity in three of Agatha Christie’s detective novels: Cards on the Table (1936), The Hollow (1946), and 4.50 from Paddington (1957). The novels depict three groups of female characters possessing varying degrees of power and independence: the salt of the earth, i.e., the conservative homemaker, the eccentric, and the murderess. It is the aim of this paper to demonstrate that, paradoxically, it is o en through these female characters’ roles within the domestic setting and their engagement with food that they are able to overcome the limitations imposed on them by patriarchal society and achieve a certain level of autonomy within it.

Alternative Visions Of Crime And Community In Wilkie Collins' The Woman In White And The Moonstone

When T. S. Eliot described Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone (1868) as the “first and greatest of English detective novels” (413), he could not have predicted the number of writers who would take issue with his brief phrase. While some have embraced Eliot’s adjectives (Bisla; Hennelly), others have critiqued the “first” and “greatest” descriptors, identifying Collins’ predecessors (Duncan; Klimaszewski), and contemporaries who offer The Moonstone some competition for the title of “greatest” (Smillie; Thomas). Still others have taken issue with defining the novel as “English,” due to its anti-Imperialist critiques (Narayan; Roy). Following in the footsteps of scholars such as Tamar Heller and D. A. Miller, the descriptor I choose to trouble in this essay is “detective.” Though The Moonstone inarguably contains a detective character, and a complex mystery that is indeed solved through detection, I argue that, especially when viewed in conjunction with Collins’ earlier novel The Woman in White (1859), Collins should be understood not as establishing the conventions of the detective novel to come, but as working against the tide of a developing genre which became increasingly police- and law-focused. Rather than valorizing the police detective or reifying the justness of the legal system, these novels articulate a vision of crime and justice outside of the boundaries of law and policing, one markedly different from the “detective” genre Eliot credits Collins with founding.

Alternative Visions Of Crime And Community In Wilkie Collins' The Woman In White And The Moonstone

When T. S. Eliot described Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone (1868) as the “first and greatest of English detective novels” (413), he could not have predicted the number of writers who would take issue with his brief phrase. While some have embraced Eliot’s adjectives (Bisla; Hennelly), others have critiqued the “first” and “greatest” descriptors, identifying Collins’ predecessors (Duncan; Klimaszewski), and contemporaries who offer The Moonstone some competition for the title of “greatest” (Smillie; Thomas). Still others have taken issue with defining the novel as “English,” due to its anti-Imperialist critiques (Narayan; Roy). Following in the footsteps of scholars such as Tamar Heller and D. A. Miller, the descriptor I choose to trouble in this essay is “detective.” Though The Moonstone inarguably contains a detective character, and a complex mystery that is indeed solved through detection, I argue that, especially when viewed in conjunction with Collins’ earlier novel The Woman in White (1859), Collins should be understood not as establishing the conventions of the detective novel to come, but as working against the tide of a developing genre which became increasingly police- and law-focused. Rather than valorizing the police detective or reifying the justness of the legal system, these novels articulate a vision of crime and justice outside of the boundaries of law and policing, one markedly different from the “detective” genre Eliot credits Collins with founding.

AN ANALYSIS OF TITLE FUNCTIONS (ON THE MATERIAL OF DARYA DONTSOVA’S IRONIC DETECTIVE NOVELS)

Целью нашей статьи является исследование семиотической природы заголовков детективных романов Д. Донцовой исходя из трех измерений семиозиса: семантики, синтактики и прагматики. Главным методом исследования служит семиотический анализ. Вспомогательными являются методики контекстуально-интерпретационного, структурного, лингвостилистического и прагматического анализа, метафорического моделирования и жанрового анкетирования. Гипотеза исследования − предположение о том, что основная функция заголовка художественного текста, в отличие от масс-медийного или научного и др., маркирующая, индексирующая текст как целостный знак, информативная же функция может быть реализована лишь в результате понимания целого произведения, установления его жанровой принадлежности, с учетом всеобъемлющей диалогичности текста с творчеством автора в целом, интертекстом литературного процесса. В рекламных целях в заглавиях некоторых произведений может вообще отсутствовать какая-либо ориентация на прогнозирование смысла последующего текста. Особенностями заголовков романов Д. Донцовой являются парадоксальность, проявляющаяся в семантической несовместимости составляющих библионима, насыщенность прецедентными знаками, интертекстуальность и интерсемиотичность, карнавализация, языковая игра, пародирование, персуазивность и суггестивность. Семантический параметр семиозиса библионимов предполагает установление их содержательной связи не только с последующим текстом, но и с фондом интертекстовых и интерсемиотических знаний читателя. Семантика заглавий иронических детективов Д. Донцовой соотносится со структурными компонентами жанра иронического детектива, нередко второстепенными, характеризуется метафорическим заимствованием лексем из различных донорских доменов. Синтактика библионимов реализуется в связях с различными компонентами озаглавленного текста, с мегатекстом, интертекстом, невербальными семиосферами культуры, в том числе и с прецедентными феноменами. Прагматика библионимов Д. Донцовой ориентирована на возбуждение интереса, любопытства, желания разрешить парадоксы заглавия путем прочтения и понимания содержания книги. Свойственная заголовкам иронических детективов парадоксальность служит мощным суггестогеном, воздействующим не только на сознание читателей, но и на бессознательные ресурсы психики. Перспективы изучения данной проблематики заключаются в выявлении стратегических программ коммуникативного воздействия заглавий произведений массовой литературы, проведении экспериментальных исследований по выявлению индекса информативности библионимов и их прогностичности по отношению к последующему тексту. The aim of the article is to examine the semiotic nature of the titles of detective novels by Darya Dontsova based on the three dimensions of semiosis: semantics, syntactics and pragmat-ics. Semiotic analysis serves as the main research method. Contextual interpretation, structural, stylistic and pragmatic analysis, metaphorical modeling and genre questionnaire are auxiliary methods. The research hypothesis lies in a supposition that the basic function of the title of a lit-erary text, unlike that of a mass media, scientific, etc. text, is to label, index a text as an integral sign. An informative function of the title can be realized after understanding the whole text, de-termining its genre, and taking into consideration the overall dialogism of the text with the au-thor’s oeuvre and with the intertext of the literary process. For advertising purposes, some titles are not intended to predict the sense of subsequent texts. The features of Dontsova’s titles are paradoxicality (elements of titles are semantically incompatible), abundance of precedent signs, intertextuality, intersemioticity, carnivalization, language game, parody, persuasion, and sug-gestiveness. The semantic parameter of title semiosis presupposes clarifying the content-related link of the titles not only with subsequent texts but also with the reader’s intertextual and in-tersemiotic knowledge. The semantics of the titles of Dontsova’s ironic detective novels is corre-lated with the frequently secondary structural components of this genre and is characterized by the metaphorical borrowing of lexemes from different source domains. The syntactics of the ti-tles is realized through relations with different components of the texts, with megatext and in-tertext, with nonverbal cultural semiospheres, including precedent phenomena. The pragmatics of the titles is to spark interest, curiosity, desire to resolve the paradoxes of the title by reading and understanding the content of the book. Paradoxicality, inherent to titles of ironic detective novels, serves as a powerful means of suggestiveness, affecting both readers’ consciousness and the unconscious resources of the psyche. The prospects of this research are to focus on the stra-tegic programs of the communicative influence of titles of popular literature, to conduct experi-mental studies on the index of the title informing properties and on the title predictive value for subsequent texts.