The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction Audiobook By David Schmid, The Great Courses cover art

The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction

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The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction

By: David Schmid, The Great Courses
Narrated by: David Schmid
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Great mystery and suspense writers have created some of the most unforgettable stories in all of literature. Even those who don't consider themselves fans of this intriguing genre are familiar with names such as Hercule Poirot, Sam Spade, Hannibal Lecter, and Robert Langdon, and understand the deep and lasting impact this writing has had on literature as a whole. An utterly captivating and compelling genre, mystery and suspense has leapt off the pages of the old dime store paperbacks, magazines, and comic books onto big screens, small screens, radio serials, podcasts, websites, and more. You'll find elements, characters, and references permeating popular culture and news reports worldwide, and bleeding into other literary genres such as romance, political thrillers, sports stories, and even biographies. Nearly 200 years old, the genre of mystery and suspense literature is only growing more popular.

How did it become so prevalent? Why is mystery and suspense a go-to genre for so many around the world? What makes the dark and sometimes grisly themes appealing? In 24 lectures of The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction, Professor David Schmid of the University at Buffalo examines these questions, as he guides you through an examination of the many different varieties of the genre, including classic whodunits, hard-boiled crime fiction, historical mysteries, courtroom dramas, true crime narratives, espionage fiction, and many more.

Fans of the genre will be delighted by the breadth and depth of information presented, guaranteed to uncover gems they had not yet discovered. But anyone, whether they are admirers of mystery on radio and film, or simply fans of literature, history, or pop culture, will find something to enlighten and entertain in this study of a genre with such tremendous impact.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 The Great Courses (P)2016 The Teaching Company, LLC Fiction Literary History & Criticism Mystery Thought-Provoking Inspiring Science Fiction Mystery
Comprehensive History • Diverse Author Coverage • Engaging Narrator • Fascinating Insights • Educational Content
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If nothing else this is a wonderful source of recommendations of great stories and writers on the genre. I was a little disappointed to see John MacDonald and Michael Connelly left out but it could be argued they are mostly adventure than classical mystery writers. I did enjoy the way the lecture drills down to various subgenres as his way of presenting the material. Certainly I have a more formal understanding of the genre. The PDF provided helps absorb some of the details.

Insight into both the history and craft of mystery and suspense fiction

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While I lost patience with the question why, the narrator clearly knows the subject. I learned a lot. Thanks.

Very informative/Intelligently narrated.

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No quality is lost in this stretch for quantity. I never thought there were so many genres of mystery and suspense.

Great ear food. Brain fodder too. Itchy to write? You'll get itchier and itchier and then.....

Wow. So much!

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Now i have a huge list of books to find and read. The teacher obviously has a lot of passion and enjoys talking about mystery and suspense fiction.

Super Fun

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What made the experience of listening to The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction the most enjoyable?

Interesting enough material, but it wasn't instructive for someone wanting to learn how to write about the subject matter.
It was an entertaining overview of how Mystery and Suspense is and has been written. A great selection of authors analyzed, but it didn't actually concern itself with the listener writing. It was a reader's study.

Would you be willing to try another book from The Great Courses? Why or why not?

I take them on occasionally. Generally I find them instructive, often entertaining.

What does Professor David Schmid bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This question is irrelevant to the nature of the title being reviewed, since it was an academic study, not an actual story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

This question is irrelevant to the nature of the title being reviewed, since it was an academic study, not an actual story.

Any additional comments?

Re title the series: How Mystery and Suspense Is Written. It lack the necessary instruction about beats and high points, timing and other details of story construction. Thirty-six half hours later I found myself still wondering how to do this. The various "lessons" I've found for writing "genre Romance" have been much more helpful to that end. Was hoping for something like here.

Mis-titled

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Very in depth & detailed. I learned a TON that I will apply to my writing style!

Excellent Read!

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This was one of the Great Courses best presentations. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about the genre of mystery and suspense fiction!

Excellent Course!

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Would you listen to The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction again? Why?
I would so listen to this again. It was interesting and informative and I liked the narrator's personal views on certain subject matters. This lecture has turned me on to new reading possibilities that I would never have known about if not for this lecture. It made my work day more enjoyable as I listened while at the office.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction?
When Professor Schmid spoke of the Native American mysteries it perked up my ears. It sounded fascinating and now I'm interested in reading some of the books that were mentioned. I also liked when he talked about the Cozy Mysteries and how professor Schmid didn't find them low brow as some critics have stated. I like thrillers and suspense but a cozy mystery is very comforting to read and immensely enjoyable. Critics be damned but I am with Professor Schmid when it comes to the Cozy Mysteries.

Which character – as performed by Professor David Schmid – was your favorite?
There were no characters as this was a lecture and not a book. I liked the Professor's style of lecture. It wasn't wooden or pretentious. There was warmth and insight and knowledge and passion in what he had to say.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This was not a book but a lecture and so it mainly fascinated me.

Any additional comments?
I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture by Professor David Schmid and will be interested to listen to other lectures by him as I enjoyed the sound of his voice, the cadence in which he spoke, and his passion for the subject.

Eye Opening and Enjoyable

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Quite knowledgeable about the subject. I would like to introduce him to the pronunciation of the letter "g" at the end of the suffix "ing". To an American ear, it occasionally becomes confusing, as much as I generally appreciate a British accent. I was pleased to discover that I often anticipated the next topic of discussion from a general description. Two things I would have liked to be included: an unraveling of the plot of The Big Sleep, if one can be found, and something about the very popular books of J.D. Robb, which are a blend of police procedural, romance, and science fiction.

Very interesting and entertaining!

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Any additional comments?

The narrator constantly sounded out of breath. It caused me anxiety to listen to him because I thought he'd start convulsing and have a heart attack mid sentence. It distracted from the content. I am an avid advocate for The Great Courses, I have 25 courses in my library and another 55 on my wish list... this one disappointed me.

Wanted so badly to like this

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