Author(s): Vidusha Arora¹, Prof. Randeep Rana²

Abstract:

Detective fiction, one of the most popular literary genres, developed two major traditions in the early 20th century: the British “Golden Age” puzzle and the American “hardboiled” school. This paper provides an expanded comparison of these two traditions, exploring their different approaches to themes, character, and setting. It argues that British detective stories, born from a tradition of logic and deduction, focus on restoring a fractured social order. In contrast, American hardboiled stories, born from the gritty realism of pulp magazines, use a cynical, tough detective to explore a world where social order is revealed as inherently corrupt and cannot be fully restored. By examining their shared historical roots, key thematic divergences, and distinct cultural contexts, we can see how these two styles reflected the different anxieties and values of their home societies, ultimately shaping the global crime fiction we enjoy today.

DOI: 10.61165/sk.publisher.v12i10.7

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Order and Chaos: A Comparative Analysis of Classic British and American Detective Fiction

Pages:83-87