Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This collection looks at the popular figure of the boy sleuth in twentieth and twenty-first century text and film. The girl sleuth has often been described critically as a forever girl, a feminist figure who at her heights nonetheless embodies girlhood. Boy sleuths, on the other hand, often delicately balance boyhood and manhood. Series explored include the Hardy Boys, Tow Swift, the Three Investigators, Christopher Cool, and Tim Murphy, as well as works by Astrid Lindgren, Mark Haddon, and Joe Meno.
Synopsis
Much has been written about the girl sleuth in fiction, a feminist figure embodying all the potential wit and drive of girlhood. Her male counterpart, however, has received much less critical attention despite his popularity in the wider culture. This collection of 11 essays examines the boy detective and his genre from a number of critical perspectives, addressing the issues of these young characters, heirs to the patriarchy yet still concerned with first crushes and soda shop romances. Series explored include the Hardy Boys, Tow Swift, the Three Investigators, Christopher Cool and Tim Murphy, as well as works by Astrid Lindgren, Mark Haddon and Joe Meno.