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Crime Fiction and Social Criticism: Contemporary Novels from Australia, South Africa and the U.S.

Veranstaltungstyp: Seminar

Ort: 41/215

Zeiten: Mo. 08:30 - 10:00 (wöchentlich)

Beschreibung: Crime fiction is one of the major 'global' literary genres and it has proven remarkably constant and reliable in its formal generic aspects while at the same time highly adaptive and flexible in its thematic concerns and topical interests. Crime fiction can be seen as the perfect medium and commodity of 'clocalization': highly translatable across languages and reading publics but also decidedly local or regional.
In many ways, the literature of crime has thus established itself globally as a dominant perspective or 'lens' on contemporary social problems, structures and developments, as well as the psychological factors - and aberrations - connected to those structures and developments.
The seminar will be concerned with this unique position of the crime novel, especially in its observation and representation of contemporary social and psychological issues, by reading and discussing three contemporary examples from the Anglo-American context:

Paul Mendelsohn *The First Rule of Survival* (2014; South Africa)
Ryan Gattis *All Involved* (2015; USA)
Garry Disher *Bitter Wash Road* (2013, Australia)

All books will be made available for purchase through "Buchhandlung zur Heide" before the semester starts.

Requirements:
All students are expected to read the novels in preparation for the seminar; there will also be close readings and discussions of detail during the sessions which will require a solid knowledge of all novels and their particularities.
A small amount of additional reading material will be assigned for specific sessions; students may prepare these texts with the help of guiding questions in groups and lead class discussions.
Depending on the program requirements ('Modulbeschreibung') you will need to prepare and hand in written work (term paper = *Hausarbeit*) at the end of the seminar. Requirements for paper work will be discussed in the first session, as will the requirements for active participation and preparation.

Please note: There will be **special events**:
A public reading by Garry Disher from his novel *Bitter Wash Road* followed by a discussion with the author (at the *Blue Note*).
All students are asked to attend the reading; Garry Disher will also take part in a special session of the seminar which the students will help to prepare.

This seminar is recommended for 4th semester students of English and American Studies; solid basic knowledge about literary genres, as well as critical and narrative approaches to fiction are necessary requirements for succeeding with the oral and written requirements in this class. Regular and active attendance are likewise strongly advised.

Students interested in attending the class are asked to contact the instructor in advance, stating the reasons for participation and prior experience in literary and / or cultural studies in a few sentences - or come to my office hours before the semester starts. Please note that you need to indicate your interest in the seminar early on in order to manage book orders and to be able to prepare for the course.