Chapter 7 detective fun

The so-called detective taste here is the taste of detective novels, and it doesn't matter if it is the taste of hunting novels.It has also been said that this is an interest in indulging in novelty.I think as long as people still have curiosity, this hobby will never disappear one day. On the one hand, it means the taste of strangeness, mystery, horror, madness, adventure, crime, etc., and on the other hand, it also means the bright and rational taste of successfully overcoming these incredible, secret, and dangerous.The combination of these elements constitutes detective taste. In addition to the detective novels written by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Conan Doyle, writers such as Dostoevsky, who are often cited as examples, also have a lot of works that meet the taste of detectives.No, it can be said that there is no article that does not have a detective taste.It is often said that "you can't read novels with plots". The plot mentioned here, I think from some perspectives, refers to the taste of detectives.

In the West, Poe is regarded as the originator of detective novels, but before him, there are detective stories by Hoffman, Balzac, Dickens, Vidok, etc.; as for the East, Japan has works in the style of Ooka political talks , There is also "Sakura Yin Bishi" (similar to China's "Tangyin Bishi") by the originator Xihe.There are China's "New Book of Du Deception" and "Strange Tales of Deceit" that describe fraud stories, while Japan has "Day and Night Careful Records" and "Worldly Mind Records". In short, there have been things similar to detective novels since quite ancient times.

As far as antiquity is concerned, going back even further, there is even a detective smell in mythology.I have also mentioned this in other articles. In Japanese mythology, for example, when the sun god Amaterasu is closed in the cave and does not want to come out, Tiantian Numing dances outside, and the other eight million gods respond. Loud and hilarious to lure Amaterasu is a ruse, a common element in detective stories.Interestingly, Poe used the same trick to write a detective novel. In the short story "The Purloined Letter", the detective hired thugs to shout "fire, fire" outside the house, while the protagonist When his attention was drawn to peeking out the window, he retrieved the key letter without a trace.In works such as Conan Doyle's A Scandal in Bohemia, the same trick even forms the central taste of the entire novel.I find it interesting, albeit a minor detail, that myths and detective novels use the same tricks.

In addition, Susano's male master has a violent personality and was exiled for angering Amaterasu.The story of using eight urns to destroy the big snake can also be said to have a detective taste; and although it is not a myth, since the beginning of human history, in the era of Emperor Qinming, the tribute from Sushen once used black feathers Table Emperor.I don’t know whether the black feather refers to the black cloth or the black feather. In short, there is no writing on it, and no one can interpret it. For content, this matter can be found in Nihon Shoki.It should be a code written using invisible ink similar to today's, but from this story, we can see that the important element of detective taste - the code, has existed since quite ancient times.

Speaking of ciphers, Western Greece and Rome have often used ciphers since ancient times.According to Plutarch, the king and the general on the battlefield used something called a "scytale" to communicate secretly.The king and the general each hold a stick of the same thickness. The letter writer rolls a long piece of parchment on the stick and writes on the overlapped place, and the receiver rolls the letter paper on the stick of the same thickness to read.Without this stick, the content cannot be read, so the secret cannot be revealed.Western ciphers developed very rapidly, and a surprising number of research works were published.For a period of time, ciphers even became an important technology in the court. For example, Charles I was famous for conceiving new ciphers himself.

The topic is far away, all in all, the elements that constitute the taste of detectives have played a very important role since ancient times. When it comes to detective novels, people will always give people an impression of being unpopular, and the loss caused by this title is immeasurable.The word "detective" is the worst in that it directly associates with thieves and detectives.The content of detective novels is not necessarily officers and soldiers catching thieves. Even if thieves appear in the novel, what is described is the psychology of thieves and the exquisite reasoning of detectives, and the focus is not on the thieves or the criminal police themselves.

Detective novels are closely related to learning.Because Conan Doyle was originally a doctor, his detective novels contain a lot of medical knowledge, and microscopes can be seen everywhere in Freeman's works.As for Japan, our colleague Kosai Fuki was originally a doctor of medicine, and his works can be called medical detective novels, which are unique.Detective novels need the support of various knowledge such as medicine, physics, chemistry, zoology and botany, and law.The term psychological detective novel means that the detective uses the knowledge of psychology.Theories such as Freud's psychoanalysis have long been used in detective novels.No, rather than saying that, it should be said that psychoanalytic theory was actually applied in detective fiction long before Freud.In Edgar Allan Poe's novel, the protagonist Dupin expresses his thoughts one by one through his friend's eye rolls and gestures. This is obviously a kind of psychoanalysis.

Detective novels are closely related to learning, not only for this aspect, but also for other reasons. In fact, studying learning itself is a detective activity, and Dr. Kosai also has such experience.During my studies, when I was learning a new subject, I mostly adopted a detective method.I don't often attend lectures, but I often go to the library to collect different opinions on a problem, analyze them comprehensively, and form my own opinions in the process, which makes me feel unparalleled fun.This is exactly the same as the protagonist of the detective novel investigates the clues of the crime.The same is true for language learning. At least for me, picking up foreign words word by word and interpreting the overall meaning is a kind of detective fun.

There are also more amicable examples, such as the detective activity that takes place whenever two people are together.It is curiosity at best, and suspicion at worst. This is completely human nature. It may evolve into research, or it may turn into jealousy.On the surface, they talked about the world, but the original intention was to spy on each other's thoughts, no matter what kind of saints and gentlemen they are.If you skillfully detect the other party's mind and make good use of it, you can stand out in the competition for survival.Those who are clumsy in this way are classified as ignorant.Politicians, diplomats, judges, and a host of other professions require good detective skills.The meeting of the three aunts and the six wives in the alleys and courtyards is also the use of detective skills, spying on each other's inside stories about the neighbors.There are also undercurrents of detective activities in the business confrontation of entrepreneurs. The only difference lies in whether they are based on good intentions or evil intentions.

Although it is a bit far-fetched, detective taste is so common and deeply rooted in people's hearts.It is definitely not an absurd phenomenon that detective novels that organize detective interests into specific story forms will be so popular.I take it for granted that detective stories will become more popular.At the same time, I don't think this is something that should be excluded, either from a social point of view or from an artistic point of view.