“Hard-Boiled” v. “Traditional”

1. “Hard-Boiled” v. “Traditional” Definition of “Hard-Boiled”: A hard-boiled detective novel is a gritty detective story with a street smart professional investigator at its core. These realistic novels are generally set in a world permeated by violence and corruption.

2. PLOT HARD-BOILED TRADITIONAL • Smooth, flowing plot progression focuses on description and dialogue • Setting = usually a remote village, the countryside, or a European city (London, Paris, etc.) • Narrated by partner • Solving the crime with logical deduction is most important • The crime must be completely solved by the end of the story • The detective does not become personally involved with people/events surrounding the crime, and he focuses only on solving it without allowing bias to cloud his judgment • Focuses on following the hard evidence to solve the crime • Jumps from scene to scene, and includes more sensationalism and action • Setting = “the big city”, often the seedy underground mixed with the not-so-perfect glamorous, wealthy community • Narrated by detective • Detective uses brute force more than logical deduction to solve the crime • “Justice being served” is more important than solving the case completely • The detective is an important part of the story, and his personal emotional issues become intertwined with the solving of the crime (therefore complicating the original plot) • Focuses more on secrets and exposing the truth when solving the crime

3. THE DETECTIVE TRADITIONAL HARD-BOILED • British • Usually a refined, polite, well-dressed gentleman • “Book” smart • Thinks more about the crime and its clues before active investigation occurs • Works with a partner with whom he has a close personal relationship • A ‘flat’ character – no depth of personality, no personal life mentioned • A part of the upper-class society, but gets along well with anyone • Wants to solve the crime without making any enemies along the way (follows the rules, well-mannered) • ‘Battle of wits’ • American • Usually a hard-drinking, tough-talking, casually dressed ‘private eye’ • “Street” smart • Acts out more, throwing himself more physically into the investigation • Works mostly alone, but might have a secretary or insignificant partner • A ‘round’ character – emotional, ‘ladies’ man’, loner • Usually an outsider to middle- and upper-class societies • Solves the crime using any means necessary (breaks rules, impolite, physically or verbally rough) • ‘Battle of strength’

4. TIME PERIOD • ‘Hard-Boiled’ Detective Fiction began in the 1920s, the era of Prohibition and gangster violence • The genre was popularized through “pulps” – cheaply produced, gaudy magazines with suggestive cover art; mass production made them easily accessible and affordable to a wide public audience.

6. The “Ideal” Hard-Boiled Detective: He is fortyish and works alone, a man’s man with no family and a mostly unexplained past. He has many casual acquaintances emerging from that past, but few friends. He lives on fried eggs and steak, cigarettes and coffee, bourbon and Scotch. He either carries a gun or makes a point of not carrying one; and in either case, he can take a gun away from almost anybody. He’s always short of cash, but he always has a few bucks to share…

7. The “Ideal” Hard-Boiled Detective: …His relationship with the police ranges from ambivalence to contempt, and he is incurably insubordinate and rebellious. His relationship with women is tumultuous; he often finds himself involved with desirable but troubled women. Though he might find love, he remains a loner, faithful only to his profession and the tireless pursuit of justice.