Sherlock Holmes The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles was written in 1901, eight years after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had already
'killed off' Sherlock Holmes in his story, "The Final Problem." However, the novel was not a sequel - the events
of The Hound of the Baskervilles take place before those of "The Final Problem."

When Doyle killed Sherlock Holmes, there was much public outrage and grief. More than twenty
thousand people quit their subscription to the Strand, the magazine which had popularized the stories. After
of The Hound of the Baskervilles proved such a great success, though, Doyle decided to bring the character back
to life in 1903, with the story "The Adventure of the Empty House." Luckily, "The Final Problem" contained
enough gaps that Doyle could plausibly claim that Sherlock Holmes had faked his own death.

The novel was published in serial form from 1901 to 1902, in the Strand. It is the third out of four novels
which Doyle would write about Holmes. It continues to enjoy much success today, and is considered by some
Sherlock Holmes scholars to be Doyle's best work. It has inspired over twenty film and television
reinterpretations, made in places as diverse as Germany, Australia, the USSR, Canada, the United States, and of
course, the United Kingdom. The most recent such reinvention of this story can be seen in the BBC
series Sherlock, although this retelling very much differs from the original novel.

Doyle was inspired to write the novel after staying with his friend, Bertram Fletcher Robinson, in 1901.
He named the character Sir Henry Baskerville after Robinson's gardener, named Harry Baskerville. Doyle had
met Robinson on a return voyage from South Africa, and Robinson, a correspondent for the Daily Express, told
him about a legend from his home region of Devon, England. Later, Doyle would write to his publisher that he
felt he needed Robinson's name to appear next to his own. "I can answer for the yarn being all my own in my
own style without dilution, since your readers like that. But he gave me the central idea and the local colour,
and so I feel his name must appear," Doyle wrote.

Robinson showed Doyle the moor, known as Dartmoor, upon which the story is based. It is the largest
open space in the southern region of England. In a letter to his mother, Mary, Doyle commented that the moor
was "a great place, very sad & wild, dotted with the dwellings of prehistoric man, strange monoliths and huts
and graves." The atmosphere of a place uninhabited by man is pervasive in the story, and marks a difference
from many of Doyle's other Sherlock Holmes stories, insofar as it is set in the country rather than in London.

The Hound of the Baskervilles Summary

This adventure concerns the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville, and the possibility that the heir
to his fortune might be the object of murder. Before the novel begins, Sir Charles Baskerville had died suddenly,
perhaps the victim of a ghostly hound believed to haunt his family because of an age-old curse. The Baskerville
estate is located out in the remote moor of Devonshire.

Holmes and Watson are introduced to the case by Dr. Mortimer, a friend of Sir Charles Baskerville.
Mortimer believes that a hound has in fact killed Sir Charles, because he found a paw print near Sir Charles's
corpse. He is worried that there may be some truth to the superstitious legend, which is detailed in an old
manuscript, and thus approaches Holmes in hopes that the detective can protect Sir Henry, who is soon to arrive
to claim the family estate and fortune.

When Sir Henry arrives in London, he exhibits no fear of the old legend. Instead, he insists on leaving
soon for Baskerville Hall. However, several strange things happen while he is in London: an anonymous letter
arrives, warning him to stay away from the moor; two boots are stolen from his hotel, each from a different pair;
and Holmes observes a bearded man following him around the city. Certain that something insidious is afoot,
Holmes sends Watson to Devonshire, where he is to accompany and protect Sir Henry while Holmes wraps up
some business in London.

Upon his arrival in Baskerville Hall, Watson begins his detective work. He discovers several mysterious
circumstances. There is an escaped convict, Selden, wandering the moor. Barrymore, the butler, frequently
awakes in the middle of the night and shines a light from an empty room in the house. Mrs. Barrymore is
constantly in tears.

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 Watson also meets the Stapletons, a brother and sister who are friendly neighbours of the Baskerville
estate. However, Miss Stapleton is clearly anxious, since she secretly warns Watson to leave the moor
immediately, before learning he is not actually Sir Henry.

Watson learns from Mr. Stapleton about the existence of Grimpen Mire, a part of the moor which is
too dangerous to pass. On several occasions, he hears the frightening howl of a hound coming from this area of
the moor.

One night, Watson and Sir Henry follow Barrymore, and discover that he and his wife are secretly
feeding Selden, who is actually Mrs. Barrymore's brother. Watson and Sir Henry try to capture Selden, but fail.
However, that night, Watson sees a mysterious figure standing alone up in the hills.

The next morning, the men promise Barrymore not to report Selden, and he in turn tells them how his
wife found a letter that was sent to Sir Charles on the day he died. Apparently, the man was outside that night
to meet a woman with the initials L.L. Watson investigates to discover that this woman is Laura Lyons, who lives
in the nearby Coombe Tracey. He visits her to learn that Sir Charles was going to give her money to secure a
divorce, but that she did not keep her appointment that night because someone else offered her the money.

Watson then tries to track down the mysterious man on the moor, and discovers that it is actually
Sherlock Holmes, who has been living secretly on the moor to observe the mystery from a distance. He explains
that his open presence would have compromised his investigation. While there, Holmes has learned that Mr.
Stapleton is in fact married to Miss Stapleton; they are not brother and sister, but have instead assumed fake
identities. He believes Stapleton is responsible for Sir Charles's death, but he does not have the proof yet.

Suddenly, Watson and Holmes hear the same cry Watson heard earlier, and they rush to find a corpse
out on the moor. Though they initially believe it is Sir Henry's body - since the figure is dressed in the man's
clothes - they soon discover it is actually Selden's corpse. He had clearly been fleeing something, and had fallen
from a cliff in the process. As they debate what to do with the body, Stapleton arrives. Though surprised, he
quickly recovers his composure and easily identifies Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes accompanies Watson to Baskerville Hall, and has dinner with Sir Henry. During dinner, they
learn that Stapleton had invited Sir Henry to dinner, and hence had been expecting him, not Selden, to be out
on the moor that night. Selden was dressed in Sir Henry's clothes because Barrymore had given them to the
convict.

Holmes notices a portrait of Hugo Baskerville, and secretly indicates to Watson that the face bears a
striking similarity to Stapleton's. He thereby realizes that Stapleton must be a Baskerville, who hopes to kill off
the surviving family members so that he will inherit the fortune.

However, Holmes does not tell Sir Henry the truth. Instead, he claims that he and Watson are returning
to London, and instructs Sir Henry to join Stapleton for dinner the following night. Though it requires him walking
alone across the moor, Sir Henry agrees.

That night, Holmes, Watson, and the London policeman Lestrade - who joined Holmes via train - stake
out Stapleton's house. Watson sneaks close to spy Stapleton dining alone with Sir Henry; Miss Stapleton is
absent. A fog compromises visibility, so the party has to retreat a bit. It is from this vantage that they soon see
Sir Henry stroll past, and then a savage hound, flames seemingly leaping from its mouth, fly after the man. They
are able to kill it only with several shots, right before it is prepared to rip out Sir Henry's throat.

Holmes studies the hound's corpse to discover that its mouth has been lined with phosphorus, thereby
creating the image of flames, and its fur covered with a glitter. They try to pursue Stapleton, but only find Miss
Stapleton, who has been tied up, gagged, and locked away in the house. She tells them that Stapleton had
restrained her, and likely fled out into Grimpen Mire, which is where he kept the hound locked away.

The next morning, they search Grimpen Mire, but find only Stapleton's boot. They assume he has died.
They also find evidence of where he kept the hound, and that Stapleton had been feeding the beast with other
animals.

A month later, Sir Henry and Dr. Mortimer embark on a trip around the world, so that Sir Henry can
recover from his shock. One day, Watson questions Holmes about the case, and the detective provides all the
missing pieces. Stapleton's actual name was Rodger Baskerville; he is the son of Sir Charles's youngest brother,

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who had long before moved to South America. After his father's death, Stapleton fled to England, changed his
identity, and set out to construct a means to claim the Baskerville fortune. His wife had eventually tried to stop
him, which is why he locked her away.

The details provided, Holmes invites Watson to join him for dinner and a show.

The Hound of the Baskervilles Character List

Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is the hero of this tale, and its most popular character. From other stories, readers
would have known that Holmes is methodical, intelligent, analytical, observant, and reserved. In this novel, he
also reveals his ability to match his brooding, thoughtful nature with immediate action. Willing to deceive or
mislead others if necessary, Holmes is and antisocial and impersonal fellow who nevertheless comes off as
charming and ultimately moral.

Watson

The narrator of the story and Holmes's closest friend, Dr. John Watson performs more of the detective
work in The Hound of the Baskervilles that he does in many other Holmes stories. Though observant, Watson
lacks Holmes's imagination and analytical ability. Without a doubt, he is firmly devoted to Holmes, and eager to
please him. He is generally more sensitive to the feelings of others than Holmes is.

Dr. Mortimer

Dr. James Mortimer, the man who employs Holmes for this case, lives out on the moor and was a close
friend of Sir Charles. Though a man of science (he is interested in the study of skulls), he somewhat accepts the
legend of the hound because of a lack of evidence to the contrary.

Sir Charles

Sir Charles Baskerville is the figure whose death inspires the investigation. A nervous and philanthropic
man, Sir Charles was well-loved amongst the moor population. He believed in the legend of the hound, a belief
which his murderer used to scare him to death.

Hugo Baskerville

Hugo Baskerville is the long-deceased Baskerville whose treachery and wickedness supposedly inspired
the curse of the Baskervilles. As the legend tells, he trapped a woman in his house, and then chased her when
she escaped; he was in turn chased by a demonic hound that ripped his throat out and then haunted his
descendants.

Sir Henry

Sir Henry Baskerville is the nephew of Sir Charles Baskerville, and heir of the Baskerville estate and
fortune. He shows himself to be bold, practical and straightforward, but also impatient, hasty and stubborn.
Though not initially superstitious, he later grows anxious over the legend.

Miss Stapleton

Miss Beryl Stapleton is the woman believed to be Stapleton's sister, but who is actually his wife. Though
less wicked than he is, she has been his accomplice for a long time, having used the alias Mrs. Vandeleur. She
tries to warn Sir Henry to flee the moor, but is unsuccessful partly because he falls in love with her.

Stapleton

Mr. Jack Stapleton, a "naturalist" who studies butterflies and plants out on the moor, presents himself
as an eccentric but is actually the mystery's insidious villain. Born Rodger Baskerville, he has used several aliases
in the past, including Mr. Vandeleur, and once managed a school. He is discovered to be a nephew of Sir Charles
Baskerville, meaning he is therefore Sir Henry's cousin.

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Cartwright

Cartwright is a boy who helps Holmes run detective errands. He not only helps Holmes with the
investigation in London, but joins him out on the moor to bring him food and drink.

Barrymore

Mr. Barrymore is the butler of Baskerville Hall, and the man who discovered Sir Charles's body after he
died. He and his wife have worked at Baskerville Hall for a long time. Though Barrymore seems secretive and
sneaky, Watson discovers he is only employed in aiding his wife's brother Selden, and Barrymore ultimately
provides crucial evidence to the investigation.

Mrs. Barrymore

Mrs. Barrymore is Barrymore's wife, and Selden's sister. Watson remarks that she seems to cry often.

Selden

Selden is a convict who has escaped to the moor from the nearby prison, Princetown. Mrs. Barrymore's
younger brother, Selden is presented as a depraved creature beyond reform.

Frankland

Old Frankland is an old man who lives on the moor and enjoys causing legal trouble for his neighbours
through frivolous lawsuits. A natural voyeur who uses his telescope to spy on others, he is also the miserly and
indifferent father of Laura Lyons.

Laura Lyons

Laura Lyons is Old Frankland's daughter and Stapleton's mistress. Unhappily married to but separated
from a cruel husband, she is promised help by Sir Charles, but then manipulated by Stapleton to help cause the
former's death. She lives in Coombe Tracey, a town near the moor.

Lestrade

Lestrade is a police detective who comes to the moor when Holmes believes there is enough evidence
available to arrest Jack Stapleton. He represents the official law, and frequently appears in Holmes stories.

Murphy

The only possible witness to Sir Charles's death, Murphy is a gipsy-horse dealer who lives out on the
moor. He was drunk at the time of the murder, and can testify only to hearing cries.

The Hound of the Baskervilles Themes

Rationalism v. Superstition

One of the novel's primary themes is the conflict between rationalism and superstition. Much about
the hound case suggest occult explanations, but Holmes steadfastly refuses to consider such possibilities. It is
easy to understand why many turns to such explanations. It is not only that the people of the moor are primitive,
tied to a folk religion. It is also that there is so little evidence with which to construct a rational explanation,
other than the myth of the hound. Even a man of science - Dr. Mortimer - is driven to consider such occult
possibilities.

But Holmes represents the power of the intellect: he possesses sound reasoning abilities and sharp
observation skills. He tends to approach problems from a scientific standpoint, avoiding religion or superstition
as causes. Instead of turning to implausible possibilities, Holmes seeks for clues where others have not looked.
The idea seems to be that there is always a rational explanation; the evidence just might not always be easily
observable. But the first step towards finding that evidence is to prize the power of the rational mind, and refuse
to consider irrational possibilities.

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Objects as Historical Artefacts

In many Sherlock Holmes adventures, objects play a significant role, since Holmes uses them to deduce
truths not immediately observable to others. In The Hound of the Baskervilles, this theme is clear from the first
chapter, in which Watson and Holmes each work to interpret Dr. Mortimer's walking stick. What Holmes
illustrates is that every object has a history, which can be used to construct a story of its life. The larger
implication of this approach is that humans always leave traces behind; one must simply know how to read those
traces.

In context, this approach is particularly relevant since Scotland Yard (London's police) had recently
begun using fingerprints in its criminal investigations. Obviously, the assumption with such technology is similar
to Holmes's: people leave their unique marks everywhere. By learning to identify what is unique about an object
(or the person who used it), one can eventually find a criminal from a crime scene.

The Holmesian methodology

Largely because of his singular detective method, Sherlock Holmes has remained a popular figure even
today. That method is central to the story of Baskervilles. In interpreting it, one is lead to many questions: How
does Holmes actually solve his cases? Is there a single method which he applies in all instances? Is it realistic? Is
it replicable? Because he does not narrate the novel himself, Holmes does not exactly illustrate his approach to
us, and we are left in large part to interpret it. There are two important elements to consider. The first is his
method of observation, detailed in the "Objects as Historical Artefacts" theme section. The second is that Holmes
considers multiple possibilities at once. Occasionally in this novel, he gives us an indication that he had to
consider and then dismiss dead ends. Therefore, one could say that Holmes's approach is not as clean-cut as it
seems at the end of the story, but instead is built of several guesses and false starts. In other words, it is arguably
less scientific - making a hypothesis and then testing it - and more medical - diagnosing a problem by eliminating
possibilities based on symptoms. No matter how one articulates the nature of Holmes's method, it remains one
of the enduring themes of this novel and of Doyle's other Holmes stories.

Facts and Assumptions

Perhaps the greatest antagonist to Holmes's method is the human tendency towards assumptions.
What most people do is study a scene in its entirety and then interpret its basic type. However, Holmes assumes
nothing; he might identify the 'type' of scene he is studying, but then spends his energy looking for the particulars
that make the scene unique.

The problem is that appearances can initially be deceptive, as a person might too quickly jump to
conclusions. For example, Dr. Mortimer sees a paw print near Sir Charles's corpse, and concludes that there is
truth to the hound legend. When Holmes instructs Watson to report only the facts of the moor, he is attempting
to stop the man from integrating assumptions into his observations. Though this is almost impossible advice to
follow - since Watson is naturally influenced by the atmosphere and his conjectures - he does use this
understanding to conduct his own detective work, which yields dividends like the information about Laura Lyons.
Holmes's suggestion seems to be that one must study the fact in itself, and then conduct guesswork based on
it.

Urban life v. country life

The Hound of the Baskervilles explores on several occasions the distinctions between city and country
lifestyles. In particular, one can observe the conflict in Watson himself. Whereas he is easily able to eschew
supernatural explanations while in London, he finds himself more driven towards those possibilities when
isolated in the country. Whereas the bustle of the city allows for a scientific approach, the atmosphere of the
country dissuades it. In no uncertain terms, Watson calls the people of Devonshire primitive, and Baskerville Hall
an evil place. Though certainly not a nuanced portrayal, Doyle's picture of country life is provocative and clear.

Moral, legal, and social order

The novel's story is largely contingent on the existence and legitimacy of established order. It is
important to note that professional police forces did not exist in London until the 19th century. As the city grew,
crime became more concentrated, and citizens needed better protection. Holmes takes the importance of such
protection for granted. However, it is important to note that the law is rarely capable of the actual detective

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work in Holmes stories; that is certainly the case here. What drives Holmes, then, is a basic sense of morality.
Even when he uses deceit, he does so for the ultimate good of catching the criminal. No matter which type of
order Holmes employs, it is clear that he believes in the inherent value of such order.

Genius

Though it is hardly central to the story, the novel does explore the nature of genius. In particular,
Holmes's attitude towards Watson suggests the idea that genius does not empathize with others. Not only does
he use Watson as his pawn - sending him out to Devonshire as part of a ruse - but he also shows little sensitivity
towards Watson's offense when he finds out. Instead, Holmes expects Watson to accept the intellectual
necessity of that ruse. Holmes's lack of friends, his obsessive nature, and his general emotional distance all
suggest that a true genius has little use for the trappings of ordinary life.

Arjuna – Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince by Anuja Chandramouli

Anuja Chandramouli, in her book has woven the tale of a much-revered warrior prince, Arjuna – a
treacherous, arrogant, power hungry, self-righteous prince – and yet history reveres him as the great epic
Mahabharata’s and Kurukshetra’s most loved and brave warrior! The book, in a simple and lucid language
presents the various facets of the third Pandava. It keeps you interested with the most heinous actions,
incredible plots and skulduggery of some of the most celebrated heroes of history. The book is no artistic novel,
yet a good and simple representation of much sought after facts of Arjuna, his friends, family and enemies. There
is not much that you can do with history except for presenting the right facts - if it's interesting, it is, if it's not,
then it isn't! Post Devdutt Patnaik’s presentation of the Mahabharata in the book 'Jaya' there has been a plethora
in the space of the historical heroes, but we aren’t complaining and shooting the messenger as long as he/she
presents the right facts - hope they do!!

People of this country, a small ask of you. Though, Arjuna was rightly a brave warrior, a loving son, a
doting father and a great brother, there are some facts you should know before you think of naming your baby
boy as 'Arjuna'.

Arjuna was not the son of Pandu and Kunti. He, like the other Pandavas, was the son of Kunti and a God
from the Heavens, Indra in this case. Would you not call him an illegitimate child? Why not? Karna, though born
in the same manner of the Sun God Surya and Kunti; suffered all his life as a low born Sutputra. Then why worship
the legitimacy of Arjuna and the other Pandavas.

Arjuna was probably the most arrogant and impulsive character and his haughtiness knew no bounds
as he always considered himself to be the greatest archer in the world and didn’t miss a chance to portray so.
Would he still have been the great archer he proclaimed to be if Guru Drona would not have treacherously asked
the thumb of the noble and skilled Eklavya? Would he still have been the great warrior he boasted of if Karna,
in spite of his birth as a Kshatriya, was doomed to receive a curse from his Guru Parshurama?

If there was a great and truthful warrior, a loyal friend in the entire Mahabharata, it was the heavily
wronged Karna. The benevolent soul never let anyone go empty handed. He was much superior to Arjuna in
every possible way. Karna was warned by his father Surya about Indra’s trickery of asking from him his invincible
‘Kavach Kundala’, yet he readily gave it to his foe’s father. Such was his greatness! Krishna tried to trick him from
abandoning the Kaurava’s side by disclosing his actual parentage just before the war to emotionally weaken him,
but being the epitome of loyalty, he refused to leave Duryodhana’s side. Kunti, who didn’t have the decency or
the fortitude to accept and welcome her fist born in front of his brothers and the world, came stealthily before
the war to beg of him to forgive her and not fight his brothers. Karna was large hearted enough to forgive her
and promise to not kill four of her children viz. Yudhistira, Bheema, Nakula and Sahadeva and though he had
every chance to kill these four in battle, he lived up to his promise.

Krishna, in spite of knowing Karna’s lineage, tricked Draupadi into rejecting him at her Swayamvar and
accepting Arjuna. If Parshurama was Vishnu’s avatar, how come he didn't know that Karna was a Kshatriya and
cursed him of forgetting to use his celestial weapons at the most opportune moment in the battlefield?

The Pandavas shared their wife among themselves – what a shame!

Arjuna did not think twice before assisting Agni to burn down an entire forest and all its inhabitants and
trees to gain the celestial bow, the Gandeeva from Varuna and the inexhaustible quiver of arrows and an

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indestructible chariot from the fire god Agni. And he had the audacity to call the escaping serpent Ashwasena a
coward! And the same serpent Ashwasena, when trying to take his revenge from Arjuna by presenting himself
on Karna’s arrow was turned down by the noble Karna as an improper conduct.

Arjuna abducted Subhadra and would have had to face Balarama’s wrath if not for Krishna’s mediation.
Arjuna was cursed to live as a eunuch during a year of his exile. Such was Arjunas’ audacity and pride, that he
challenged the great Hanuman himself and would have self-annihilated himself if not for Lord Vishnu’s
interference.

Being destiny’s favourite child, Arjuna entered the battlefield of Kurukshetra with all the needed
invincible and unconquerable celestial weapons; just like wearing a bomb squad suit to propose to a girl,
frightened that she might slap him. He killed Karna in the most treacherous manner when the wheel of his
chariot was stuck and while he stood harmless without his weapons.

He was killed by his own son in battle (post the Kurukshetra war) and then was at the mercy of one of
his wives for revival. The Mahabharata probably has the most interesting stories but none that you could happily
narrate to your children as bedtime stories!

Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince by Anuja Chandramouli does not attempt that line of thought.
It focuses on different anecdotes on Arjuna- the third Pandava from Vyasa’s Mahabharata.

In Vyasa’s version, which is probably the most famous of all Mahabharata, Arjuna is the most powerful
Pandava. Yudishtira, the eldest is dharmic, but not a great warrior and has a weakness for gambling. Bheema,
the second one, has brute power, but is not portrayed as intelligent. The youngest ones, borne from Madri are
anyway side-lined. Arjuna comes through as the right mix of debonair, intelligence and valour.

Many incidents and characters in Mahabharata revolve around Arjuna. Draupadi the wife of Pandavas
is won by Arjuna through a contest. It is of common knowledge that Draupadi loved Arjuna more than her other
husbands. Arjuna was the clear favourite of Drona, the guru of Pandavas and Kauravas. His rivalry with Karna,
the first son of Kunti who had to take Duryodhana’s side is well known. Arjuna’s friendship with Krishna helps
Pandavas. There are quite a few common and obscure stories around Arjuna in the book.

The book works well for people who are un-initiated into Mahabharata. For many of you, who have
left stories in your early childhood or at best teens, this is a revisit. And the good thing is that the revisit is not a
cursory one. It gives you a few anecdotes which you never have heard of. How many of us have heard of Uloopi,
one of Arjuna’s many wives and Babhruvahana, his son?

The book does not follow a linear storyline. It worked for me. For some readers, this may not work well,
especially since our idea of Mahabharata traces a very linear time line. The book starts with Vaishampaya,
disciple of Ved Vyasa, narrating the story of Mahabharata to Janamajeya, the King of Kurus. However, the author
does not close the loop at the end of the book. She ends at the fall of Arjuna during his ascend to the heaven
along with his brothers and wife.

I always considered that my English vocabulary would be placed above average, but I felt that the
language was not very easy to follow. There were quite a few times, that I needed to visit dictionary.com to
understand what the writer meant. This made the reading cumbersome. This may have to do with Anuja’s
Master’s degree in English.

I think this book was more a product of the author’s inner passion, than identifying a target audience
and writing to them. In summary, Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince is a good read for people who have
read the great epic long time back and want to refresh their memory.

Life and Times of Michael K Summary

Although the nurse who helped to deliver Anna’s baby said that children with a harelip could bring a
good luck, Michael didn’t have much happiness. Being raised in an orphanage, he had to deal with constant
hunger and absolute absence of family warmth. When he grew up, he obtained a position of a gardener in Cape
Town. His mother, who had worked as a servant, started feeling worse and worse with every new day. Taking
into account an unfolding civil war, implementation of martial law and drastic decline of Anna’s health, Michael
was made to comply with Anna’s wish to go to Prince Albert.

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 After a failure to get a permission to leave the city, he assembled a rickshaw for his mother. The road
proved to be too difficult for her. She died in hospital. Being devastated, Michael spent several days in the city,
but then decided to continue his journey. He wanted to bury ash of his mother. Due to absence of travel permit,
Michael was made to work on a railway road.

Soon enough he was free again. After reaching Prince Albert, the man found an abandoned farm.
Michael settled down there, enjoying blissful solitude. Soon, a relative of the owners came there. He thought
that Michael was a servant and started ordering him to run his errands. That situation wasn’t to Michael’s liking,
so he fled.

After a gruelling period of life in the mountains, he was taken to a work camp, where he met Robert.
The man revealed him the truth about the place, where the poor were used as cheap labour. During the attack
on Prince Albert, he ran away to the camp. Michael erected a hut near his garden and tried to immerse himself
in a peaceful life. He wasn’t only one to like the place. The rebels came there too. Soon, he was discovered by
soldiers and sent to a rehabilitation camp. After all struggles, he was forcefully returned to Cape Town.

Identified as a "coloured male," he was interrogated about rebels, but he couldn’t tell anything. Michael
became rather weak and refused to eat. He also caught the interest of a doctor, who desperately tried to solve
a riddle of Michael’s refusal to eat. The doctor also wanted to help him to get released. All of his struggles were
in vain, for Michael ran away from the camp.

After that Michael bumped into a bunch of nomads, who gave him food and introduced him to a
woman, who slept with him. He returned to a flat where he used to leave with his mother before departure. The
thoughts about his garden didn’t leave him.

Life and Times of Michael K Character List

Michael K.

Michael K. is the protagonist of the story. Although he had a mother, he was raised in an orphanage,
Cape Town, South Africa. Due to a cleft clip, he was often mocked and beaten by older children. Only rare visits
of his mother could gladden him at that time. As soon as he left the orphanage, he started working as a gardener
in one of the most popular parks of Cape Town. Michael K. was a loving son, who was ready to do everything
imaginable to take his mother to Prince Albert. He wasn’t afraid of struggles and tried not to show his despair in
order not to sadden her. When Ann K. died, he was devastated. A life outside of Cape Town, injustice, time in a
work camp and many other struggles helped him to get rid of illusions about the world he lived in. He was
forcefully returned to Cape Town, accused of maintaining connections with the rebels and placed in a
rehabilitation camp. It turned out that Michael K. wanted to live freely, on his land, growing vegetables and fruit.
He fled from the hospital and returned to a tiny flat where his mother used to live. Thoughts about his little
garden and a free life never left him.

Anna K

Anna K is Michael’s mother. As soon as she had seen that her son had a hare lip, she decided to leave
him in an orphanage. Being a servant, she couldn’t visit him often and even when she did it, the woman didn’t
pamper him. On the contrary, she often felt contempt toward her son. She started appreciating him only when
she grew old and her weak health didn’t allow her to cope with everything by herself. In defines of Anna K, she
always lived in fear. She was afraid to lose her job or getting ill. She knew that there would be no one to help
either her or her child.

Robert

Robert is Michael’s acquaintance from the work camp. He helped Michael to open his eyes and
understand what was really going on in the work camp.

Oosthuizen

Oosthuizen was the Capitan of police. He proved to be cruel and sadistic type of a person, who often
abused his power.

The Visagie boy

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 The Visagie boy was a relative of the owners of the farm where Michael K. hid. Being a deserter, he
couldn’t go to Prince Albert freely, so he tried to make Michael run his errands. When Michael ran away, the
Visagie boy might have really rough times. He was also presumably killed, because the soldiers blew up the
house where he used to hide.

The Medical Officer

The Medical Officer is a doctor at the rehabilitation camp in Cape Town. He was genuinely interested
in Michael’s mystery and tried to help him.

The Buhrmanns

The Buhrmanns were employees of Anna K.

Life and Times of Michael K Themes

Human rights in time of war

Human rights are supposed to be respected and protected, regardless of circumstances. Here we see
that a war means automatic cancellation of such rights. Fruitless attempts of Michael K to get travelling papers
to Cape Town legally exemplify how much humans depend on the proper functioning of all state institutions,
while the entire life of Michael K shows how much personal freedom and freedom of movement are important.

Racism

All people are equals, who are supposed to have the same rights and obligations. Unfortunately, the
problem of racism still exists. When Michael K gets into a rehabilitation camp, he is identified as CM, which
stands for coloured male. One can only guess how this abbreviation can change his life, for the events in this
story take place during the apartheid regime.

A human and nature

Michael K starts feeling a strange connection with the surrounding nature, his garden and growing
vegetables. It gives him a needed feeling of absolute bliss after all those struggles, he endured on his way to
Prince Albert. When the soldiers destroy his garden, he feels grief. His emotions are so strong that he is not able
to eat at the rehabilitation camp. Moreover, his story shows that special kind of love which a person may feel
towards his or her piece of land.

Relationships between a mother and a son

Relationships between a mother and a son have always inspired writers. Here we see a wonderful
example of unconditional love of a son. Michael is abandoned by his mother, he spends his childhood at a terrible
institution, he is neither loved nor pampered enough, but, nonetheless, he loves his mother. Michael’s love is
so strong that he builds up enough courage to leave the city even without a travelling permit and takes care
about her until the very end.

Life and Times of Michael K Imagery

Refugees

Being scared of an unfolding war, people tried to escape from the city. As soon as Michael K and his
mother started moving, they saw that “stranger and stranger conveyances were emerging on the streets”. There
were “shopping trolleys fitted with steering bars; tricycles with boxes over the rear axle; baskets mounted on
pushcart undercarriages; crates on castors; barrows of all sizes”. No one was afraid to look ridiculous, for their
lives were at stake. This imagery gives an unsettling feeling.

A shelter

After a long day of walking, Michael found a place where he could spend a night. That was a bungalow
“in the corner of an overgrown field”. The place looked miserably. Its windows were “shattered” and door was
“broken off its hinges”. When he entered the bungalow, he saw that the floor “was covered in broken glass, old
newspapers and drifting leaves; pale yellow grass grew in through cracks in the walls”. The imagery helped a
reader to understand, how exhausted Michael was to spend a night there.

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Dreams about a clean bed

Michael was so tired, sitting in an uncomfortable position “with his head between his knees” that he
allowed himself to imagine “lying in a clean bed between crisp white sheets”. The dreams helped him to forget
about his struggles and distract from his problems. The imagery gives an impression of tiredness and misery.

Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee

In a South Africa torn by civil war, Michael K sets out to take his mother back to her rural home. On the
way there she dies, leaving him alone in an anarchic world of brutal roving armies. Imprisoned, Michael is unable
to bear confinement and escapes, determined to live with dignity. Life and Times of Michael K goes to the centre
of human experience - the need for an interior, spiritual life, for some connections to the world in which we live,
and for purity of vision.

This is a truly astonishing novel... I finished Life & Times of Michael K in a state of elation, for all the
misery and suffering it contains. I cannot recommend it highly enough' Evening Standard

Life and Times of Michael K Summary

Life and Times of Michael K is a novel by the South African writer J. M. Coetzee, first published in 1983.
Telling the story of the eponymous Michael K, it details his difficult childhood and his dangerous journey from
Cape Town to the rural village where his mother was born during a fictional civil war that broke out during the
apartheid era. Exploring themes such as the value of life, the complex relationships between mothers and sons,
the passage of time, the effects of war, and the role of race in South African society, Life and Times of Michael
K has been compared to Franz Kafka’s The Trial, due to similarities between the protagonists and the arduous,
frustrating nature of their journeys. Critically acclaimed, it is considered one of the best South African novels of
the apartheid era, and won the Booker Prize in 1983.

Split into three parts, Life and Times of Michael K follows a man who was born into poverty with a cleft
lip. He grew up in institutions and currently works as a gardener in Cape Town. He tends to his mother, who
works as a housekeeper for a wealthy family, but their simple life is upended when the country is embroiled in
civil war as people rebel against the apartheid regime, which responds with military force. Martial law is imposed
at the same time that Michael’s mother becomes very sick. He decides to quit his job and flee the city with his
mother, so she can return to her birthplace, which she always told him was the small town of Prince Albert on
the Western Cape. However, he can’t obtain the proper permits for official travel out of the city. He builds a
makeshift rickshaw to carry his mother and they start on their journey. However, it’s not long before his mother’s
condition deteriorates and she dies in a hospital. He takes her ashes, not quite sure what to do next. Ultimately,
he decides to continue on his journey and take her ashes to her hometown so she can rest there. Along the way,
he’s stopped by police and detained for not having the proper travel papers. He’s assigned to a work detail on a
railway track.

After finishing his sentence on the railway track, Michael makes his way to Prince Albert and finds the
farm his mother told him she grew up on. The farm is in ruins, but he settles there and begins to learn how to
live off the land. Not long afterwards, a relative of the farm’s owner shows up. He allows Michael to stay, but
treats him like a servant. Michael decides to move on, escaping into the mountains. Living in the mountains,
Michael nearly starves to death while he becomes acquainted to his new way of life. Malnourished, he wanders
down into a nearby town, where he’s picked up by the police for vagrancy and sent to a work camp. There, he
meets a man named Robert, a long-time inmate. Robert tells him that the workers in the camp are exploited for
cheap labour by the town. Soon, Prince Albert is attacked by the rebel forces, and the residents of the work
camp are blamed. The local police captain takes over the town, and Michael escapes during the chaos that
ensues. He finds his way back to the farm, but finds the house claustrophobic. He decides to build a shelter out
in the open, where he can tend to his small garden.

Rebels pass through and use his garden for food, and although Michael wants to protest, he stays in
hiding. He stays in hiding until he’s starving again, and when he finally comes out, he’s found by soldiers and
taken to a segregated rehabilitation camp in Cape Town. At the camp, a doctor becomes fascinated by Michael’s
simple nature and believes that he’s been falsely accused of helping the rebels. Michael is confused by his new
surroundings and refuses to eat, leading him to become sick and delirious. The doctor tries to get Michael to
eat, hoping to understand him better, but before the doctor can get him released, Michael escapes on his own.

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On the streets, Michael meets a group of nomadic people who give him food. He has sex for the first time, with
a woman who is part of the group. This awakens his sexuality, and walking the streets afterwards he notices
attractive women. He eventually makes his way back to the apartment in Cape Town where he and his mother
lived, the very same place he tried so hard to escape. He thinks back to the small garden he tended in Prince
Albert, where he was happiest.

John Maxwell Coetzee, best known as J.M. Coetzee, is a South African novelist, essayist, and linguist.
Currently living in Australia, he is the recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature, and is also a winner of the
Jerusalem Prize, a two-time winner of the Booker Prize, and a three-time winner of the CNA Prize. The author
of thirteen novels and a wide array of short fiction, memoirs, and literary criticism, he is politically active and
well-known for his advocacy for animal rights.

Popular Culture, Popular Literature, and Literary Criticism Theory as the Politics of a Term
For some years, it has been possible to detect an obvious increase in studies of objects and products
that are considered part of popular culture. Even so, overall, the gaps in research remain considerable. There
are numerous subjects on which hardly any work is available – magazines, best-sellers, television programmes,
internet pages, for example. What is not lacking at all, though, are definitions of popular culture. At a rough
estimate, there must be one to two thousand scholars in the English- and German-speaking countries who have
already tried their hand at providing such a definition. Even if precise, sustained consideration of works of
popular culture is an exception, abstract reflection about popular culture per se is clearly nothing of the sort.

These abstractions are predominantly provided in the form of nominal definitions. The present article
identifies a total of twenty-three definitions that in some cases differ considerably from one another and each
of which works with a particular component in its definiens (different combinations of such components then
yield numerous further definitions). This lack of consensus is notable in so far as the term ›popular culture‹ has
a history of some length that provides the background for many of the examples listed; despite this, a routine
or exemplary usage has manifestly not established itself. This might give rise to the view that it is impossible to
define popular culture precisely but hardly anyone is prevented by this from presenting their own definition, as
is readily apparent from the number of existing suggestions.

This kind of definition binds those who make it: the writer makes a commitment, for the duration of
the text or speech at least, to use ›popular culture‹ to refer to everything that falls within the scope of the
definition. One person will then intend, indeed have to treat as part of ›popular culture‹ all things, games,
symbols, festivals, forms of perception, and so on that are popular across all classes, another everything that is
entertaining, another again that which they consider low, trivial cultural material, and so forth.

The possible confusion could abate rapidly because of this. Far from contradicting one another in an
irresolvable sense, the definitions merely use the same sequence of sounds or letters to indicate different
quantities. Certainly, a constructivist who denies that the world by its nature breaks down into pieces that are
noticed or discovered by human perception is unlikely to have a problem with this, and the same goes for those
for whom words refer to invariably predetermined things and states of affairs. It would be unacceptable only
for a Platonist, who gives a concept the status of an immutable idea distinct from human postulations. Given
that Platonic thought is not widespread any more now, it would be easy to conclude that the many different
definitions of popular culture are not a particularly significant problem for most scholars.

This, however, is not the case. Many authors insist on their form of language and treat that of others
as inappropriate, misleading, and so on. The reason for this lies in the fact that the rubric ›popular culture‹ has
for many become a special expression that also has a prominent position on an institutional level. Popular
culture is, according to the terminology of discourse analysis, a ›disciplinary invention, a notion circulating in a
particular set of disciplinary discourses‹. Even this, though, is not enough to explain why ›popular culture‹ is at
the centre of so many debates and why there are such strikingly conflicting attempts to pin the term down.
Referring to the ›disciplinary‹ composition of popular culture is not sufficient because nowadays there is no field
that is not spared from legislation and critical scrutiny. Community facilities, authorities such as ministries of
state and standardization bodies, courts, accredited experts, research institutions, and so on make their
meticulous and wide-ranging contributions to the discourse of definitions, yet in the vast majority of cases there
are no substantial debates about them.

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 The specific reason for the prominent and furthermore controversial meaning of ›popular culture‹ is to
be sought in the central position of the term on the political and aesthetic map. The act of describing or
designating something as part of ›popular culture‹ is accompanied very frequently indeed by an unmistakable
positive or negative value judgement. This means that it is easy to explain why the definitions of popular culture
are of such significance: the definition is often meant to anticipate or subsume the value judgement, or at least
point to it.

In view of this situation, it is suggested that, before making further attempts at a definition, it would be
better to exploit the possibilities that lie in a serious investigation of the areas touched on by the various
definitions of ›popular culture‹. The ›theories‹ have done their bit as nominal definitions: they have revealed an
abundance of possibilities for providing comprehensive descriptions and seeking explanations for the things
described. There are great opportunities to be drawn from the various definitions, some of which are
contradictory or in open conflict with one another, for to date they have amounted mostly to brief statements
and prescriptions on the printed page. They provide a vocabulary and channel interest and attention in a
particular direction but what comes (or could come) into view as a result, in individual cases or more
comprehensively as a result of systematic study, has to date been described very rarely or not at all.

What, for example, are the products or artefacts that ›are popular across all classes‹ at present? Do
they (still) exist at all? What is the difference between the schemata and formulas that should be highlighted in
the analysis of works of popular and high literature? Does it lie primarily in particular textual features or rather
in publishers' practice of collecting literature that is classified as entertaining material in series and under
headings of genre? These are just a few of many questions that arise from the twenty-three nominal definitions
of ›popular culture‹ that are identified. Many more could easily be derived. At least one conclusion thus presents
itself: if anything is needed in the field of the academic treatment of ›popular culture and literature‹, it can, at
present, only be more empirical research.

What’s the difference between high culture and popular culture, you ask?
High culture is a collection of ideologies, beliefs, thoughts, trends, cultures, subcultures and even
practices and works- intellectual or creative- that is intended for well-cultured, educated elitists. Popular culture,
however, is a variety of ideologies, beliefs, thoughts, trends, traditions, subcultures, practices and even works
that is aimed for the masses and that influences the thoughts, emotions and even behaviours of people living
within modern-day society. The most usual subjects of pop culture are music, television programmes, movies,
video games, technology and even fashion. But pop culture-according to religious organisations and counter-
cultural circles- is perceived as “dumbed down”, labelling this kind of culture as consumeristic, sensationalistic,
shallow, trivialised, irrelevant and even corruptive.

Genre Fiction

Genre fiction is also known as popular, commercial or category fiction. It’s usually sold in the form of
mass-market paperbacks, with only the bestselling authors being published in hardcover first. Broadly speaking,
genre fiction places…

a greater emphasis on plot than literary or mainstream fiction, and less emphasis on characterization,
the exploration of theme, and “fine” writing.

That isn’t to say that commercial fiction can’t contain three-dimensional characters, a strong theme
and high-quality prose – because it can and does. But fans of genre novels are first and foremost after a good,
entertaining read. And to achieve that, the novelist must always put the story first. Ask anybody in the business
of fiction what the genres are and you probably won’t get the same answer twice. And these are people whose
job it is to know! Sure, they’ll agree on the main genres (horror, romance, etc.), but not on the dozens of sub-
genres (and sub-sub-genres). Why? Partly because there are just so many of these sub-genres. And partly
because they’re forever changing as more new books hit the market and readers’ tastes change.

THE MAIN GENRES (AND SUB-GENRES) OF FICTION

Because every writer is unique, there are as many categories of novels as there are novelists. But it’s
possible, of course, to lump writers into similar groups. Two of those groups are literary and mainstream writers.
Genre novelists are a third group. In turn, they can be broken down into countless groups and sub-groups, some
of which I’ve covered below.

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 If I covered every conceivable category, this article would be a book by itself. I’ve covered most of the
biggies, but apologies if I’ve missed out your favourite niche. Also note that genres change all the time (as
readers’ tastes change), so the only way to keep up to date with what is hot (and what is not) is to spend an
unhealthy amount of time hanging out in bookstores, real or online. But then you probably do that anyway!

Mystery Fiction

Mystery novels revolve around the investigation of a crime, usually murder, by some form of amateur
or professional detective. The body tends to be discovered very close to the beginning of the novel, and the bulk
of the action then concerns the detective’s attempts to discover the identity of the murderer.

There will be several twists and turns along the way, usually in the form of more murders and principal
suspects turning out to be innocent, but the detective will solve the mystery eventually and bring the guilty to
justice. The key point to remember is that mystery novels are precisely that: a mystery (or a puzzle), and fans of
this genre of fiction delight in trying to solve the puzzle before the investigator does.

It is the mystery novelist’s responsibility, therefore, to play fair with his or her audience, and this means
providing clues (cleverly hidden ones, of course) for the reader to discover along the way. The thing that often
differentiates one sub-genre of mystery writing from the next is the variety of investigator used. Here are some
of the possibilities…

Professional Policeman/woman. In other words, a high-ranking police officer who is officially assigned
to the case. They usually have a lower-ranking officer to help them in their investigation (known as a “sidekick”)
but the majority of the police team investigating the crime will remain more or less in the background. Police
Team. Mystery novels involving an entire team’s efforts to solve a crime, as opposed to just the principal
detective’s efforts, are known as “police procedurals”. This is the most realistic form of detection a mystery
novel can employ (because it is how crimes are investigated in the real world). Due to their emphasis on action,
these types of novels are sometimes classified as thrillers.

Private Investigator. Not a professional cop, but an investigator-for-hire. This genre of mystery
frequently begins with the private eye being hired to investigate a lesser crime than murder – a case involving a
cheating spouse, for example. But dead bodies invariably start piling up along the way. These novels also tend
to concentrate less on the “puzzle” element and more on action and gritty realism. Amateur Sleuth. These
detectives are frequently a local citizen with a personal interest in the investigation. Agatha Christie’s Miss
Marple is the perfect example. Although this sub-genre of mystery fiction is out of fashion now, there is nothing
to stop you bringing it up to date with a little imagination.

Professional Sleuth. Not a policeman or woman, but a professional in the arena in which the murder
(or other type of crime) occurs. In Dick Francis’s novels set in the world of horse racing, for example, the
“investigators” are often jockeys or trainers, and they make full use of their insider knowledge to solve the
mystery. Doctors and Lawyers. Such professionals are frequently used as detectives in mysteries (think of Quincy
on TV solving mysteries with his medical knowledge, or the lawyer Perry Mason). And you’re not confined to
doctors and lawyers, of course. How about a psychic as a detective? Or an archaeologist investigating ancient
crimes?

Another element which separates one genre of mystery fiction from another is the setting. If your
detective is a doctor or a lawyer, you’ll obviously employ a medical or legal setting. If your detective is Miss
Marple (or a modern version of her), you might choose a sleepy English village. And setting doesn’t just mean
profession or place. For example, you can define your novels equally well by setting them in the past: Victorian
London or Ancient Rome or Medieval France perhaps. If your setting is distinctive enough, and if no writer has
used it before, you could well carve out a new genre of mystery fiction all of your own!

Crime Fiction

Although “crime” and “mystery” are often used interchangeably, mysteries are technically about the
solving of a crime by some form of detective, while crime novels are told from the viewpoint of the criminals
themselves. Traditionally, it’s the police who are the “goodies” and the criminals who are the “baddies,” but all
that is turned on its head in crime fiction. Although we, as readers, don’t altogether sympathize with the
criminals’ plans, we nevertheless find ourselves rooting for them. The crime can be murder or any criminal

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activity that you choose, though typically it involves a bank heist. Mafia novels are also crime novels, with Mario
Puzo’s The Godfather being the most famous example.

Crime novels can have…

➢ a deadly serious tone (as in The Godfather)

➢ a comic element (in movie terms, think of Ocean’s 11 or The Italian Job – the Michael Caine version)
➢ a sinister or psychological edge (for example, Barbara Vine’s A Fatal Inversion).

Suspense Novels and Thrillers

There is a difference between suspense fiction and thrillers (which I’ll talk about lower down), but for
now think of them as being the same. They are both characterized by tension and excitement, and a sense of
impending tragedy if the hero should fail in their quest. They are much more dependent on action than mystery
fiction, and are usually densely plotted with many clever twists and turns along the way.

Typically, these novels feature a protagonist, male or female, battling a villainous enemy, and their own
safety, and perhaps the safety of society as a whole, depends on their success. Thrillers and suspense novels
tend to be longer than mysteries and feature more involved and complex storylines, often told from the
viewpoints of several characters. They frequently take place in exotic settings, such as foreign cities or the high
seas.

Some of the many sub-genres include…

• Action Thrillers (Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels)

• Crime Thrillers (The Godfather)
• Legal Thrillers (John Grisham)
• Medical Thrillers (Robin Cook)
• Political Thrillers (Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal)
• Eco Thrillers (Nicholas Evans’ The Loop)
• Psychological Thrillers (Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca)
• Military Thrillers (Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October)

You’ll notice that some of the examples were ones I mentioned as being crime or mystery novels. That’s
because thrillers are notorious for overlapping with other genres of fiction. For example, …

Are the legal novels of John Grisham or the police procedurals of Patricia Cornwell mysteries or
thrillers? Are the spy novels of John le Carré thrillers? Grisham and Cornwell are usually categorized as thriller
writers, but not le Carré. Why? Essentially because of their mood or tone – Grisham and Cornwell place great
emphasis on action, le Carré less so.

If a novel’s overriding purpose is to thrill and excite, it is probably a suspense novel or a thriller. If the
pace is more sedate and there is an important puzzle element, it is mystery fiction.

So, are suspense novels the same as thrillers? Suspense is usually mentioned in the same breath as
thrillers, though the pace in suspense fiction tends to be less intense, and the threat or danger tends to be
directed solely at the protagonist, and not to the wider community.

In some ways, suspense novels are closer in style to mysteries than thrillers – and indeed, many
mysteries are tagged as suspense novels (“psychological suspense,” for example).

Confused?

Mystery fiction, crime fiction, thrillers, suspense novels – if you plan to write a novel somewhere in this
field, you’ll probably find that your book contains elements of them all. Most crime novels contain an element
of suspense and a few thrills along the way. Many thrillers have a mystery or a puzzle somewhere at the heart
of the plot. If that leaves you unsure how to market yourself, then here are some rules of thumb.

If your novel contains a puzzle to be solved, usually a murder, you are writing mystery fiction. This is
the classic whodunit. But if the puzzle element (“whodunit?”) takes second place to a fast-paced plot, it is
straying into thriller territory. Here, the plot isn’t so much about “whodunit” as “how catch them.”

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 If the story is told from the point of view of the criminal or criminals, it’s a crime novel. Then, depending
on the tone of the novel, you might label it a crime thriller, a suspense novel, or even a crime caper if the mood
is comic. Bottom line? Don’t worry too much about precise labels. The easiest thing is to take a novel similar to
the one you plan to write and see how it is categorized in bookstores.

Horror Fiction

The defining characteristic of horror fiction is simply the intention to frighten readers by exploiting their
fears. It aims to evoke a combination of fear, fascination and revulsion in readers. Essentially, this genre is about
the battle between good and evil. Even more essentially, it’s about the things that scare us, and a way of giving
form to the more amorphous fears of our lives. Over the years, as readers’ tastes have shifted, horror fiction has
moved from stories with a religious or supernatural basis to more psychological stories. The novels often begin
with the real and the commonplace, but the main characters are soon under threat from an evil force. Here is a
definition from Robert McCammon, one of the founders of the Horror Writers Association…

Horror fiction upsets apple carts, burns old buildings, and stampedes the horses; it questions and yearns
for answers, and it takes nothing for granted. It’s not safe, and it probably rots your teeth, too. Horror fiction
can be a guide through a nightmare world, entered freely and by the reader’s own will. And since horror can be
many, many things and go in many, many directions, that guided nightmare ride can shock, educate, illuminate,
threaten, shriek, and whisper before it lets the readers loose.

Make of that what you will! My best tip? If writing a horror novel appeals to you, figure out what scares
you the most – perhaps something tangible, perhaps something psychological – then put a name or a face to it.

Science Fiction

Science fiction concerns things that could conceivably be possible. Fantasy fiction (which we’ll look at
next) concerns the inherently impossible. Science fiction is defined more by its setting than by other story
elements (such as plot or characters). The novels might be set in a future version of earth, in a past version of
earth that contradicts known history, in outer space, or under the ocean.

Science and technology always lay at the core of these novels – not science and technology as we know
it, but a theoretical version of it, such as time travel, which goes against the known laws of nature (at least at
the time of writing!) It goes without saying, therefore, that you need to be just as interested in science and
technology as you are in creative writing.

Science fiction is sometimes referred to as “speculative fiction,” simply because it speculates about what
might be. (And, incidentally, it’s often proved right. There were novels about man landing on the moon long
before man actually landed on the moon!) Here are some of the sub-genres to consider…

➢ Hard Science Fiction. These novels are characterized by rigorous attention to accurate scientific detail, or
on accurately depicting worlds that scientific discoveries might make possible. They are often written by
working scientists, and the science is just as important, or more important, than the storytelling. Fascinating,
but probably not bestsellers!
➢ Soft (or Social) Science Fiction. These novels are not based on science so much as the social sciences, such
as psychology and sociology. There is a big emphasis, therefore, on character and emotion.
➢ Cyberpunk. These are set in the near-future and depict a high-tech, mechanical future world. In movie
terms, think of films like The Matrix and Blade Runner.
➢ Alternate History. As the name suggests, these novels are based on the premise that historical events might
have turned out differently. Time travel is often used to change the past.
➢ Apocalyptic Science Fiction. Another easy one to guess from the name. These novels focus on the end of
the world as we know it and/or on what the world is like after the end.
➢ First Contact. Contact with aliens, that is. Whereas alien contact has traditionally been adversarial (as in The
War of the Worlds), today it is more likely to be anthropological or sociological in nature.
➢ Space Opera. Yup, we’re talking Star Wars! Space operas are a kind of romantic adventure featuring good
guys against bad guys in spaceships. Everything in them – the settings, the themes, the battles, the
characters – tend to be on a very LARGE scale.

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Fantasy Fiction

Like I said above, fantasy fiction deals with the inherently impossible. It is usually set in fanciful,
invented worlds or alternate realities, or in a legendary and mythic past. The fantasy world will be a scientifically
impossible one, but will nevertheless have its own internal logic and “laws.” Magic, mysticism and the
supernatural all play a large part. Fantasy fiction frequently overlaps with science fiction and horror fiction,
although there are clear differences…

Fantasy is distinguished from science fiction by generally steering clear or scientific themes. It’s
distinguished from horror by generally steering clear of the macabre. When writing a fantasy novel (or probably
a whole series of them), your novel’s protagonists might start in the real world and be drawn into the fantasy
world, or the story might occur totally in the fantasy setting. Alternatively, the novel might be set in an ostensibly
ordinary world into which the fantasy element leaks.

If you aspire to write fantasy fiction, you are limited only by your imagination and your ability to create
an entire world, including the rules that govern it and the creatures that populate it. Check out these tips from
the author of Game of Thrones.

Romantic Fiction

Romantic fiction is currently the largest and bestselling genre of fiction. It’s also the most diverse
category, in terms of the sheer number of sub-genres that it contains. Identify the sub-genre that most appeals
to you and then familiarize yourself with its demands through reading and analysis. Some fiction genres are
stricter than others in terms of the “conventions,” or rules, of that genre (more on this lower down), and
romantic fiction is the strictest of them all.

Each publishing house has very specific requirements as to preferred length, the type of heroin and
hero favoured, the degree of acceptable sexual content, and so on. And it’s your job to learn these conventions.
Even if you go down the self-publishing route, you’ll still need to learn the “formulas” that fans of romantic
fiction love. Although romantic fiction has many, many sub-genres, they all tend to have the following
“conventions” in common…

They feature at their core the love between a man and a woman. (Remember, we’re talking
“traditional” romantic fiction here.) The bulk of the plot must focus on the man and woman falling in love, and
struggling to maintain that love (and not be about a bank robbery, say, that just happens to include a love
interest). Fans of the genre demand happy endings. Romantic novels aren’t so much about love as
a celebration of love – so if you want to write romantic fiction, it’s probably better not to be one of life’s
pessimists! Now for some of the principal sub-genres…

➢ Gothic Romance. The covers of Gothic romances often show a maiden with storm-swept hair. The plots
tend to revolve around a young and inexperienced woman living a remote existence – as a visiting relative
or new housekeeper in a creepy castle, for example – and being courted or threatened by an evil older man,
before being rescued by a valiant hero. There is always an edge of evil in these novels.
➢ Historical Romance. Popular locations and periods for historical romances include nineteenth century
America, Regency England, and the inter-war years.
➢ Contemporary Romance. As the name suggests, these novels are set in the present day and reflect the social
mores of the time – hence these stories are more sexually candid than other types of romantic fiction.
➢ Romantic Suspense. These novels involve a mystery for the heroine to solve. Typically, the heroine is the
victim of a crime, and she works with the hero to solve it (the hero is perhaps a police officer or a
bodyguard). The mystery is resolved by the end, and the hero and heroine will become an item. (Don’t
forget that the relationship itself must be at the heart of the plot, not the mystery.)
➢ Fantasy Romance. These take place in other worlds and feature mystical creatures and magical powers.
Once again, the romance must always remain to the fore, with the fantasy element coming second.

If romance is kind of your thing but you want to create a novel that’s a little edgier, you might also consider
what publishers call “women’s fiction.” Women’s fiction isn’t actually one of the fiction genres at all, in the sense
that it is governed by no strict conventions and will be shelved with all the general literary and mainstream
fiction. But it’s worth mentioning here because it is a term you may see used.

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 The reason it has a sub-category all to itself is that, well, women are the biggest book buyers, and they
therefore have novels marketed directly at them (though I for one am a big fan of many so-called women’s
writers like Anne Tyler, Alice Hoffman and Fannie Flagg).

What defines women’s fiction? It’s essentially mainstream fiction – meaning the focus is on the
commonplace dramas of our everyday lives. It tends to have one or more female protagonists at the core of the
novel, often triumphing over tough circumstances. And the subject matter tends to be something women will
relate to more than men, so they are more likely to be about relationships, for example, than cars or football.
Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-stop Café is a perfect example of this type of novel.

Historical Fiction

Historical fiction isn’t actually one of the fiction genres at all, though it’s frequently called one. Its
principal characteristic is obviously the fact that it is set in the past, but the best way to categorize these novels
is by whatever element lays at the novel’s core – crime, romance, and so on.
The best way to label your book, therefore, is not as an historical novel, but as an “historical romance” or an
“historical murder-mystery” (or whatever). The exception is if you write a non-genre historical novel – in that
case, you’ll have written a pure historical novel, one that will be categorized as either mainstream or literary
fiction.

All historical novels take place during a notable period in history, and often during a significant event
within that period. The protagonist might be an historical figure, or they might be an ordinary person (with the
odd famous historical figure appearing in the background). You will be permitted a certain degree of artistic
licence, though you can’t deviate significantly from the historical facts. Accurate period details are paramount,
meaning research is a vital part of the novel writing process.

Action and Adventure Novels

If romantic fiction is largely aimed at women, action and adventure novels are the most “macho” of the
fiction genres. Simply put, the action and adventure genre are escapist, undemanding and fantasy-fulfilling
entertainment. Deep characterization is not at a premium, which is probably why this genre isn’t held in
particularly high regard (except by its thousands of fans, of course).

Action/adventure novels have a fast-paced plot full of physical action and violence. They are usually
based around a quest, where the hero (or group of heroes) must achieve some specific goal in the face of
extreme danger – to himself/themselves and, quite possibly, to the wider community. They are often set in
places like jungles or deserts or tropical islands. Action and adventure novels frequently overlap with other
genres, such as historical novels and thrillers.

Westerns

Western fiction is about life on America’s post-civil war western frontier (that is, west of the
Mississippi). The conflicts are usually between cowboys and natives (“Indians,” to be politically incorrect) or
cowboys and outlaws, and revolve around issues such as land, cattle, and mines. Westerns were once very
popular, with writers like Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour leading the way. Their popularity began to decline in the
1970s (for movies, too), and it’s declining still. But there is nothing to stop you, and other like-minded writers,
from reviving it!

Children’s and Young Adult Fiction

I’m not an expert on all of the genres of fiction (nobody possibly can be), and with fiction for young
readers I am seriously stepping out of my comfort zone – more so the younger the readers are. Now, don’t get
me wrong All of the advice at Novel Writing Help is still totally relevant to you if you decide to specialize in non-
adult fiction.

My job is to teach folks how to write any novel – and, yes, the “rules” of novel writing apply to all novels.
But each of the categories (and sub-categories) of genre fiction comes with some very specific demands and
requirements, and you will need to do further research on these. (More on this lower down.)

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 Children will read picture books up to the age of 5, “early reader” books from 5-7, and “chapter books”
from 7-12 (they increase in complexity the older the target audience). Fiction aimed at teenage children is called
young adult fiction.

Writing for children and young adults is a very specialized area of fiction, even more so than for all of
the other genres I’ve been talking about, and there really is no substitute for selecting your target age-range and
then studying novels aimed at that range in great depth.

BACK TO GENRE FICTION AS A WHOLE…

What if your novel spans several genres?

Then you must decide what the principal focus of your novel is. So, if you write a horror novel with a
large dose of romance thrown in, you need to decide if the central thrust of your plot is the horror element or
the romance. If it’s the horror element, fine. If it’s the romance, you are actually writing not a horror novel but
a romantic one – a “paranormal romance” or “gothic romance” perhaps. The reason it is important to know your
specific genre is that all novels within a genre will share similar characteristics, or elements that fans of that
category will expect your novel to contain. Your novel must also contain these elements if you want to keep the
fans happy.

Literary Fiction vs. Genre Fiction

Fiction, of course, is a work that is imagined from the mind, a different world than reality. An argument
can be made that there are two types of fiction when it comes to novels: Genre Fiction and Literary Fiction. The
former includes many subcategories such as Mystery/Thriller, Horror, Romance, Western, Fantasy, Science
Fiction, etc. The latter is more difficult to classify or break apart into subcategories. To put it simply, Literary
Fiction is anything that does not fit into a genre.

There are certainly highbrow literary readers who believe that genre fiction does not deserve any merit.
Then there are the types who exclusively read one or two subtypes of genre fiction and automatically classify
any “serious” works of literature as pretentious or boring. While changing opinions on reading tastes is not easily
controllable, the war between Literary Fiction and Genre Fiction is one that will probably continue for years to
come.

The main reason for a person to read Genre Fiction is for entertainment, for a riveting story, an escape
from reality. Literary Fiction separates itself from Genre because it is not about escaping from reality, instead, it
provides a means to better understand the world and delivers real emotional responses. All of the most
prestigious awards for fiction each year are given to works of Literary Fiction, which makes it sometimes easy to
say that writers who write literary sorts of books are better writers. In reality, neither of the two categories of
writers necessarily deserve the distinction of being better writers. Different writers are a better word choice.

Yes, across the bestseller lists there are novels that contain poor writing, and those lists are normally
dominated by Genre Fiction. That does not mean that all Genre Fiction writers cannot form competent and
engaging prose. The works of Stephen King, Thomas Harris, Michael Crichton, Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin,
and many others are written with great prose that shows a sound grasp on the written word. Do these types of
writers sweep a reader down into their fictionalized world? Yes. But do they provide a means to stay inside
reality, through the trials and tribulations of everyday life, and deliver a memorable experience that will stick
with you emotionally for the rest of your life? In my opinion, no. The works that are well written by genre writers
are the ones that provide the best form of entertainment and escapism that fiction has to offer.

On the other hand, works by writers such as David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Franzen, Haruki Murakami,
Cormac McCarthy, Zadie Smith, Don DeLillo, a multitude of other modern-day writers, and all of the twentieth
century giants such as Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, and Joyce, touch the reader in a different way. There is
a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment from finishing a “serious” book and the most important aspect in
determining if the novel was indeed a remarkable escape not from reality, but into reality, is if a reader reflects
on the words after the last page is turned. With really great pieces of Literary Fiction, this reflection can last for
days, weeks, months, even years, until the novel pulls you back in to experience the magic all over again. In
essence, the best Genre Fiction contains great writing, with the goal of telling a captivating story to escape from
reality. Literary Fiction is comprised of the heart and soul of a writer’s being, and is experienced as an emotional
journey through the symphony of words, leading to a stronger grasp of the universe and of ourselves.

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The Pros and Cons of Literary Fiction

Literary fiction has more of an attention to character than plot itself. It uses plot as a vehicle rather than
the primary fixture. Plot throws the room together. Speaking personally, reading something with a pseudo-medal
embellishment on the cover does bode well and it give a jolt to my self-esteem. That’s why I still read Newberry
Medal winners (kidding, maybe). That being said, the bulk of the non-genre is accused taking itself too seriously.
Too often, writers of the genre seem to think the only way to be serious or compelling is to be depressing

In the words of Francine Prose, lit fic and the people who prefer it are associated with, “pettiness, self-
seriousness, social-class blinkers, an unsober love of language and erratic insightfulness.” While clichés and tropes
are commonly attributed to genre literature, lit fic has its own clichés and tropes; the cynical female protagonist,
the cynical male protagonist, bad parents, and smoking. In the future, should an alien race discover the non-genre
as the only record of human creativity, they would be led to believe the only way to be an intellectual in this
civilization was to be cynical. As for the profuse bad parenting, I am guilty of using this trope, but you write what
you know. The biggest critique of non-genre, that is pretentious and inauthentic. Authenticity seems to be one of
the top concerns in the western world that correlates to its fixation on identity, gender and race equality, and
social activism.

The Pros and Cons of Genre Fiction

alive. You also have escapism. Sweet escapism. Readers either read to learn or for a form of escape (I
tend to go both ways). Let it be noted that the novel itself was considered a genre, and was rebuked for causing
one to be desensitized to natural experiences, was considered lowly, and readers were advised to read non-fiction
instead. Genre novels also have an importance that extends past the literary world and into popular culture, since
these are often the types of books that get movie deals before they are even on the bookshelves. This may be
controversial, but I think it can be argued that genre books are better-suited for movies and TV shows, but I’ll
elaborate more on that later.

The cons for genre fiction are well-known. Bad writing, for one, by incorporating bad clichés and one-
note characters. It’s also associated with low culture. For generations we have been taught to not judge a book
by its cover, but many genre books have off-putting cover designs, or cover designs that are the only highlight of
the books existence, working as a siren into wasted hours trying to get through a book, holding onto it like it’s a
bad relationship you put too much time into to give up on now.

With all of that sad, there are pros and cons to literary fiction and genre, and there a good and bad works
of literary fiction and genre fiction. Literary fiction is continuing to incorporating genre elements.2016 Pulitzer-
Prize contender Kelly Link is a good example of this. George Saunders is another: “Escape from Spider head,” Civil
war land in Bad Decline, and “The Semplice Girl Diaries” being his quintessential works. Station Eleven by Emily
St. John Mandel, is part of the ever-growing dystopian sub-genre, but has been commended by literary heavy
weight Sigrid Nunez for its literary merit.

No matter what material one is reading, at least the person is reading. In 2014, The Atlantic reported
that 23% of Americans read a book the previous year. Reading at all, even if it is The Atlantic or whatever you can
get out of Google Books when you’re researching for fun, it is a stimulating and enriching activity, that has
neurological effects on the mind.

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