Friday, July 18, 2014

Does crime writing have a misogynistic heart?

Crime fiction might be dominated by violence against women – but there’s more to it than titillation

The original Swedish title of Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo translates as Men Who Hate Women
The original Swedish title of Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (film adaptation pictured) translates as Men Who Hate Women Photo: Snap Stills / Rex Features

Later this week, thousands of readers will descend on Harrogate for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. The audience hanging on the every word of Val McDermid, J K Rowling, Lynda La Plante and Tony Parsons will reflect the crime-fan demographic: mostly middle class and well into middle age, with women outnumbering men.

Yet in the view of some commentators, the favoured reading matter of these nice, ordinary people would be more appropriate for a gathering of worshippers of Moloch. I have read numerous articles declaring that we are living through a golden age for gratuitous gore, with crime writers, dizzy with bloodlust, meting out an excessive number of violent ends to their characters, especially the young, attractive female ones.
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