Why we are irresistibly drawn to the lives of criminals
In short: From 18th-century autobiographies to modern psychological thrillers, fiction has long obsessed over transgression. This lecture explores why stories of crime remain so compelling and how authors use them to explore the darker reaches of human experience.
The exploration of criminality in literature dates back as far as the 18th century with works like Moll Flanders. The lecture examines how novelists like Charles Dickens used crime to immerse readers in "the taint of crime," specifically highlighting characters like Pip in Great Expectations.
By analyzing modern genre fiction from authors such as Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell, the presentation connects contemporary suspense back to the transgressive pleasures found in Daniel Defoe's early criminal autobiographies.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Crime in Fiction
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