Delightful Murder

More about the book

Ernest Mandel is one of the prominent political economists of our time. He discusses issues rooted in economics, such as alienation, while also exploring their philosophical dimensions. Furthermore, as a reader of detective novels, he is able to write a book titled "Delightful Murder," subtitled "A Social History of the Detective Novel." For him, detective fiction and murder do not appear as degenerate issues. As a political economist, he understands that there can be an explanation for all social phenomena and events. He also emphasizes that his theories and methods can be applied and tested in every field. In the introduction, he clearly states: "The superiority of this theory—and the proof of its validity—lies in its ability to explain all these phenomena." Mandel approaches the detective novel as a process of "the internalization of crime" in capitalist-bourgeois society, which is identical to the history of property and the denial of property, that is, the history of crime itself. The historical journey of the detective novel is a research filled with many original observations regarding its nature and internal logic that will provoke thought in readers. It is one of the most unique and enjoyable books published recently.