The library as a motif in crime fiction

Abstract

Objective — The work aims to investigate the question of how the motif of the library is portrayed in detective novels. Specifically, three novels are examined, whether they contain the usual elements of the detective novel and the library motif. Another research question concerns the extent to which the librarians depicted in the novels are congruent with conventional stereotypes.
Methods — By utilizing a structuralist literature analysis, three novels are examined for the essential elements of a crime novel with a library motif.
Results — In the course of this investigation, it was possible to show in which different forms the three selected crime novels contain the library as a motif and how librarians are portrayed.
Conclusions — Although all three novels are Library Mysteries, there was a difference in the extent to which the subject and the crime elements occur and how important they are from the point of view of the action.

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