文本阅读与游戏体验:英美侦探小说的智力艺术

Text, Game, and Fair Play: On the Intellectual Art of English Detective Fiction

侦探小说作为大众喜闻乐见的一种通俗文类,兴起于19世纪下半叶。20世纪上半叶,特别是第一次世界大战到第二次世界大战之间,英美侦探小说创作进入公认的"黄金时代"。阅读侦探小说是一种特别的游戏体验,该游戏的智力属性是各知识层读者皆趋之若鹜的原因。本文试图从文学研究的角度思考几个问题:游戏最基础最核心的部分在于规则,规则决定了游戏的趣味和精彩程度,那么,侦探小说是依据什么游戏规则构建其智力博弈空间的?侦探小说以游戏性和娱乐性招徕读者,它是否真如批评家埃德蒙·威尔逊所言,丝毫没有文学的严肃性?假如侦探小说也具有严肃的文学性,那么如何理解它与主流现实主义小说的共性和差异?侦探小说的流行具有什么样的意识形态规训作用?

Detective fiction as a popular literary genre came into being in the late19th century,and entered its"golden age"in the first half of the 20th century.Detective fiction provides a unique experience of intellectual game for its audience,which is why this genre has such an enduring appeal among readers of all walks of life ever since its birth.This article intends to explore the following questions concerning this genre based on an analysis of some of its classics:Firstly,what are the essential rules on which the detective games are based pivotal to its success and popularity?How does an author construct a detective story on these rules? Then,should detective fiction be considered as a serious literary form,or should we dismiss it, as Edmund Wilson did,as totally devoid of literary value?Where does its seriousness lie if we do need to take it seriously?And finally,what is the ideological and disciplinary role this genre plays alongside its function as a popular entertainment?