A new thriller reimagines the role of women in the genre
VLADIMIR Nabokov once described the thriller as a “fond tradition” in which “the villain is generally punished, and the strong silent man wins the weak babbling girl.” We all know the kind of novel he means. The weary, handsome detective, the woman in distress, the discovery of a body, the labyrinthine quest for the truth, the inexorable triumph of good over evil — these are the sturdy conventions that make the thriller a dependable pleasure. The sentences must move and give action, shepherding the reader from beginning to end, but they need not thrill in their own right. Plot is paramount. Style is secondary, if it matters at all.
This story is from the April 2018 edition of The Walrus.
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This story is from the April 2018 edition of The Walrus.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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