I'm not too familiar with the genre, but I've noticed that there are often minor points that are left unsolved, like the identity of Hope's accomplice in A Study in Scarlet.
For those who know mysteries well, how common is this? Are they always minor points? Is it necessary to tie up all loose ends or is it acceptable to leave something for the reader to ponder to the point of insanity?
Most importantly, if I were to leave a rather big, but entirely inexplicable, point left unexplained, how disterous would that be? (i.e. the investigator also the murder victim)
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59,126 / 50,000
déc. 31, 2007 - 16 56
I think a lot is going to depend on the genre and the detail being left unsolved. I wouldn't look at a Study in Scarlet as a good example of a mystery story. Sherlock Holmes falls more into a category of detective fiction. Agatha Christie would be a better place to look for classic examples of how a mystery story works. It's easy to spot the main difference. Christie put the clues out for the reader to spot and play along solving the mystery. Doyle would have Sherlock spout out all sorts of impressive details that aren't actually made available to the reader as clues. We see Sherlock examine things but we often don't see the details of what he's examining. Doyle got away with not tying up loose ends because the story really wasn't about the murder itself but a vehicle to reveal the great detective. If Christie missed a loose end, fans probably wrote her to demand an explanation. When you read a Christie novel, part of the game is playing along in solving the mystery. You don't want a loose end because you don't know if you came up with the right answer.
But sometimes you can leave loose ends. These days it might be done of the mystery is part of the series and there is an over arching mystery that runs through the course of the series. Or in a paranormal mystery, the author might never reveal whether the ghost is real, leaving that up to the reader to decide. But if the thread really is part of the mystery being solved, then the reader is going to expect an answer or an explanation. Otherwise, it could look like the author hadn't bothered to answer the question for themselves. Which means readers might be less likely to buy the next book.
Marie
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