The Manual of Detection
A clerk inherits a detective's case and a manual.
The Manual of Detection is a 2009 novel by American writer Jedediah Berry, his debut work. Set in an unnamed city, it blends pulp detective fiction, fantasy, steampunk, and surrealism. The story follows Charles Unwin, a clerk promoted to detective after a celebrated investigator vanishes.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Jedediah Berry
- Published
- 2009
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Charles Unwin, a records clerk at a vast detective agency in a rainy, unnamed city, files reports for celebrity detective Travis Sivart. When Sivart disappears, Unwin is promoted to detective and assigned the case. Relying on The Manual of Detection and his narcoleptic assistant Emily Doppel, he encounters figures from Sivart's past cases: nightclub singer Cleopatra Greenwood, former conjoined twins Jasper and Josiah Rook, and biloquist Enoch Hoffman. Strange sleep-related phenomena spread through the city, and Unwin uncovers evidence that Sivart's celebrated cases may have been solved incorrectly, leading to a conspiracy involving crimes committed through dreams.
Reception
Critics praised The Manual of Detection, with The New Yorker calling it a "mannered fantasy" akin to a Wes Anderson adaptation of Kafka. Comparisons were drawn to Jorge Luis Borges, Jasper Fforde, and Flann O'Brien. Michael Moorcock highlighted its ironic take on steampunk conventions and Berry's skill with detective story atmosphere. The novel won the 2009 Hammett Prize and the 2010 Crawford Award, and was a finalist for the 2010 Young Lions Fiction Award. In 2013, Toby Jones narrated an abridged version for BBC Radio 4 Extra.
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