Viewing the Mysterious novels

This post compares three ways of presenting, i.e of making present, more than hundred years after their initial publication, one of the very first series of Crime Fiction novels. As such, and for the beauty of its distinctive cover art, Taillandier’s “Les Romans Mystérieux” is an iconic series.

What are the respective advantages of Datavisualisation, reproduction of pictorial archives, and the listing of Metadata prepared on the basis of Public Library records? What are the stories told by each type of representation ? What are the facts and ideas that emerge from each one? And how do the three ways of viewing Crime Fiction enrich each other, how do they contextualise and materialise the texts ? And how do they succeed in translating inscriptions and records into a sensible reality ?

1/ Visuals of original book covers

2/ Metadata of the works published in the series

Charles Foleÿ	Des Pas dans la nuit…	1910
Arnould Galopin	La Ténébreuse affaire de Green-Park	1910
Fergus Hume	L’Ombre mystérieuse. (translation René Lécuyer)	1910
Arthur Quiller-Couch	Le rocher du mort	1910
A. K. Green	La Main et la bague. Translated by J. Heywood	1910
Arnold Golsworthy	Le Détective assassin. Translated by Henri Huart	1911
E. W. Hornung	.Frank Rattray	1911
L. T. Meade & Dr Halifax	L’Oeil dans les ténèbres. Translated by H.-J. Magog.	1911
Philipp Oppenheim	Le Complot (“The Mysterious Mr Sabin”). Foreword by J.-H. Rosny …	1911
Mary-Roberts Rinchart	L’Escalier en spirale	1911
H. de Vere Stacpoole	Le Mystérieux décapité. Translated by Michel Epuy.	1911
Arnould Galopin	L’Homme au complet gris.	1912
Fergus Hume	La Dame errante. Translated by Mme Jean Carrère.	1912
C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne	Kate Meredith, translated by C. Heywood.	1912
H.-J. Magog	L’Énigme de la malle rouge	1912
Arthur Morrison	Martin Hewitt	1912
Philipp Oppenheim	La Chasse à l’homme	1912
Anna Katharine Green	Derrière les portes closes	1912
Anna Katharine Green	Une étrange disparition. Translated by J. Heywood.	1912
Arnould Galopin	L’Homme au complet gris	1912
Anna Katharine Green	Derrière les portes closes / Translated by E. Pierre Luguet	1912
Charles Foleÿ	Fleur d’ombre	1913
Jules Lermina	L’effrayante aventure	1913
Guillaume Livet	Miramar	1913
Guillaume Livet	Pietro Danera	1913
Georges Montignac	Le Mystère plane	1913
Arthur Morrison	Martin Hewitt	1913
Guy de Téramond	L’Homme qui voit à travers les murailles.	1913
René Thévenin	L’Auto-fantôme.	1913
Charles Foleÿ	Fleur d’ombre.	1913
Charles Foleÿ	On tue dans l’ombre…	1913
Arthur Morrison	Martin Hewitt	1914
Gustave Le Rouge	Le mystérieux docteur Cornélius	1918
Gustave Le Rouge	Le sculpteur de chair humaine : roman	1918
Gustave Le Rouge	Les chevaliers du chloroforme :	1918
Gustave Le Rouge	Le cottage hanté : roman	1919
Gustave Le Rouge	Le buste aux yeux d’émeraude : roman	1919
Gustave Le Rouge	La dame aux scabieuses : roman	1919