Wherever the Crime Novels of P. D. James are Discussed by Critics

Reading passage question

Wherever the crime novels of P. D. James are discussed by critics, there is a tendency on the one hand to exaggerate her merits and on the other to castigate her as a genre writer who is getting above
(5) herself. Perhaps underlying the debate is that familiar, false opposition set up between different kinds of fiction, according to which enjoyable novels are held to be somehow slightly lowbrow, and a novel is not considered true literature unless it is a tiny bit dull.
(10) Those commentators who would elevate James’s books to the status of high literature point to her painstakingly constructed characters, her elaborate settings, her sense of place, and her love of abstractions: notions about morality, duty, pain, and
(15) pleasure are never far from the lips of her police officers and murderers. Others find her pretentious and tiresome; an inverted snobbery accuses her of abandoning the time-honored conventions of the detective genre in favor of a highbrow literary style.
(20) The critic Harriet Waugh wants P. D. James to get on with “the more taxing business of laying a tricky trail and then fooling the reader”; Philip Oakes in The Literary Review groans, “Could we please proceed with the business of clapping the handcuffs on the
(25) killer?”
James is certainly capable of strikingly good writing. She takes immense trouble to provide her characters with convincing histories and passions. Her descriptive digressions are part of the pleasure of her
(30) books and give them dignity and weight. But it is equally true that they frequently interfere with the story; the patinas and aromas of a country kitchen receive more loving attention than does the plot itself.
Her devices to advance the story can be shameless and
(35) thin, and it is often impossible to see how her detective arrives at the truth; one is left to conclude that the detective solves crimes through intuition. At this stage in her career P. D. James seems to be less interested in the specifics of detection than in her characters’
(40) vulnerabilities and perplexities.
However, once the rules of a chosen genre cramp creative thought, there is no reason why an able and interesting writer should accept them. In her latest book, there are signs that James is beginning to feel
(45) constrained by the crime-novel genre. Here her determination to leave areas of ambiguity in the solution of the crime and to distribute guilt among the murderer, victim, and bystanders points to a conscious rebellion against the traditional neatness of detective
(50) fiction. It is fashionable, though reprehensible, for one writer to prescribe to another. But perhaps the time has come for P. D. James to slide out of her handcuffs and stride into the territory of the mainstream novel.

“Wherever the crime novels of P. D. James are discussed by critics.”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 8 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and explanation

1. Which one of the following best states the author’s main conclusion?

(A) Because P. D. James’s potential as a writer is stifled by her chosen genre, she should turn her talents toward writing mainstream novels.
(B) Because the requirements of the popular novel are incompatible with true creative expression, P. D. James’s promise as a serious author has been diminished.
(C) The dichotomy between popular and sophisticated literature is well illustrated in the crime novels of P. D. James.
(D) The critics who have condemned P. D. James’s lack of attention to the specifics of detection fail to take into account her carefully constructed plots.
(E) Although her plots are not always neatly resolved, the beauty of her descriptive passages justifies P. D. James’s decision to write in the crime-novel genre.

2. The author refers to the “patinas and aromas of a country kitchen” (line 32) most probably in order to

(A) illustrate James’s gift for innovative phrasing
(B) highlight James’s interest in rural society
(C) allow the reader to experience the pleasure of James’s books
(D) explain how James typically constructs her plots
(E) exemplify James’s preoccupation with descriptive writing

3. The second paragraph serves primarily to

(A) propose an alternative to two extreme opinions described earlier
(B) present previously mentioned positions in greater detail
(C) contradict an assertion cited previously
(D) introduce a controversial interpretation
(E) analyze a dilemma in greater depth

4. The passage supports which one of the following statements about detective fiction?

(A) There are as many different detective-novel conventions as there are writers of crime novels.
(B) Detective fiction has been characterized by extremely high literary quality.
(C) Detective fiction has been largely ignored by literary critics.
(D) There is very little agreement among critics about the basic elements of a typical detective novel.
(E) Writers of detective fiction have customarily followed certain conventions in constructing their novels.

5. The passage suggests that both Waugh and Oakes consider James’s novels to have

(A) too much material that is extraneous to the solution of the crime
(B) too little characterization to enable the reader to solve the crime
(C) too few suspects to generate suspense
(D) too simple a plot to hold the attention of the reader
(E) too convoluted a plot for the reader to understand

6. It can be inferred from the passage that, in the author’s view, traditional detective fiction is characterized by

(A) concern for the weaknesses and doubts of the characters
(B) transparent devices to advance the plot
(C) the attribution of intuition to the detective
(D) the straightforward assignment of culpability for the crime
(E) attention to the concepts of morality and responsibility

7. The author characterizes the position of some critics as “inverted snobbery” (line 17) because they hold which one of the following views?

(A) Critics of literature must acknowledge that they are less talented than creators of literature.
(B) Critics should hesitate to disparage popular authors.
(C) P. D. James’s novels should focus less on characters from the English landed gentry.
(D) Detective fiction should be content to remain an unambitious literary genre.
(E) P. D. James should be less fastidious about portraying violence.

8. Which one of the following quotations about literature best exemplifies the “familiar” attitude mentioned in lines 5-9?

(A) “The fantasy and whimsy characteristic of this writer’s novels qualify them as truly great works of literature.”
(B) “The greatest work of early English literature happens to be a highly humorous collection of tales.”
(C) “A truly great work of literature should place demands upon its readers, rather than divert them.”
(D) “Although many critics are condescending about best-selling novels, I would not wish to challenge the opinion of millions of readers.”
(E) “A novel need only satisfy the requirements of its particular genre to be considered a true work of literature.”

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