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The Criminal Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Criminal


THE CRIMINAL is a book written by Jim Thompson in 1953.

14 chapters and 9 different points of view. A teenage girl has been raped and murdered and the main suspect is Bobby, a teenager living next to the victim's house. A lawyer tries to help Bobby who, harrassed by the prosecutor Clinton, has signed a confession in order to be left in peace. Meanwhile, his mother struggles against depression, his father has a hard time with his boss and the local newspapers wants him to be condemned.
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A masterpiece.
The review of this Book prepared by Daniel Staebler



Chapter Analysis of The Criminal

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 40%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 50%How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) 10% Tone of story    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain?    -   Story partially from villain's perspective Time/era of story:    -   1930's-1950's What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot?    -   30% Special suspect?    -   best friend Misc. Murder Plotlets    -   character killed during/after sexing    -   Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator    -   skilled citizen investigator Any non-mystery subplot?    -   life in that culture Legal Thriller    -   Yes Legal Plotlets    -   finding out whether someone is really guilty Crime Thriller    -   Yes Is MAIN CHARACTER an EVIL criminal?    -   Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown)    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   student Age:    -   a teen Ethnicity/Race    -   White/American

Setting

United States    -   Yes The US:    -   Midwest Forest?    -   Yes Misc setting    -   prison

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Explicit sex in book?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references    -   descript of kissing    -   rape (yeech!) Amount of dialog    -   significantly more descript than dialog

Books with storylines, themes & endings like The Criminal

Jim Thompson Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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