E. C. Bentley
Biography
Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875–1956) was an English journalist, humorist, and novelist who made two lasting contributions to English literature: he invented the clerihew, a comic biographical verse form named after his middle name, and he wrote Trent's Last Case (1913), one of the most influential detective novels ever published. Bentley wrote the novel partly as a reaction against the infallible detective figure of Sherlock Holmes, making his detective Philip Trent fallible and human. The book is widely credited with transforming the detective novel from a puzzle-story into a work of genuine literary quality.
Common themes in E. C. Bentley's work
Detective Fiction
A recurring theme throughout E. C. Bentley's writing.
Golden Age Mystery
A recurring theme throughout E. C. Bentley's writing.
English Literature
A recurring theme throughout E. C. Bentley's writing.
Clerihew
A recurring theme throughout E. C. Bentley's writing.
Books
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Why E. C. Bentley is still read today
Trent's Last Case revolutionized detective fiction by introducing a fallible detective and literary quality to the genre. It paved the way for the Golden Age of detective fiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was E. C. Bentley?
E. C. Bentley was an English writer who invented the clerihew verse form and wrote Trent's Last Case, a landmark detective novel.
Why is Trent's Last Case important?
It revolutionized detective fiction by making the detective fallible and bringing genuine literary quality to the genre. Read it free on TextStack.
What is a clerihew?
A comic four-line biographical poem invented by Bentley, named after his middle name.
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