Contemporary American Fiction In Cold Blood Beloved
             These days when a reader settles in to read a book, it is hard to know what to expect. In the past, there may have been a more rigid idea about what makes a novel or a story, now, there are many ways in which a modern writer can choose to portray a happening or a feeling. This development in fiction writing creates an exciting concept. It turns reading into a wonderfully intriguing activity where nothing can be completely assumed. As a result of this, there is an air of mystery to reading contemporary fiction. Add to this elusive mix, a book which is presented as "a mystery", or, a novel which has a plot that has large elements of confusion or mystery. Now, for a reader, not only is reading and following the narrative an experience of exploration and detection, but, the plot of the narrative is a story of unanswered questions. In Cold Blood , a mystery and a work of modern fiction is a novel through which this combination of elements can be explored and Beloved, by Toni Morrison, is a nearly extreme example of this concept of modern, mysterious, narrative. Both of these works, can act as a lens through which to view contemporary, mysterious fiction. Not only do the basic stories being relayed have loop holes and unanswered questions, but the context and presentation of the narratives are also thought provoking and questionable.
             In America, mysteries and scandals are forms which our society has become accustomed to. We are familiar with "good guys" and "bad guys", with police stations and villains being read their rights, even with violence. We expect certain ingredients in a conflict and we expect certain outcomes. While reading In Cold Blood, these expectations are played with. The crime is senseless, the victims were near perfect, the killers are random and the detectives are stumped. Nothing seems to link together right and whe...