Corpora, Corpses and Corps

This book uses corpus and multimodal methods to present a comparative study of three major Canadian TV crime series, Flashpoint (2008-2010), Motive (2013-2015) and 19-2 (2014-2016), paying special attention to cinematic techniques. Following an overview of the methodology and the Canadian cultural milieu of the study, the author approaches the three series as complex cultural and linguistic productions that depend heavily on a national appropriation of a genre whose popularity is growing internationally. The book investigates the verbal, nonverbal and paraverbal strategies employed by each production to create the patterns that make this genre appealing to a variety of audiences, and uncovers some of the psychological processes at work in contemporary Canadian TV crime serials. This book will be of interest to scholars in fields including Corpus Linguistics, Multimodal Studies, Canadian Studies, Media and Communication Studies, and Specialised Discourse.

Moves towards a better appreciation of the often-invisible implications of commodified productions Focuses on the Canadian scenario, offering a counterpoint to existing work on US crime series Makes use of a multimodal, integrated approach to linguistic and cultural studies

Autorentext

Federico Pio Gentile holds a PhD in English Linguistics from the Department of Literary, Linguistic and Comparative Studies at the University of Naples "L'Orientale", Italy. His main research interests include Multimodality, Media Studies, Canadian Studies, Specialised Discourse and Translation. He is the author ofLa linguistica del delitto. Maureen Jennings e il caso di 'Poor Tom is Cold', tra formulaicità e traduzione (2015), and translated the science fiction novel Embassytown by China Miéville (2016). He co-edited Translating LSP in Literature through a Gender Perspective (22(2)), a special issue of Anglistica AION an interdisciplinary journal, and has published articles in national and international journals.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. The Research Methodology.- 3. The Linguistic and Cultural Environment of Canadian Television.- 4. Flashpoint as in-Group Psychological and Action Narrative.- 5. The Motive 'Whydunit' Television Hybrid.- 6. The 19-2 Anglified Police Procedural Noir.- 7. Contrastive Analysis and Results.- 8. Concluding Remarks.