English language
Published Dec. 28, 2014 by Penguin Group US.
The publishing phenomenon topping bestseller lists around the world "The great thriller that everyone has been waiting for since the Millennium Trilogy of Stieg Larsson."? El Cultural de El Mundo (Spain) August 30, 1975: the day fifteen-year-old Nola Kellergan is glimpsed fleeing through the woods, never to be heard from again; the day Somerset, New Hampshire, lost its innocence. Thirty-three years later, Marcus Goldman, a successful young novelist, visits Somerset to see his mentor, Harry Quebert, one of the country's most respected writers, and to find a cure for his writer's block as his publisher's deadline looms. But Marcus's plans are violently upended when Harry is suddenly and sensationally implicated in the cold-case murder of Nola Kellergan?whom, he admits, he had an affair with. As the national media convicts Harry, Marcus launches his own investigation, following a trail of clues through his mentor's books, the backwoods and isolated beaches of …
The publishing phenomenon topping bestseller lists around the world "The great thriller that everyone has been waiting for since the Millennium Trilogy of Stieg Larsson."? El Cultural de El Mundo (Spain) August 30, 1975: the day fifteen-year-old Nola Kellergan is glimpsed fleeing through the woods, never to be heard from again; the day Somerset, New Hampshire, lost its innocence. Thirty-three years later, Marcus Goldman, a successful young novelist, visits Somerset to see his mentor, Harry Quebert, one of the country's most respected writers, and to find a cure for his writer's block as his publisher's deadline looms. But Marcus's plans are violently upended when Harry is suddenly and sensationally implicated in the cold-case murder of Nola Kellergan?whom, he admits, he had an affair with. As the national media convicts Harry, Marcus launches his own investigation, following a trail of clues through his mentor's books, the backwoods and isolated beaches of New Hampshire, and the hidden history of Somerset's citizens and the man they hold most dear. To save Harry, his own writing career, and eventually even himself, Marcus must answer three questions, all of which are mysteriously connected: Who killed Nola Kellergan? What happened one misty morning in Somerset in the summer of 1975? And how do you write a book to save someone's life? A chart-topping worldwide phenomenon, with sales approaching a million copies in France alone and rights sold in more than thirty countries, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair is a fast-paced, tightly plotted, cinematic literary thriller, and an ingenious book within a book, by a dazzling young writer.
Offensively bad and unrealistic. All characters are caricatures and the plot twists are stupid. Skim-read from a certain point. Oh my god. Just no.
One of the best thrillers I have ever read. The setup and the payoff are both amazing, all wrapped in a nice nonlinear and fast paced narrative populated with great characters. Recommended if you loved Nolan's Memento.
In first half of the novel, most characters will come out as boring cliches, but the payoff for sticking with the novel is some of the most satisfying character arcs I have ever read in the second half, especially the final part, where almost every expectation about the characters are shattered, except for Marcus Goldman's mother, who was annoying and cliche as ever.
Une très bonne lecture pour la plage : un polar passionnant doublé d'une jolie histoire d'amour, le tout entouré d'une réflexion sur l'écriture et le "métier" d'écrivain.
Decent beach read, don't get too involved reading deeply into it, you will just be annoyed by the trite silliness in all the tropes.
