Le livre des aveux

lokroma reviewed The book of evidence by John Banville

Review of 'The book of evidence' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

A beautifully written Booker Prize winner. Banville has an extraordinary ability to describe memories and dreams in a way that is so familiar, so like the memories and dreams that we all have but struggle to articulate. Here he explores a murderer's psyche, and the murderer's dreams and memories surrounding his crime, yet this is not a mystery novel. The crime and the criminal are evident from the start. What is mysterious is why the murder was committed, and the examination of this riddle is fascinating from the very first sentence to the last.

I don't know if Banville ever spent time in prison, but he seems to have a firm grasp of the psychological ups and downs of the commission and consequences of an unpremeditated killing.

Sharyl reviewed The book of evidence by John Banville

Review of 'The book of evidence' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

John Banville's Book of Evidence is a disturbing short novel about Freddie Montgomery, a man who has committed murder. This is his account of his life and what led him to kill.

Needless to say, it is disturbing. Freddie rambles, filling his audience in on his life in bits and pieces, going back and forth in time without taking a break. There are no chapter divisions, so this novel would be best read in as close to one sitting as possible, just to appreciate the nature of Freddie's associations and thoughts.

Sometimes, Freddie reminded me a bit of Humbert Humbert, with his bizarre, sad existence--he can't seem to control himself, and I almost felt sorry for him. Also, at times, it's clear that Freddie feels that he's a perpetual outsider, always different, never really included or a part of anything. He is The Stranger.

Because Freddie's viewpoint is the only …

John Banville's Book of Evidence is a disturbing short novel about Freddie Montgomery, a man who has committed murder. This is his account of his life and what led him to kill.

Needless to say, it is disturbing. Freddie rambles, filling his audience in on his life in bits and pieces, going back and forth in time without taking a break. There are no chapter divisions, so this novel would be best read in as close to one sitting as possible, just to appreciate the nature of Freddie's associations and thoughts.

Sometimes, Freddie reminded me a bit of Humbert Humbert, with his bizarre, sad existence--he can't seem to control himself, and I almost felt sorry for him. Also, at times, it's clear that Freddie feels that he's a perpetual outsider, always different, never really included or a part of anything. He is The Stranger.

Because Freddie's viewpoint is the only one on offer, the reader is left to wonder about some of his relationships, particularly with his wife and mother. The little I gathered about these two women made it abundantly clear how unreliable a narration Freddie was providing.

This is a fascinating read.

When Freddie is in prison:
"By the way, what an odd formulation that is: to get life. Words so rarely mean what they mean."

The questions I am left with spoiler are--

Why did Daphne and Freddie ever get married? Was Freddie always insane?
Is Daphne as amoral as Freddie?
The way Daphne and Freddie were living, when Freddie gets himself in trouble, is puzzling.
Freddie's financial position: had his parents been reasonably well off?
What line of work was Charlie in, and who were his friends? It's all so mysterious.

markm reviewed The book of evidence by John Banville

Review of 'The book of evidence' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Banville is a well-known prize-winning Irish novelist and The Book of Evidence is delightfully well-written, but it comes across as a sort of exercise –the protagonist is a self-involved arrogant zip who kills a woman for the same reason that Meursault did. The difference is that Meursault was a reliable witness and Freddie Montgomery is not – ultimately we are bored. Banville's sentences are beautiful, though.

As an aside...there are two or three sentences that seem out of place in the first half of the book. They seem analogous to a trick used in the cinema where we are shown a few frames of something that hasn't happened yet. Two of the sentences mention blood on a woman's shoes. Unfortunately I can't figure out to what, exactly, they refer. Nobody ever has bloody shoes.

Nithin

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July 28, 2008

breakfastburrito

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March 6, 2018

neilernst

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Nov. 12, 2008

ilchinealach

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April 19, 2020

Le livre des aveux

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