The Interpretation of Murder

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Jed Rubenfeld

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Pages: 544 (Paperback)

ISBN: 0755331427

Pub: Headline Review

Pub date: 2007-01-15

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 420

Editorial Review:

Experienced readers of crime and thrillers tend to stifle a yawn these days when they encounter a mountain of hype about a new book or author. But the fevered word of mouth that has been generated by Jed Rubenfeld's The Interpretation of Murder is, for once, justified. This is a remarkably ambitious book, taking on a powerful suspenseful narrative, assiduously researched historical detail and a brilliant evocation of time and character. It's not surprising that the book has already been sold in 20 different countries, and is already something of an international publishing phenomenon. The secret, of course, is in plotting, and few carry this off as adroitly as the author does here. But there is some wonderful historical detail here also, and a conjuring up of real-life characters that is very intelligently done.

Despite the outward success of his visit to the USA, Sigmund Freud always spoke as if some trauma had befallen him there. He blamed the country for physical ailments that afflicted him long before his visit. Freud's biographers have been bemused by his reaction, wondering whether some terrible unknown event might have happened in America that could explain this. The Interpretation of Murder is strikingly written literary thriller constructed around Freud's American visit. An attractive young debutante is discovered bound, whipped and strangled in a luxurious New York apartment and another society beauty narrowly escapes the same fate. But nothing about the attacks--or the victims--is as it seems.
--Barry Forshaw

Reader Reviews:

Too long for its own good (0/0 people found this helpful)

"Leave them wanting more" is not just good advice for stage artistes; Jed Rubenfeld has tried to cram a very ordinary detective thriller with all he knows about New York in 1909 and everything he's ever learnt or thought about Freud. He should have stayed with just one or the other, in my opinion the former would have been preferable. I found the solution to the mystery very improbable and by the time I got to it I no longer cared.

Pretentious old tosh (0/0 people found this helpful)

Picked up this novel in an airport and wish I hadn't. Almost from the off the whole project reeks of "Hi I'm Jeff. I once wrote a thesis on Freud and in this book I'm going to show you how well I know him." The result is an overbearing work of pretension. The interwoven pieces of "The schoolboy's interpretation of Hamlet" only intensify the cringe. The "thriller" moniker isn't even worth the name. A shaft of light is offered by a fine description of how to build a bridge in Victorian times. Ultimately, the book bombs because the author fancies himself as a Euro-intellectual.

psychological 'murder' mystery (0/0 people found this helpful)

I got this book from a friend, and was surprised to find I could not put it down. It is well written, gives some interesting insights into live in New York at the turn of the century, and shows a good sense of humour. The ending seemed a bit far fetched, but by the time I got there I was convinced it would be something completely unguessible anyways. Hope there will be more from Jed Rubenfeld.

And the point is...? (1/1 people found this helpful)

Too many superfluous characters, unconvincing plot, tortuous literary and psychological analyses, confusing narrative view-points, irrelevant social and historical context, feeble development of the trauma supposedly suffered by Freud himself to lead him to despise America, too many misleading clues without even the subtlest nudges to the truth of the matter..... This book is many things that a bad whodunnit is.

There are, however, a couple of redeeming features. The emerging character of Detective Littlemore is very appealing, and the gripping scenes in the caisson hundreds of feet underwater below the Manhatten bridge are fascinating and terrifying. More of this and less of the other will gain Mr Rubenfeld a larger fan base.

(If psychological history is of interest, check out Sebastian Faulks' "Human Traces". I read that a little while before this and found a few points of commonality - though Faulks' book I found a better overall read.)

Interpretation (0/1 people found this helpful)

I bought this quite a while ago and have only just had chance to read it. it is a very good book, not only does it have a strong plot that seems to carry on endlessly between the mutitude of charachters. It can also teach you a thing or two in the process: New York in the 20th cent, Frued and Hamlet. Which I found were all very interesting almost like reading a number of books at once!

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