Scan barcode
A review by thebobsphere
The Book of Evidence by John Banville
3.0
Fred is a criminal. Not only does he steal a painting in order to pay a bad debt but he kills a person who watches him. This novel is his confession.
The problem is that Fred is an unreliable chronicler of his tale.He can't remember names, is drunk most of the time and adds random facts into his story. The reader has to sift between truth and fiction. The only certainties is that Fred did commit two crimes and that he does not show any remorse for his actions.
So why three stars? I found the first half exhilarating but the second half a bit dull. Also the negativity in this book is almost a parody. My version of the book was revised with a ton of supplementary material, which does help give more light in Fred's character.
The problem is that Fred is an unreliable chronicler of his tale.He can't remember names, is drunk most of the time and adds random facts into his story. The reader has to sift between truth and fiction. The only certainties is that Fred did commit two crimes and that he does not show any remorse for his actions.
So why three stars? I found the first half exhilarating but the second half a bit dull. Also the negativity in this book is almost a parody. My version of the book was revised with a ton of supplementary material, which does help give more light in Fred's character.