cathaldon1's review
3.5
Starts off well but drags towards the end. Banville’s prose here is excellent. It puts you in the mentality of Freddie Montgomery, a man consisting of a thin veneer of gentility stretched over a vacuum of emotion, swayed entirely by base instincts he does not understand. The story then, as Freddie tells it, becomes about how far from the norm his instincts will push him to act, and once the novel reaches the apex of his actions the rest feels like busywork — The story has ended but the plot needs to conclude. The final pages suggest an interesting change in character for Freddie, but I can’t see myself following him further.
jolo1990's review
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
helen_nguyen_812's review
3.0
While it may not be a perfect masterpiece, "The Book of Evidence" offers an intriguing narrative and well-crafted characters that make it worth exploring.
Banville's prose is elegant and poetic, showcasing his mastery over language. His vivid descriptions create a rich atmosphere that immerses readers in the story. However, some readers may find the writing style overly dense or verbose, which can slow down the pace of the narrative.
"The Book of Evidence" delves into various themes such as guilt, identity, and the nature of evil. Banville explores these themes through Freddie's introspection and interactions with other characters. The novel raises thought-provoking questions about morality and the consequences of one's actions.
One criticism of "The Book of Evidence" is its lack of a clear resolution. The ending leaves several loose ends, which may frustrate readers seeking closure. Additionally, the novel's introspective nature may not appeal to those who prefer fast-paced plots or action-driven narratives.
Banville's prose is elegant and poetic, showcasing his mastery over language. His vivid descriptions create a rich atmosphere that immerses readers in the story. However, some readers may find the writing style overly dense or verbose, which can slow down the pace of the narrative.
"The Book of Evidence" delves into various themes such as guilt, identity, and the nature of evil. Banville explores these themes through Freddie's introspection and interactions with other characters. The novel raises thought-provoking questions about morality and the consequences of one's actions.
One criticism of "The Book of Evidence" is its lack of a clear resolution. The ending leaves several loose ends, which may frustrate readers seeking closure. Additionally, the novel's introspective nature may not appeal to those who prefer fast-paced plots or action-driven narratives.
devilstatedan's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An intriguing and engrossing dive into the mind of a narcissist and murderer from real events.
Our main guy tells the story though his own warped opinions of himself and never really takes responsibility for his crime, rather attempts to sway us into forgiving him on the basis that he is merely a product of his upbringing and environment.
We take a tiki-tour through his various points of history; his privileged childhood - though not without trauma, his posing himself as a personality which he thinks will further his prospect, his vast history of broken relationships and unpaid debts, until he is forced to return to his native Ireland and where, through an act of perceived injustice, he brutally kills a woman who by chance just happens to get in his way.
This story of his is brimming with self-importance and self-pity and Banville has worked some absolute magic here to retain enough intrigue to keep us turning pages - mostly, I feel, as an act of morbid fascination at this perfect example of how not to be...
Fans of true crime would love this one and although not strictly a non-fiction narrative Banville takes us inside the mind of a dickhead self-lover, rather than merely focusing on the act of violence itself.
Our main guy tells the story though his own warped opinions of himself and never really takes responsibility for his crime, rather attempts to sway us into forgiving him on the basis that he is merely a product of his upbringing and environment.
We take a tiki-tour through his various points of history; his privileged childhood - though not without trauma, his posing himself as a personality which he thinks will further his prospect, his vast history of broken relationships and unpaid debts, until he is forced to return to his native Ireland and where, through an act of perceived injustice, he brutally kills a woman who by chance just happens to get in his way.
This story of his is brimming with self-importance and self-pity and Banville has worked some absolute magic here to retain enough intrigue to keep us turning pages - mostly, I feel, as an act of morbid fascination at this perfect example of how not to be...
Fans of true crime would love this one and although not strictly a non-fiction narrative Banville takes us inside the mind of a dickhead self-lover, rather than merely focusing on the act of violence itself.
boenguen's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
justvaporlock's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mark_lm's review
3.0
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.
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.
carmentxx's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
i’m not joking, this is one of the worst books i’ve ever read. i didn’t even fully read it but it was so painful to read i’m gonna give myself the satisfaction. the narrator is so annoying, the book is so boring, how do you even make a runaway theft and murder boring??? god. the narrator is insufferable. i hate him and i hate this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Car accident, and Murder