A review by deepakchecks
The Blunderer by Patricia Highsmith
5.0
The genius of Patricia Highsmith lies not in the mystery/whodunit part of the crime, but the psychological game that plays out between the perpetrator and the people surrounding him. Highsmith does not hide details of the crime as is warranted if there is to be a twist at the end. All the intricate details of the crime along with the mindset of the perpetrator are given out. Thus at the time of the crime, the reader and the perpetrator are the only soul who have an understanding of the event. Just as the details come out of hiding, the author imparts the sense of dread and suspense to the reader that the actual perpetrator would be facing.
In 'The Blunderer', a crime is committed and the husband (Kimmel) has an alibi that vindicates him. The incident though leaves an air of suspicion around Kimmel, but no one can be bothered to pursue it. The newspaper clipping about the killing however piques the interest of Walter, who is having a bad phase with his wife. The most interesting aspect of 'The Blunderer' is that Walter commits only a thought-crime, although he was very close to committing an actual crime - but the preparation that he undertakes for this leaves a trail of clues, that triggers the interest of Cody, a Police officer who now goes after both Kimmel and Walter. We get to see a blundering Walter, who leaves out a lot of details, while being questioned on the crime but gradually admits to them and thus become untrustworthy even to his close friends and girlfriend.
A brilliant read with the typical Highsmithian elements.
In 'The Blunderer', a crime is committed and the husband (Kimmel) has an alibi that vindicates him. The incident though leaves an air of suspicion around Kimmel, but no one can be bothered to pursue it. The newspaper clipping about the killing however piques the interest of Walter, who is having a bad phase with his wife. The most interesting aspect of 'The Blunderer' is that Walter commits only a thought-crime, although he was very close to committing an actual crime - but the preparation that he undertakes for this leaves a trail of clues, that triggers the interest of Cody, a Police officer who now goes after both Kimmel and Walter. We get to see a blundering Walter, who leaves out a lot of details, while being questioned on the crime but gradually admits to them and thus become untrustworthy even to his close friends and girlfriend.
A brilliant read with the typical Highsmithian elements.