A review by celestialviolence
The Mask of Sanity by Jacob M. Appel

5.0

When you think of a sociopath, usually that has highly negative connotations. But the strange and almost absurd thing about the main character of this story is that while he is certainly a sociopath, he is also incredibly relatable. That being said, I'm not going to set out to commit murder, but the motivation behind the act and the exposure of the character's thoughts are reminiscent of a "The Making of a Murderer" documentary. It's somewhat a step-by-step detailed guide behind Balint's descent into madness. But while the plot sounds like something out of a horror movie directed by Hitchcock, the story is told in an almost whimsical and light-hearted manner, with quite a bit of dry and dark humor thrown in. So even if you're not a horror lover, don't be put off by the title and the description of the plot. Think of it more like the movie Everything Must Go - Darkly entertaining and while the events are a trainwreck waiting to happen, it's almost laughable when they happen as opposed to heart-wrenching or overly dramatic.
As always, Appel never fails to tell a darned good story.