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A review by theladydoor
The Meaning of Night: A Confession by Michael Cox
4.0
This book intrigued me from the first time I saw it on the shelf at my library. It had so many elements of fiction that I enjoy, a bibliophilic protagonist, revenge, dramatic love, murder, and footnotes! The book mostly lived up to my expectations, though there were a few issues I had with it that prevented me from giving it five stars. First, a summary.
The main character of this novel goes by many names, but the one Michael Cox introduces him with is Edward Glyver, so I shall likewise use it. Glyver starts off the novel with the line, "After killing the red haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper." Cox takes a tremendous gamble in starting the novel with the protagonist already a murderer, with no obvious reason given. After the dastardly deed, Glyver meets up with an old school chum and tells the story of his life, up until the point where he has chosen to kill an innocent stranger.
The beginning of Glyver's life is characterized by poverty and mystery. He is brought up by a single, novel-writing mother, yet is visited by a strange, wan woman. At school, he loves reading and academics and plans to attend one of the great universities of England. However, his relationship with a fellow student, Phoebus Daunt, soon puts an end to that dream. Glyver's connection with Daunt and desire to avenge himself chart the course of the rest of the novel.
I very much enjoyed following the plotline of the novel, though I must say I could predict many of the twists and events ahead of time. That little affected my enjoyment of the novel, however. I thoroughly admired Cox's descriptive prose, and the format of the novel (as an edited version of a "found" manuscript) added to the experience of reading it. However, there were moments where Cox abruptly changes tense, and those moments shocked me out of my groove of reading.
Perhaps though, those moments were deliberate. Cox takes great pains to show that Glyver is not a reliable narrator. Glyver is an opium-fiend, a consummate liar, and a frequent user of prostitutes (even when he claims an all-consuming love for another woman). However, like Nabaokov with Humbert Humbert, Cox manages to make the reader sympathetic to Glyver despite his myriad faults.
The main character of this novel goes by many names, but the one Michael Cox introduces him with is Edward Glyver, so I shall likewise use it. Glyver starts off the novel with the line, "After killing the red haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper." Cox takes a tremendous gamble in starting the novel with the protagonist already a murderer, with no obvious reason given. After the dastardly deed, Glyver meets up with an old school chum and tells the story of his life, up until the point where he has chosen to kill an innocent stranger.
The beginning of Glyver's life is characterized by poverty and mystery. He is brought up by a single, novel-writing mother, yet is visited by a strange, wan woman. At school, he loves reading and academics and plans to attend one of the great universities of England. However, his relationship with a fellow student, Phoebus Daunt, soon puts an end to that dream. Glyver's connection with Daunt and desire to avenge himself chart the course of the rest of the novel.
I very much enjoyed following the plotline of the novel, though I must say I could predict many of the twists and events ahead of time. That little affected my enjoyment of the novel, however. I thoroughly admired Cox's descriptive prose, and the format of the novel (as an edited version of a "found" manuscript) added to the experience of reading it. However, there were moments where Cox abruptly changes tense, and those moments shocked me out of my groove of reading.
Perhaps though, those moments were deliberate. Cox takes great pains to show that Glyver is not a reliable narrator. Glyver is an opium-fiend, a consummate liar, and a frequent user of prostitutes (even when he claims an all-consuming love for another woman). However, like Nabaokov with Humbert Humbert, Cox manages to make the reader sympathetic to Glyver despite his myriad faults.