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ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
It used to be that a good mystery was a good mystery and literary fiction and its attendant awards were another world. Then authors like John Banville and Kate Atkinson wrote mystery novels and a new creature was born; the literary mystery. Of course, they've always existed. What else is Crime and Punishment or Murder in the Rue Morgue or any number of classics with a hint of suspense or crime? There have always been mysteries that had something out of the ordinary to say, or told the story in a different way, but now marketing's on to them and the possibilities of additional sales to book clubs or the promise of the publicity of awards.
As someone who loves a good mystery and relies on the shortlists provided by various awards to find new authors doing interesting things, I'm a likely target for the literary mystery label. It sucks me in every time.
The Strange Case of the Composer and His Judge begins in a very promising way. A group of bodies are discovered by hunters in the snow. They've arranged themselves in a semi-circle, with their dead children at their feet, all poisoned except for the central figure who was shot, the weapon nowhere to be found. A French commissaire and a judge who specializes in hunting down cults are called out. There had been a similar incident in Switzerland, but the authorities there had hushed it up, but this murder/suicide happened in France and Schweigen, the cop, and Carpentier, the judge, are determined to bring the guilty to justice.
This was a solid beginning, with characters who could be complex and interesting and a story that could be exciting and involved. All that potential is wasted, however. Schweigen is a direct descendant of Larry, Curly or Moe, only without the nuance. He messes up every interrogation he takes part in and reacts to everything without regard for appropriate behavioral norms. Carpentier is absolutely perfect. She's stunningly beautiful, charismatic, intelligent, tiny and every character in this book falls madly in love with her, from her administrative assistant, to the commissaire, to the people she investigates for murder. It's boring. At one point it's mentioned that she doesn't like music and I grasped this as the sole indication that the judge was human. Of course, she then is then moved to tears by Wagner.
The writing is also problematic. No one walks or drinks; instead they ooze and guzzle. The judge, we are often reminded, is wee. Everyone she speaks with looms or towers or bends over her. The simpler verbs are ignored. Here is a discussion in a kitchen:
He bulged into the entire space between the freezer and the door, like the gigantic symbol of the Macrocosm. She found herself smiling back at his candour and impertinence. The Judge knew, she always knew, when a man was lying; she had a nose for perjury, and this man was made of truth.
Oh, and that intriguing beginning? We only ever learn anything about one of the dead bodies. The rest are forgotten. As is the plot. At the very end things are tied up briefly and in passing.
As someone who loves a good mystery and relies on the shortlists provided by various awards to find new authors doing interesting things, I'm a likely target for the literary mystery label. It sucks me in every time.
The Strange Case of the Composer and His Judge begins in a very promising way. A group of bodies are discovered by hunters in the snow. They've arranged themselves in a semi-circle, with their dead children at their feet, all poisoned except for the central figure who was shot, the weapon nowhere to be found. A French commissaire and a judge who specializes in hunting down cults are called out. There had been a similar incident in Switzerland, but the authorities there had hushed it up, but this murder/suicide happened in France and Schweigen, the cop, and Carpentier, the judge, are determined to bring the guilty to justice.
This was a solid beginning, with characters who could be complex and interesting and a story that could be exciting and involved. All that potential is wasted, however. Schweigen is a direct descendant of Larry, Curly or Moe, only without the nuance. He messes up every interrogation he takes part in and reacts to everything without regard for appropriate behavioral norms. Carpentier is absolutely perfect. She's stunningly beautiful, charismatic, intelligent, tiny and every character in this book falls madly in love with her, from her administrative assistant, to the commissaire, to the people she investigates for murder. It's boring. At one point it's mentioned that she doesn't like music and I grasped this as the sole indication that the judge was human. Of course, she then is then moved to tears by Wagner.
The writing is also problematic. No one walks or drinks; instead they ooze and guzzle. The judge, we are often reminded, is wee. Everyone she speaks with looms or towers or bends over her. The simpler verbs are ignored. Here is a discussion in a kitchen:
He bulged into the entire space between the freezer and the door, like the gigantic symbol of the Macrocosm. She found herself smiling back at his candour and impertinence. The Judge knew, she always knew, when a man was lying; she had a nose for perjury, and this man was made of truth.
Oh, and that intriguing beginning? We only ever learn anything about one of the dead bodies. The rest are forgotten. As is the plot. At the very end things are tied up briefly and in passing.
hannahcpk's review against another edition
2.0
I hate that I always feel the need to apologise whenever I rate books low
caitlinxmartin's review against another edition
1.0
I really wanted to like this, but did not. It had a lot of potential - an ancient cult whose members suicide en masses semi-regularly, a French setting (Strasbourg), a female investigator renowned as a sect hunter. What's not to like? Sadly, the author is trying so hard to rise above genre into the realm of literary fiction that's it's painful to read.
In this case she throws all her pretensions against the wall, and they are many - multiple languages for random reasons, random quotes that don't necessarily fit the characters quoting them, dashes of what appear to be vaguely understood Post-Modern philosophy. Sadly everyone of them sort of hangs there on the wall like congealed oatmeal (and just as appealing).
It was so excruciating that I stopped reading it on BART about one-third of the way home and stared out the window so I wouldn't have to keep trying - this is an unusual event and speaks volumes about how much I just couldn't get through this one.
In this case she throws all her pretensions against the wall, and they are many - multiple languages for random reasons, random quotes that don't necessarily fit the characters quoting them, dashes of what appear to be vaguely understood Post-Modern philosophy. Sadly everyone of them sort of hangs there on the wall like congealed oatmeal (and just as appealing).
It was so excruciating that I stopped reading it on BART about one-third of the way home and stared out the window so I wouldn't have to keep trying - this is an unusual event and speaks volumes about how much I just couldn't get through this one.
spilled's review against another edition
2.0
Chapter one had me hopeful that this was an actually good book. Hunters find a circle of bodies in the snow, evidence of a mysterious sect known as the Faith. It was a delightful first chapter, intriguingly well-painted, nearly five star level. But then the author introduced her main characters and they were just awful. I tried to like them, but as the book continued I grew increasingly disgusted toward just about everyone for stupid illogical actions, overly verbose & dramatic everything, and being in general just completely unlikeable. Duncker tried way too hard. Just because one knows lots of adjectives doesn't mean one should use them so copiously.
I'm more mad about this being a dumb book than I normally would be, because it wasn't just a bad book, it was a bad book that momentarily fooled me into thinking it was a good book, and that's just unforgivable.
I'm more mad about this being a dumb book than I normally would be, because it wasn't just a bad book, it was a bad book that momentarily fooled me into thinking it was a good book, and that's just unforgivable.
sehrkleine's review against another edition
1.0
Painfully bad. I started reading this several years ago for a book club before moving cities and never finished it. Having rediscovered it on my bookshelf I thought it worth starting again. I wish I hadn't bothered. Utterly nonsensical with characters so poorly written you have no idea of neither their motive nor really their purpose. The final act keeps you guessing but by no means for any good reason, merely because the plot makes little sense. Definitely one for the recycling/donation bin.
elibrooke's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not much for mysteries, but this isn't your typical one anyway. The most interesting bits were about cults and astronomy. Kept me interested but lacked something in terms of character believability. The story moved along at a good pace, and the characters were certainly interesting, if a little under-developed and caricatured.
cariadreads's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
beckmank's review
2.0
I really wanted to like this book. The mystery sounded very interesting to me. (A mass suicide in Switzerland, but after a deeper look it may just be murder.) I never could get into it. It took me forever just to finish reading the book.
I didn't feel a bond with the characters that I often do when reading a story, and as a result I wasn't too interested in their outcome. While the majority of the book was written in English, there were French, German, and possibly other languages thrown in here and there. Some seemed to be translated, but others were not. My memory of high-school French is practically non-existent, and I spent a lot of time trying to translate sentences and wondering if I was missing something important. In the end, I don't think I was.
The ending picked up a little bit, but when I was done I felt like I hadn't been reading a mystery at all. I guess it was a strange love story, but that piece just didn't hit home for me.
I didn't feel a bond with the characters that I often do when reading a story, and as a result I wasn't too interested in their outcome. While the majority of the book was written in English, there were French, German, and possibly other languages thrown in here and there. Some seemed to be translated, but others were not. My memory of high-school French is practically non-existent, and I spent a lot of time trying to translate sentences and wondering if I was missing something important. In the end, I don't think I was.
The ending picked up a little bit, but when I was done I felt like I hadn't been reading a mystery at all. I guess it was a strange love story, but that piece just didn't hit home for me.
cspiwak's review
2.0
a bit too heavy on the romance for me-while I don't mind a blend of mystery and romance-this one felt contrived to me
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