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A review by hiba29
Confession of a Murderer: Told in One Night by Desmond I. Vesey, Joseph Roth
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I liked the premises, how the story was told and installed in both Russia and Paris, However, the characters are not attaching at all, there is no depth about them especially when it concerns the main one. We can't relate to any of them because they are only described plainly and their actions are not logical or relatable at any point.
This is particularly true about the main character, who is acting vainly and childishly to every little event happening to him. He seems to be very self-centered and can't get a grip on himself. The story could have been more attaching if the character was presented in a better way, if it showed some redeeming moments where not everything was about his family name and lineage. I guess that is where the author was going, showing the human being in its raw form, the consuming jealousy between brothers, the strong and yet empty desire for something, someone, only driven by lust. The foolishness we're pushed to to keep these lies up and running, until the ugly truth shows up.
The author focuses a lot on the jealousy side and on the attraction exercised on the main character by a women, whose presenting this exotic and innocent side of life. This women he won over his brother but still lost her at the end, for this same brother. The problem here is that there isn't a lesson learnt gradually, there is no evolving of any kind. We get to have a brief sight of the man years later, in that Parisian bar while recounting his life, but no change is actively showed.
The one thing that bothered me a bit, also an actual goal of the author I think, is the very little information given about Lakatos, who seemed to be interesting but whose presence was rather limited to keep the illusion of power he had over our "hero".
This book was interesting but certainly not captivating. A bit misleading if we take the title literally.
This is particularly true about the main character, who is acting vainly and childishly to every little event happening to him. He seems to be very self-centered and can't get a grip on himself. The story could have been more attaching if the character was presented in a better way, if it showed some redeeming moments where not everything was about his family name and lineage. I guess that is where the author was going, showing the human being in its raw form, the consuming jealousy between brothers, the strong and yet empty desire for something, someone, only driven by lust. The foolishness we're pushed to to keep these lies up and running, until the ugly truth shows up.
The author focuses a lot on the jealousy side and on the attraction exercised on the main character by a women, whose presenting this exotic and innocent side of life. This women he won over his brother but still lost her at the end, for this same brother. The problem here is that there isn't a lesson learnt gradually, there is no evolving of any kind. We get to have a brief sight of the man years later, in that Parisian bar while recounting his life, but no change is actively showed.
The one thing that bothered me a bit, also an actual goal of the author I think, is the very little information given about Lakatos, who seemed to be interesting but whose presence was rather limited to keep the illusion of power he had over our "hero".
This book was interesting but certainly not captivating. A bit misleading if we take the title literally.