A review by abrswf
The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld

3.0

There were quite a few things I liked about this book. It brings 1909 New York to vivid life, with meticulously presented and accurate details. It is also nicely written, sounding authentic to the period in all respects. And I really liked a number of characters, including Junger and Littlemore. Last but not least, I truly enjoyed the literary analyses and Freudian theorizing sprinkled throughout. But I hated the implausible, contrived and hastily resolved plot. And the book is remarkably sexist. It isn't just that the period was oppressive to women, or the deep sexism in Freud's mostly uncritically presented theories. I think the author himself has problems with women -- the female characters are either lifeless caricatures or sex objects. Finally, this book seems to revel in its gratuitous and disturbing sadistic scenes, including an utterly unnecessary episode of appalling animal cruelty. Two big stars off for the bad plotting, sexism, and sadism.