MIND SOLUTION (The Interpretation of Murder - Jed Rubenfeld)

Member Name: pinkpowderpuff

Product:	The Interpretation of Murder - Jed Rubenfeld
Date:	30/05/07 (406 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Thoughtful and exciting plot, knowledge expansion, cleverly written, intriguing characters

Disadvantages: Some might find too convoluted

My latest reading selection came from the ubiquitous Richard & Judy Book Club. This particular one is from their offerings for 2007 and it actually won their competition as their book of the year. Having not read all the others it was up against I can't comment on that result. However, their selections are usually pretty good reads and it certainly helps take out the wondering about what to read next. This one certainly did not disappoint so I can stay faithful to the scheme. Encouraging reading must be a good thing in general and should be supported.

This book is predominantly set out as a detective novel. However, as it is set in New York in 1909, it can also be viewed equally as an historical novel. As such, it can be read again on that basis as the murder solution is not the be all and end all of the whole experience. The author has very cleverly mixed together real people and events with some purely fictional ones to relate a murder mystery from his own furtive imagination. The inspiration for the story comes from Sigmund Freud's one and only visit to America from where he came home deeply affected by his visit and never returned. He called Americans "savages" and biographers have never fully explained this reaction to his visit so the author has used that unknown event as a central feature of his novel.

The synopsis of the detective story is as follows: A young woman is found dead in a grand hotel. However, she was not just killed but also, gruesomely, her hands were tied above her head, a scarf fixed round her neck and there are marks on her back and legs that intimate that she has been whipped. When a similar incident happens again, the woman, called Nora Acton, is this time fortunately saved. However, presumably from the trauma, she is unable to speak or remember what had happened. It so happens that Freud has just arrived in America for, as it turns out, his first and only visit. He is accompanied by his friends and disciples Carl Jung and Sandor Ferenczi to give a lecture at Clark University. Given the unusual circumstances of the case and the requirements for secrecy, the mayor takes advantage of Freud's presence to get his input into the case of this young woman. This is where the narrator, Dr Streatham Younger, takes centre stage. He is an enthusiastic student of Sigmund Freud and the then new science of psychoanalysis. He is described by his friend, Abraham Brill, as not just the most talented but the only American psychoanalyst of the time. Younger does the actual analysis with Nora in person and then reports back to Freud for his thoughts and suggestions.

The book is an easy and comfortable read. There are different strands within each chapter as the story switches between the main participants of Younger, Detective Littlemore and Coroner Hugel. For some, this constant change in story direction and the sometimes convoluted storyline might be confusing and difficult to keep on top of. However, with the easy writing style, I found it quite straightforward to follow what was going on and with whom. Having not read a murder mystery novel for quite awhile, it was an enjoyable change and a pleasure to try and work out the solution. The climatic conclusion is well laid out without any unfairness of new unexplained characters or events. All in all, it is satisfyingly concluded.

This is the first novel by Jeb Rubenfeld. He is a Professor of Law at Yale University and been described as "one of the most elegant legal writers of his generation". It is considered that his writing in this novel certainly lives up to that glowing tribute. He has written a thesis on Freud whilst he was studying at Princeton University and went on to some serious studying of Shakespeare at the Juillard School of Drama. His knowledge of both these subjects shines out from the text. Without feeling at all like a textbook or an imposing of a history lesson, he introduces us to Freud's innovative ideas and to Shakespeare's use of language and metaphors. With his knowledge and understanding of Shakespeare, he uses the narrator, Younger, to discuss Hamlet and his motivations. These centre on the pivotal speech of "To be or not to be". For anyone studying literature or merely having an interest in it, the relevant discussions in this book would be extremely interesting. Also anyone with a passing interest to Freud or Jung would be interested in the discussions of the Oedipus complex. Even the title of the book is a parody of Freud's famous work: "Interpretation of Dreams".

For those more interested in history of places, there are wonderful descriptions of New York back in the first decade of the twentieth century. There is not only the historical perspective of the architecture with the rise of the skyscrapers on Manhatten Island but also there is an exploration of the social divisions running through the city's society at the time. Thus there are several pieces of information being explored in parallel which puts one in a quandary. One wants to stop reading and take time out to think and reflect but also there is the desire to keep reading to find out about the next dramatic instalment.

At the end of the book, following the conclusion of the story, there follows an explanation by the author of who were the real people and which were the real places and events. This was fascinating to read and also to understand how he had altered some places and actual happenings to fit the story. This reinforced the notion that this was a work of fiction but also gave an understanding into real people, places and events. This was especially so relating to the confrontation between Freud and Jung, which apparently actually took place but at the different time and location of Vienna in 1912. The thoughts and views of these people have been painfully researched and are all accurate reflections from their own published letters, essays and statements. The case study of Nora from this novel is apparently based on the real case of Dora, which was one of Freud's most controversial case histories.

This is a great read and is recommended to all those who like to think about what they are reading and increase their knowledge of some cerebral matters. However, as the book can be read and absorbed on several different levels, it can be enjoyed purely for ones own individual interests if that is what is preferred. After all, there is a delicious menu to choose from. First and foremost, there is the murder mystery to enjoy with a detective and a group of suspects to follow. Then there is the historical aspects of early twentieth century New York, both in architecture and society, to appreciate. On top of that there is an introduction to the theory of psychoanalysis with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung present to assist in your understanding. Furthermore, there is the discussion of Shakespeare with the narrator being a keen scholar able to elaborate on various theories to the meaning of certain passages. So take your pick from the selection with any combination you prefer and enjoy the mind solution!

Summary: A detective and historical in one book, cleverly mixing real and fictional characters.