MN Book Club - The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld

[chocoholic]

Anyone else want to join me & USAUKmum reading this one over the next couple of weeks?

Yeah chocoholic. I'm now a good way in and still enjoying it. I am becoming an indexer (that thing at the back of books -- everyone always asks). as a new career I can do freelance from home My last one involved me being away 12 hrs a day plus travelling

OK, it's past 20th July now so will kick off the discussion.

I didn't like this book at all and had to struggle to finish it. It's the only murder story I've ever read where I didn't care whodunnit, mainly because the characters weren't real people for me and I couldn't bring myself to care what happened to them.

I didn't think it was well written either. The prose is turgid and difficult to wade through. It amazes me that this was a Richard & Judy Book Club choice.

Did other people like it?

Really quick post from me as I'm working all weekend so will be back to post more on Monday.
Thought it was great though, really enjoyed it.

I'm threequarters of the way through it and although I quite like it, I must say its taking me longer to get through than practically any other book. I think its quite interesting but it seems to veer bewteen its main subject matters at random

It wasn't a bad read, but I thought the author was a bit keen to show off his research.

I enjoyed it, liked the different styles of writing, the factual bit, the dialogue and the twisty plot line. I did get a bit bogged down in all the philosophy but could see it as an integral part of the plot. It just peeks my curiosuity about how all these professional have the time to write books, he is a proffessor of law and father of two small children.

Maybe because he's a he qob

Good point with a long suffering wife

I really enjoyed the book. I liked how he described the differing interactions between all the professions in the book and the differing classes. I had thought that the writing fit with the time period and the point of view it was told from. Though this style of writing does take longer for me to read.

As a professor he has to publish or perish, but I am not sure a fiction book counts

I agree with MummyTS that he was a bit keen to show off his research but I enjoyed that side of things.
I don't think it would have stood up without all the extra sidelines in the story as the whodunnit itself was a bit lame with hidden tunnels etc.
Has he written any factual books does anyone know?

I read it some months ago. I agree that it wasn't the highest literature I have read, but it was still an interesting read.

Of particular interest was that the conversations between Freud & Jung were their actual exchanges through letters.

I was also interested to read about the families of the period, and the relationships between them.

In fact, aside from the fictitious murder mystery, almost everything else in the book is factual. See here and click on 'Jed Rubenfeld', and then click on 'Story behind the book'.