1957 Irish mystery with a twist!
Snow: A Novel by John Banville
A Catholic Priest has been rather viciously killed. Detective Inspector (St. John pronounced Sinjun) Strafford has been sent to investigate. And that's an interesting aspect of the story as well.
The snow and cold frame the story's heaviness to a nicety.
The accompanying notes to the Father's death don't leave much room for us not to make the leap as to why he might've been killed but, the melding of Strafford's voice counterpointed by that of the dead man threw me. I wasn't really up for the very matter of fact explanations for abuse dropping from the perpetrator's lips. So reasonable, with such convinced righteousness. Very confronting and shocking! Father Tom had totally convinced himself that it was his victims' fault. Banville's writing is so very disarming, and it's this tension that for me carries the drama. As do the cast of characters who inhabit the small village of Ballyclass. A place Strafford, having grown up in one somewhat similar, fits right into. In fact the story is littered with idiosyncratic characters.
Indeed Strafford is rather an unusual person and as we are carried along by his reflections, I found myself standing outside of him and alongside him. I was occasionally well and truly puzzled by his thoughts and his responses especially with women.
As I've said, Banville's writing is alarmingly deceptive, hiding rotten truths and hosting quite an array of very individual characters with numerous references to many parts of Irish social, political and religious happenings, from the Troubles, to religious conflicts and religious scandals, hints of the Magdalene laundries and more. As Strafford works his way through the story behind Father Tom's death, it's perhaps the last chapter, set years later that confirms what we already suspect. (Miss Marple always says that the world can be found in a village.)
Not a story for everyone, with triggers centered around abuse and victims of abuse.
However I must say I was fixated by Banville's writing style. It's that that elevates this novel from a four star to a five star read, difficult though that read is.
A Harlequin Trade ARC via NetGalley
*****
A Catholic Priest has been rather viciously killed. Detective Inspector (St. John pronounced Sinjun) Strafford has been sent to investigate. And that's an interesting aspect of the story as well.
The snow and cold frame the story's heaviness to a nicety.
The accompanying notes to the Father's death don't leave much room for us not to make the leap as to why he might've been killed but, the melding of Strafford's voice counterpointed by that of the dead man threw me. I wasn't really up for the very matter of fact explanations for abuse dropping from the perpetrator's lips. So reasonable, with such convinced righteousness. Very confronting and shocking! Father Tom had totally convinced himself that it was his victims' fault. Banville's writing is so very disarming, and it's this tension that for me carries the drama. As do the cast of characters who inhabit the small village of Ballyclass. A place Strafford, having grown up in one somewhat similar, fits right into. In fact the story is littered with idiosyncratic characters.
Indeed Strafford is rather an unusual person and as we are carried along by his reflections, I found myself standing outside of him and alongside him. I was occasionally well and truly puzzled by his thoughts and his responses especially with women.
As I've said, Banville's writing is alarmingly deceptive, hiding rotten truths and hosting quite an array of very individual characters with numerous references to many parts of Irish social, political and religious happenings, from the Troubles, to religious conflicts and religious scandals, hints of the Magdalene laundries and more. As Strafford works his way through the story behind Father Tom's death, it's perhaps the last chapter, set years later that confirms what we already suspect. (Miss Marple always says that the world can be found in a village.)
Not a story for everyone, with triggers centered around abuse and victims of abuse.
However I must say I was fixated by Banville's writing style. It's that that elevates this novel from a four star to a five star read, difficult though that read is.
A Harlequin Trade ARC via NetGalley
*****
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