Review: The Interpretation of Murder, by Jed Rubenfeld

4/5

Sigmund Freud arrives for his first and last visit to America. This remarkably original hybrid of fact and fiction tells the story of Freud’s single venture to the US and draws us in to his unique way of looking at the world.

Rubenfeld’s first novel creates a 1909 Manhattan world of aristocracy and social graces. The reader is completely immersed in this world from the first page. By the second chapter, a breathless murder plot has taken off, and the reader can’t help but follow in eager anticipation.

Rubenfeld’s protagonist is the fictitious fledgling psychoanalyst Dr Stratham Younger. Awestruck by the presence of Freud, he is more than willing to offer his help when a horrific series of murders take place and a sadistic killer needs to be profiled and caught.

The book sweeps cleanly from a social scene in uptown Manhattan to a gruesome scene of bondage and crime, cleverly crafted by Rubenfeld to cause simultaneous discomfort and intrigue for the reader.

Rubenfeld’s skill as a writer takes us from the factual discussions of Freud, Carl Jung and Sandor Ferenczi to the fictional world in which they together endeavour to solve the crime.

Nora Acton, a young, beautiful Manhattan debutante, is brutally attacked in her home. She is found alive, but appears to have lost her voice, and her memory of the attack.

Freud is called to analyse her and try to piece together her memories to catch her attacker – a murderer loose in the city. Freud enlists the help of Dr Younger and together they produce theory after theory to try to come up with answers.

The story is filled with interesting characters, and the relationships between characters are played out so enthrallingly that you can’t wait to turn the page for the next piece of flawless discourse.

At so many points throughout this book, you feel like you are in a maze of questions and puzzles. There are times you may want to send up a signal flare and escape. But you will find yourself too attached to the characters and their plights to leave even for a second. I warn you, you will lose hours of your life to this book and not even notice.

Rubenfeld weaves fact and fiction throughout the whole book, down to the small details. He creates a 1900s Manhattan that will be familiar to readers of Edith Wharton or Henry James. He accurately describes the corruption in the New York City police force, where the rich could easily escape procedure.

Rubenfeld brings his characters, both fictional and factual, vividly to life.

This debut novel takes you on a journey through the mind. From the deviance of a sadistic killer to the mental processes of one of the greatest psychologists in the world, you will not be able to put down this book until the final page has been turned.