rating:
87%
synopsis:
the editor of an investigative business journal finds himself charged with libel and he feels he needs to make himself scarce in order for his publication to survive. seeing the editor’s predicament, an aging business figurehead commissions him to write a memoir while simultaneously investigating a long forgotten missing person case from the 1960s that has haunted him since then. the protagonist sets out to research the wealthy patriarch’s family and finds himself entranced by the family’s history. while working diligently on the memoir, the protagonist unexpectedly makes progress on the missing person case. Deciding that he could use help investigating this lead, he hires a computer-savvy researcher to work alongside him on this unfolding project. the duo overstay their welcome and they become the targets of an unknown antagonist who must stop them before they learn too much.
positive:
this piece displays the authors many strong suits; character, setting, and plot development, as well as pacing. these separate strengths come together to forge a piece that is both fun to read and worth reading. the mystery challenges the reader’s memory and attention to detail in a delightful way. the reader is also presented with ethical questions, both timeless (should we pass judgement on others based on appearance/attitude/etc.?) and pressing in today’s society (what is privacy and what role does it play in the information age?).
negative:
faults in the piece were mostly subtle (a character who could have been more involved (Morell) was forgotten midway through the story; the writer’s voice was highly professional, with little to make it unique; and there are times when the protagonist seems like a mindless do-good-er), but one fault was glaring: the writer goes into depth describing the specifications of technological devices in the story. this is not terrible, but the impermanent nature of technology now keeps the story from becoming ‘timeless’. not only that, but these descriptions come across as product placement.
all in all:
while the story itself is intriguing, the author’s execution did little to impress me; his precise narration did not drone so much as to put me to sleep, but it would have if the subject matter were any drier. in the end, i walked away feeling satisfied, but without a new favorite book or author. (i am aware that my biggest problems with this piece may be have been details lost in translation, but i won’t be reading the swedish version any time soon, so my opinion will likely remain unchanged until then (i.e., never).)
vocabulary:
dogsbody, n
a person who does menial work; synonym: servant
quotation:
“‘he’s pulling the load of an ox and walking on eggshells.’”
see also: the apocrypha
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