The Brutal Telling [Paperback]

 

 

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You know its not a good mystery crime novel when the culprit easily ends up being the first person both you and the author guesses at when you start reading. It was a partially enjoyable read, but for the most part it was filled with characters I didnt care about or situations that didn't even matter. For instance, the main character takes a trip across the country as apparently part of the murder investigation. However, his going there holds no relevance to either the investigation nor the plot. It does not reveal anything about the investigation or the motives of the killer. Additionally, the author spends much of the book on some little poetic sub-plot between two characters, and it doesn't amount to anything. It again holds no relevance to the plot, and neither character reveals the motivations behind the passing out of pieces of the poem.
In all honesty, I found myself reading it just for the sake of finishing it. I wouldnt call this a bad book, but I also wouldnt recommend it to anyone either.

Having read a wide range of detective novels and stories, I had developed an appetite for something a little more local. So I turned to Quebec author Louise Penny, and her internationally acclaimed Inspector Gamache series set in a small Quebec town near the Vermont border. Expecting that three Agatha Awards couldn't be wrong, I jumped right in with the latest novel in the series, The Brutal Telling. Boy, am I disappointed.

As soon as I read the acknowledgements section I knew that I was in trouble. Whereas most novelists use their acknowledgements section, if they have one, to selflessly thank others, Penny manages to 1) remark how her previous book garnered her a spot on the New York Times Bestseller List: "I also thought I'd just mention that," she notes; 2) mention how other aspiring authors flock wildly to her to ask how they can improve their own writing; and 3) convey the impression that convincing other authors to read poetry is the "literary equivalent to being told to eat Brussels sprouts," and that she alone is capable of appreciating its beauty and significance. Excuse me? She justifies this ridiculous assertion by saying, "I adore poetry, as you can tell. Indeed, it inspires me-with words and emotions." Wow, with words and emotions! What an incredibly nuanced and strong justification. This combined with the Brussels sprouts metaphor must serve to establish Penny as one of the foremost literary figures of this century.

I'll be the first to admit that having a quarrel with the Acknowledgements section is an unusual and petty thing, and I was prepared to forgive Penny for these transgressions of decency if the novel at least lived up to her pretension. Nope! It's not that what follows is terrible or even bad, its just not "good." Filled with contrived dialogue, shallow characters, factual absurdities, and misplaced narrative cues, the novel had me slapping my forehead and groaning every couple of pages. Readers of detective fiction have certain, serious expectations, and feel betrayed when the author reveals that she doesn't really know what she's talking about, or (gasp!) didn't do her research. In Penny's case, her inability to do some basic digging, or to display a passion for the subject, is commonplace and often manifest in rather simplistic and contrived dialogue. Take this conversation between Gamache and another character about the Montreal Canadiens (the Habs), a subject that any Canadian, or hockey fan, should know a little about: "So...do you think the Habs have a chance at the cup this year?" "I think they do...I like their new goalie and I think their forward line has matured. This is definitely their year." "But their weakness is still defence, don't you think? ... The Canadiens always concentrate too much on offence." What!? Come on! It's as if she Googled "hockey" or "Canadiens" and wrote down a few keywords and called it a day. Surely a lover of poetry, a three time Agatha award winner, a self-proclaimed expert on the writing of literature should be able to come up with a more realistic and nuanced discussion, and not something that will have every Canadian reader rolling their eyes with mockery.

Add to these unrealistic and juvenile dialogues jarring factual errors and digressions from reality (the police receiving warrants to search every home in a town; the flammability of paraffin) and you have an unsophisticated, if barely followable, detective story that alienates the reader and prevents them from becoming immersed in the mystery; and, with any detective story, that's the greatest crime of all.

For those who love murder mysteries, the combination of the familiar and the unexpected is important to get right. There are certain conventions that can be observed, but too conventional means too predictable and not following enough conventions leaves a reader lost and bewildered. Ultimately though, the only rule is, whatever you do has to keep readers engaged until the end. Penny meets that standard without any trouble.

This is the first I've read of Penny, but apparently its not her first novel in the small Quebec backwoods village of Three Pines, nor is it the first adventure with Inspector Gamache. Gamache is a unique detective in the genre, and I think most readers will appreciate how he is fleshed out. Unfortunately, too many of the other characters are not really fleshed out convincingly. The main way we learn about the characteristics of others is through comments from other characters; when we're with the characters in the flesh, so to speak, we typically don't see evidence of "kindness", "greed" or any other attributes they allegedly possess. The puzzle is the focus here, and the characters main purpose is to arrange themselves in position around that puzzle. This is not to say that Penny is a poor writer; far from it. Readers who appreciate a little literary taste with their mystery will get along fine here, I think. Penny enjoys poetry and incorporates it into her novel as the story unwinds.

Unwinding is the right word, too . . . lies are slowly peeled away until ultimately the brutal truth is exposed. Incidentally, the inside cover blurb is misleading in that it makes the novel sound like a horror novel - it is nothing of the sort. This is classic detective fiction with a unique spin, but not so that you can't recognize it.

Incidentally, one unfortunate laughable moment is the homophobic art director/curator from the city and the conscientious tolerant individual from the backwoods. Isn't it usually the opposite in Quebec?

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
I love the fact that it takes place in Quebec although written in English. Since the stories she writes always involve the same basic characters, you get to know them well.

Published 5 months ago by Mary

5.0 out of 5 stars Louise Penny is a wonderful story teller.
I am always excited when I find a Canadian author...even more so when I find a really good one. I have all of Louise Penny's books and impatiently waiting for the next publication

Published 12 months ago by Bookworm

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
This book is set in Quebec, which makes it very interesting for me, a fellow Canadian. She also has well developed, quirky characters, who came alive for me, a strong story line,... Read more

Published on April 13 2010 by Jean Collins

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Yet
This is my fovorite in the series so far. I have only one problem with it (and most of the Gamache books). Read more

Published on Feb 9 2010 by K

4.0 out of 5 stars More than a Typical Mystery
Book 5 in the Inspector Armand Gamache series

In her latest novel, Louise Penny brings her readers back to the village of Three Pines where we will find Inspector... Read more

Published on Dec 26 2009 by Toni Osborne

5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent offering
This latest in the Armand Gamache series is as compelling and beautifully-written as the others, but with a surprise departure at the end. Read more

Published on Nov 12 2009 by Monicalibrarian

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