***Warning, may contain spoilers.***

There is no mystery to happiness.

Such are the first words encountered as I opened the book ‘The Interpretation of Murder’ by Jed Rubenfeld. “What would happiness have in common with murder?”, I wondered, as I read these first few lines, not yet knowing that they would have led me to a different world and a different time. True enough, Jed Rubenfeld’s novel leads us to the deep heart of Manhattan and at the same time, in the dark mind of, us, humans…

1909, Sigmund Freud is said to have come to New York, his one and only visit to the United States, along with his disciples to deliver a series of lectures on psychoanalysis at Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts. This ‘event’ had marked Freud’s first public recognition of his work, representing the first step to his success in the world of psychoanalysis. However, Freud has always spoken of his short stay in the US as a terrible memory, making his biographers wonder what could have happened there to trigger such reaction from him. He called Americans ‘savages’ and America, the country which brings out the worst of people. Many have sought to know the truth about what happened during his stay. Jed Rubenfeld gives his version as he “weaves this real-life event into an accomplished thriller.” (Independent)

29, August 1909, Sigmund Freud is to arrive at Hoboken harbour, accompanied by his disciples, to deliver a series of lecture at Clark University. On that same morning, Miss Elizabeth Riverford is found dead in her apartment, strangled and bound. The following night, yet another victim is discovered, hanging to a chandelier, barely alive. Miss Nora Acton, due to this… incident… finds herself unable to speak or to remember anything. Taking advantage of his stay in New York, Dr. Freud is asked to help Miss Acton regain her memories (on which he appoints Dr. Stratham Younger, his “escort” as the doctor) and to eventually solve this case.

This quest of theirs not only leads them to the frightening side of humans but to the controversies encountered due to Freud’s theories on the Oedipus complex at that time and the constant battle of science versus psychology. This novel also brings us to the point where we start questioning the human nature as the characters unfold and the vilest beings are unleashed. ‘The Interpretation of Murder’ not only gifts us with one of the most beautifully written crime novels but also, allows us to explore 1909’s New York. He describes New York in such a way, considering the social divisions, the architecture, the streets and the people there, that the image simply pops in the mind, giving us a clear view of what it was like. Everything is based on facts, Jed Rubenfeld says in the Author’s Notes, up to the colour of the panelling of the taxis.

Jed Rubenfeld, as an undergraduate at Princeton, wrote his senior thesis on Freud, which is why I believe he was able to portrait his character so well. Having studied Shakespeare at the Julliard School of Drama, it was not surprising when I found that the main character, Stratham Younger, was a fan of Shakespeare as well, his favourite play being Hamlet. I cannot help but wonder whether he based that character on himself, Younger being an admirer of both Freud and Shakespeare. This novel makes us ponder on the very words of Shakespeare as well, the famous ‘to be or not to be’ being the very question that needs to be answered. It was rather comical when Younger exclaimed that he had solved ‘to be or not to be’, in the middle of the murder investigation, when the detective he was accompanying and himself just escaped death. But his solution as many others, would be later applied to his patient, Miss Acton, around whom the novel is concentrated.

Rubenfeld’s writing proves to be an adventure in itself as he switches from philosophy to humour, confusion, mystery, and desire; in a way, he explores the very facet of human nature. My favourite character remains Clara Banwell, for I believe, she gives off the very picture of the desirable and beautiful woman of all times. On the other hand, my heart goes to Younger, the young doctor who lived a quiet life but found himself in the midst of all this commotion, trying to find a way out while he begins to question everything he believes in.

‘The Interpretation of Murder’ is definitely a must-read novel for from the start to the end, it offers mystery and intrigue, as any good crime novel should. The characters are so alive that the pulse quickens as we start to find ourselves through them, forcing us to be lost in the jungle of Manhattan and its people. Once you start reading, you find yourself unable to put it down, but there were times I had to slow down to be able to understand about the deep meanings the book was trying to convey.

Official Site: http://www.interpretationofmurder.com/

Tags: Book, Crime, Historical, Mystery, Review