Based on strong recommendations from TEV I grabbed a copy of this book from our Used department when I happened upon it. He says it is a good starting point for Banville. And now I can see why. Banville is like that music you are not sure you like when you first hear it. But as time goes on, you find yourself humming the songs and the more you listen, the more you like. I thought the storyline interesting enough. After Frederick Montgomery, a charismatic and indolent Irish expatriate, aimlessly floats his way through California and the Mediterranean’s sleazier areas, he winds back up in his hometown. There Freddie becomes obsessed with a painting and decides to steal it to raise money. But along the way, he murders a young woman before taking flight to an old family friend’s place. The whole story is told through a confession by Freddie while he is in jail awaiting trial so you are left to wonder what is true and what is fiction in his account. Banville’s writing is subtle, but elegant. And you really get into the Freddie’s schizophrenic mind in a way that is almost uncomfortable. But this book is definitely worth reading.
I think I have been converted to being a big fan of Banville. I certainly want to read more. I just wonder which novel I should pick next.