Product Description

A dazzling literary thriller - the story of Sigmund Freud assisting a Manhattan murder investigation. Think SHADOW OF THE WIND meets THE HISTORIAN.

THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER is an inventive tour de force inspired by Sigmund Freud's 1909 visit to America, accompanied by protégé and rival Carl Jung. When a wealthy young debutante is discovered bound, whipped and strangled in a luxurious apartment overlooking the city, and another society beauty narrowly escapes the same fate, the mayor of New York calls upon Freud to use his revolutionary new ideas to help the surviving victim recover her memory of the attack, and solve the crime. But nothing about the attacks - or about the surviving victim, Nora - is quite as it seems. And there are those in very high places determined to stop the truth coming out, and Freud's startling theories taking root on American soil.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5564 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 533 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Experienced readers of crime and thrillers tend to stifle a yawn these days when they encounter a mountain of hype about a new book or author. But the fevered word of mouth that has been generated by Jed Rubenfeld’s The Interpretation of Murder is, for once, justified. This is a remarkably ambitious book, taking on a powerful suspenseful narrative, assiduously researched historical detail and a brilliant evocation of time and character. It's not surprising that the book has already been sold in 20 different countries, and is already something of an international publishing phenomenon. The secret, of course, is in plotting, and few carry this off as adroitly as the author does here. But there is some wonderful historical detail here also, and a conjuring up of real-life characters that is very intelligently done.

Despite the outward success of his visit to the USA, Sigmund Freud always spoke as if some trauma had befallen him there. He blamed the country for physical ailments that afflicted him long before his visit. Freud’s biographers have been bemused by his reaction, wondering whether some terrible unknown event might have happened in America that could explain this. The Interpretation of Murder is strikingly written literary thriller constructed around Freud’s American visit. An attractive young debutante is discovered bound, whipped and strangled in a luxurious New York apartment and another society beauty narrowly escapes the same fate. But nothing about the attacks--or the victims--is as it seems.
--Barry Forshaw

Sunday Telegraph
'Rubenfeld writes beautifully, his style skillfully evoking the
period...fascinating'

Review

‘A spectacular debut… fiendishly clever… a fascinating recreation of a golden age in which much of the New York of today is recognisable’

'Rubenfeld writes beautifully, his style skillfully evoking the period, as he weaves all these threads into an intriguing mystery with a fascinating glimpse into the early days of psychoanalysis’

'An unusually intelligent novel which entertains, informs and intrigues on several levels'

Customer Reviews

Irritating and disappointing
THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER by Jed Rubenfeld
I think what annoyed me most when I finished reading this book, were the words taken from a Guardian review, "spectacular, fiendishly clever" on the cover. For once finished, it is not spectacular nor is it fiendishly clever. I really enjoyed the build up of the Freud, Jung, Brill and main character Younger relationship, but the detective mystery that is the main bulk of the story is weak and not believable, and so irritating to have a whole chapter after the mystery is solved, explaining who was where and why. I realize that Rubenfeld is an extremely prolific academic, but before embarking on this crime thriller, he should have taken the time to research the methods of prolific crime writers such as Agatha Christie or Ruth Rendall, who tie everything up so neatly that lengthy explanations are unnecessary. I also did not like the rearrangement of chronology that the author admits to at the end, to suit his purpose. From one so academic, this should not have been necessary.

Too long, too dull, too bad............
I agree with the many other reviewers already published on here.

The prose is pretty awful.

The characters are stereotyped and unbelievable.

The book logically "ends" about 70 pages before the last page!

Etc. etc. etc............

The one thing I would like to add is that the terrific "twist" in the plot is appallingly obvious! Telegraphed in fact!

I think the author depended upon the reader's mind being dulled by his awful prose!

"....fiendishly clever." I don't think so!

Recommended by "Richard and Judy". Says it all really.

A poor read
I am at a loss to understand the high regard felt by some for this book. The plot and characterisations are thin and it is badly written. The best period novels give you the sense of time and place but this one does not. A good whodunnit intrigues you with its plot but this one does not. Also because the main characters are so badly drawn you never really care.