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Good Reading : July 2007
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A bestseller the world over, topping the charts in the UK for nearly four months, Jed Rubenfeld’s The Interpretation of Murder has become a favourite with reading groups. Here we give you a synopsis of the plot and a list of questions your group can discuss. reading group THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER Jed Rubenfeld The Interpretation of Murder is an intricately plotted literary thriller based on true events: the story of Sigmund Freud’s 1909 visit to New York. Around this kernel of fact, Jed Rubenfeld has spun a spectacularly entertaining fiction centred upon murder. A wealthy young debutante is discovered bound, whipped and strangled in her penthouse apartment, high above Broadway.The following night Nora Acton, another society beauty, narrowly escapes the same fate, and the mayor of New York calls upon Freud to use his revolutionary ideas to help Nora recover her memory and solve the crime. But nothing about the attacks – or indeed about Nora – is quite as it seems. As fiendishly ingenious a thriller as you could hope to read, The Interpretation of Murder cuts to the heart of what it is that makes Freud’s ideas so fascinating and engaging. It’s also the ultimate New York story: the construction of the skyscrapers, glittering high society salons, Chinatown opium dens, brothels and asylums all have their part to play in Jed Rubenfeld’s dazzling vision of Manhattan. A compelling tour through the dark places of a city, and of the human mind, The Interpretation of Murder is a storytelling triumph, and marks the debut of a major new talent. Readers’ guide Some questions to kick off your discussion of this stunning book: 1. With the action moving from the Waldorf- Astoria to Chinatown, from Gramercy Park to the Manhattan Bridge, the New York backdrop plays an integral role in this novel. Do you think the author has captured the city during this period well? 2. Over the course of the book, the author uses several red herrings to throw readers off the scent. Can you identify them? Did you feel they enhanced your reading experience? 3. We’re presented with a lot of informa- tion about psychoanalysis and Freudian theory. How does the author weave this into the plot and make it engaging? 4. The story contains a fairly radical interpretation of Hamlet. What does this add to the story? 5. How does the relationship between Freud and Younger develop over the course of the book? What does this add to our understanding of the characters? 6. We frequently see Freud and his group debating matters of psychoanalysis, with Jung often disagreeing with the others. What impact does this divergence in opinion have on the group, and how does it contribute to the tension in the novel? 7. Littlemore’s cheerful, down-to-earth nature sets him apart from most of the other characters. What does his character bring to the novel? 8. How does the author knit the various strands of the story together at the end of the novel to create impact? 9. Were you surprised by the ending? 10. What further books would you recom- mend to other readers who have enjoyed this one? TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1. Information on how to enter and prizes forms part of these conditions. 2. The promoter is Good Reading Magazine Pty Ltd. 3. Entry is open to all residents of Australia. 4. Entries must be made between 01/07/07 and 31/07/07 and be sent to Good Reading Magazine, GPO Box 3835, Sydney NSW 2001 or entries can be made at www.goodreadingmagazine.com 5. Judging will take place on 01/08/07. 6. The promoter accepts no responsibility for late, lost or misdirected mail. 7. Any change in the value of the prize between the publishing date and the date the prize is claimed is not the responsibility of the promoter. 8. The winners will be the best entries considered by the Judges. 10. The Judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 11. The winners will be notified by mail and the winners’ names will be published in the September issue of Good Reading and will also appear on the Good Reading website during August 2007. Win This month 10 lucky reading groups could each win 2 copies of The Interpretation of Murder, valued at $22.95 each. To enter, just tell us in 25 words or less what you enjoy most about being in a reading group. Simply write your answer and your name and contact details on the back of an envelope and mail to ‘July Reading Group Competition’, GPO Box 3835 Sydney NSW 2001 or enter online at www.goodreadingmagazine.com Why not write your own review and post it on our website? Go to www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au/ book_details.cfm?book=1049 and share your thoughts with other Good Reading reading groups! interpreting murder Here’s what gr had to say about The Interpretation of Murder, winner of the Galaxy British Book Awards Best Read 2007, in our October 2006 issue: The Interpretation of Murder Jed Rubenfeld Set in Manhattan in 1909, this begins with legendary psychologist Sigmund Freud’s (real life) visit to the States. Shortly after he arrives, a wealthy debutante is murdered in her apartment. Freud and his disciples are soon called to treat another young socialite, who survives a similar attack in her own home. Before you can say ‘Oedipus’, the group is drawn into the investigation. Rubenfeld, a professor of law and one-time drama student, has assembled the most vivid col- lection of characters this reviewer has seen for a long time, while also displaying a flair for clever historical extrapolation. His Manhattan, mean- while, is a barrelling, chaotic leviathan that looks set to swallow everyone up. A strong contender for crime debut of the year. ★★★★ Headline Review $32.95 Reviewed by Guy Mosel
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