The Reason Why - Hardcover
One of the world's most acclaimed mystery writers presents an anthology of literary depictions of murder that delves into the human passions, terrors, and foibles that incite the act and linger in its wake. Includes such writers as Sophocles, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Poe, George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Albert Camus, Graham Greene, P.D. James, Truman Capote, and Norman Mailer.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly:
How effective is a paragraph of Dostoyevski's Crime and Punishment out of context? Not very, and that's the problem with Rendell's anthology of more than 100 snippets from sources as diverse as the Bible, Matthew Arnold's "Sohrab and Rustum," Toni Morrison's Beloved and Melanie Klein's A Contribution to the Psychogenesis of Manic-Depressive States. Rendell (Simisola) begins with the premise that the "passions and terrors" that motivate murderers are more interesting than the act of murder itself. No doubt this is true, but although some of the excerpts are good enough to send readers back to the complete sources, the exercise here is too limited. So are Rendell's brief introductory comments to each selection, e.g., "A Mistreated wife takes revenge for a death." Rendell, brilliant at using narrative arc and duration to build suspense in her own writing, knows better. These digests are simply too neat. Like a funky highlight film, they provide neither a serious analytical approach nor a rich imaginative one.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal:
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Excerpts from a broad range of writings, including both fiction and nonfiction, attempt to explain what compels one person to take the life of another. Rendell has arranged the selections by motive and situation, and perhaps sheds some light on the human psyche.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherRandom House Value Publishing
- Publication date1997
- ISBN 10 051717569X
- ISBN 13 9780517175699
- BindingHardcover
- Rating
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