Book Review 16
Name Of The Book : The Disappearance Of Adele Bedeau
Author : Raymond Brunet translated by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Publisher : Bee Books
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction
Review :
Manfred Baumann is a loner. Socially awkward and perpetually ill at ease, he spends his evenings quietly drinking and surreptitiously observing Adele Bedeau, the sullen but alluring waitress at a drab bistro in the unremarkable small French town of Saint-Louis. But one day, Adele simply vanishes into thin air. When Georges Gorski, a detective haunted by his failure to solve one of his first murder cases, is called in to investigate the girl's disappearance, Manfred's repressed world is shaken to its core and he is forced to confront the dark secrets of his past. The character Manfred Baumann is roughly based on the author himself and the plot is related to his real life.
The book is set in the quiet town of Saint-Louis on the French-Swiss border, a place where few visitors wish to linger. The author has been able to paint a beautiful picture of the place and its people. The character of Manfred Baumann has a lot of depth and the author has done a commendable job in presenting the character to the readers. We are able to understand in detail the thoughts that go through Baumannn's mind thus making it possible to connect and sympathize with his life. The life of a detective in a small town is also rightly depicted through the character of Georges Gorski. The progress of the story is very slow paced so if you are expecting a fast moving thriller, you are in for a disappointment. The book is well written and the essence of the book has not been lost in translation. There is only a slight element of suspense and is highly predictable. I found the end of the book a bit underwhelming as I was expecting a bit more dramatic end. Overall, it is a good read for a psychological thriller but make sure that you read it for the writing and not for the end.
Rating : 3.9/5
Name Of The Book : The Disappearance Of Adele Bedeau
Author : Raymond Brunet translated by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Publisher : Bee Books
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction
Review :
Manfred Baumann is a loner. Socially awkward and perpetually ill at ease, he spends his evenings quietly drinking and surreptitiously observing Adele Bedeau, the sullen but alluring waitress at a drab bistro in the unremarkable small French town of Saint-Louis. But one day, Adele simply vanishes into thin air. When Georges Gorski, a detective haunted by his failure to solve one of his first murder cases, is called in to investigate the girl's disappearance, Manfred's repressed world is shaken to its core and he is forced to confront the dark secrets of his past. The character Manfred Baumann is roughly based on the author himself and the plot is related to his real life.
The book is set in the quiet town of Saint-Louis on the French-Swiss border, a place where few visitors wish to linger. The author has been able to paint a beautiful picture of the place and its people. The character of Manfred Baumann has a lot of depth and the author has done a commendable job in presenting the character to the readers. We are able to understand in detail the thoughts that go through Baumannn's mind thus making it possible to connect and sympathize with his life. The life of a detective in a small town is also rightly depicted through the character of Georges Gorski. The progress of the story is very slow paced so if you are expecting a fast moving thriller, you are in for a disappointment. The book is well written and the essence of the book has not been lost in translation. There is only a slight element of suspense and is highly predictable. I found the end of the book a bit underwhelming as I was expecting a bit more dramatic end. Overall, it is a good read for a psychological thriller but make sure that you read it for the writing and not for the end.
Rating : 3.9/5