Diary of a Murderer by Kerstin Ekman Review

Hjalmar Söderberg, born in Stockholm in 1869, is still one of the most read and most popular writers of the fin-de-siècle in Sweden. After his debut novel “aberrations” (1885) 1905 his masterpiece appeared “Doktor Glas”. This novel, which was contrary to popular belief, against morals and good taste, at that time caused a scandal and was detested as immoral and disgusting especially in conservative circles of society. Men live their excessive sex drive in stinking brothels; the descriptions of the rundown women who help with abortions and the healing of sexually transmitted diseases for doubtful midwives looking for are nauseous.

Soderberg discussed a planned murder he justified under the circumstances; He has the offender not guilty to.

Kerstin Ekman has now in her novel “Diary of a Murderer” the (fictional) Dr. Pontus Revinge created, which is very early fascinated by Söderbergs novels. Masterly fashion Ekman connects the Revinge story arc – his life with his parents, the study as a poor Bettelstudent, medical training, recruitment to the general garrison hospital and finally as a clerk in the office of Dr.

Skade – with the writer Söderberg. Reality and fiction mingle, as it interweaves biographical and text passages from Söderbergs novels. Since Revinge meet the author at a coffee shop; since it is Revinge, which gives him the hint on how to kill a man, without that it can be detected. But the delicate smell of bitter almonds, the only sensitive noses perceive may indicate a crime, in which cyanide in the game.

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But Soderberg do not want to see the pills and leaves fled the place.

Nevertheless, Revinge forms a history of the “good murderer Dr. Glass,” the Söderberg years after the meeting published was initiated by him Service. And the similarities are indeed startling indeed: Dr. Pontus Revinge keeps a diary and kills a human being just like Dr. Glass, who also kills and holds his private notes. The motives, however, are not the same: Revinge murder on a whim, while glass helps a woman is exposed to constant rape.

An outstanding strength of the novel is its dense and impressive historical and social period atmosphere.. As rich in privation is the lives of people in the former Stockholm: coal stoves, writing by candlelight and many other details left deep impressions. We are at a time are no rights in the women, not the right to vote again. can dream. Socially and spatially separated sit the ladies in their wreath, while the men to meet in clubs or secret societies.

Drinking The doctor Ida Tjerning, a smoking, whiskey virago with a tie around his neck, Ekman leaves one hand, emancipated, pioneering woman, on the other hand Ida is a danger to Revinge. Ida questioned the sudden cardiac death, doubts the files transcript Revinges on, suggests an autopsy. But a male family provider to take the work is unthinkable at that time, and so the doctor is only the gynecology, the “swamp” in which they can only produce disasters (S. 121).

In this to have been time doctor seems to me almost as bad as working in the slaughterhouse. From the beginning to Revinge particularly the women whose abdomen is his field of work loathes the fumes and odors. Hygiene is still a foreign word. His research instruments he could Dr. have borrowed Frankenstein … Happy is he if he only write prescriptions must, and without inhibitions he helps with opiates, laudanum and other addictive drugs.

Kerstin Ekman brilliant literary in her novel stylistic devices. We read a language that looks stiff, cumbersome and archaic and far led us away from our modern age. Ekman’s representation of the mentally disturbed Dr. Pontus Revinge, who is unable to have sexual intercourse, but the purity of the daughter wants to protect Frida from the doctor Household Skade life is an attractive one. There is much to review, interpret, emphasize, but I want not anticipate even more. This absolutely exceptional, very good thriller offers great entertainment its own, very individual approaches.