The Book of Evidence, by John Banville

The Book of Evidence, by Irish author John Banville, isn’t a new novel – it was published in 1989 – but it was recommended to me a couple of years ago by an Irish friend and was in my pile of books to read until I took it with me on a recent trip. I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book, but found it an intriguing and unsettling read. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1989, The Book of Evidence is the tale of a dark journey into the mind of a murderer. The story revolves around Freddie Montgomery who is an educated man – a scientist – but an unsavoury character. I’d say he is a borderline sociopath, actually. He is the (evidently unreliable) narrator of the story, which is essentially that he tries to steal a painting in order to sell it and settle a debt, but in the course of the attempted robbery he kills a young servant girl in a very brutal way. He is eventually arrested and tells his story on remand awaiting trial. The plot is apparently based on a true story. This isn’t a…