The Writer's Life 4/13 - Interpretations

Whenever I receive a donation of books, I read the blurbs of those with which I’m unfamiliar in order to be able to communicate with a potential customer. When I saw that Sigmund Freud was a character in Jed Rubenfeld’s The Interpretation of Murder, I was hooked. I enjoyed it. Set in NYC in 1909 during the father of psychoanalysis' only visit to America, it is an intricate mystery, a blend of fact and fiction. The protagonist is a young psychologist who acts as a guide to Freud and his then protégé, Carl Jung, who are to deliver lectures at colleges. There are two mysteries: a murder, and a plot to derail the lectures by those opposed to the controversial theories, which had already taken hold in Europe but not the allegedly puritanical USA. Along the way there is much discussion of transference, the Oedipus theory and Hamlet, elements I found engrossing. Whether one is an admirer or detractor of Freud’s ideas, their impact on the world cannot be denied. I see a lot of value in them, but balk at total acceptance because I don’t think anything in life is 100%, except math like 2+2=4, although Dostoevsky's gambler would argue that one to the contrary. The author did a lot of research to render the feel of Manhattan at the turn of the 20^th century. I respect that. Most of my work does not require any research, and the little that did was tedious. Rubenfeld is a distinguished legal scholar. Fortunately, the narrative does not delve too far into the intricacies of law, which I'm not nearly as fascinated by as the psyche. In reading his notes on the novel, he admits to liberties. I do not object to those he took with theories. Although a few of them appeared in print after 1909, it is reasonable to assume they would have been discussed openly well before their publication. I do object to his having cast actual minor historical figures in a negative light that is not supported by facts. Although they have been dead a long time, it is unfair. Fictional names should have been used. In one of the book's most interesting aspects, the protagonist believes he has solved Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy. I failed to grasp his thesis, probably because he is a lot more intelligent than I. 101 users at Amazon have rated the book, forging to a consensus of 3.7 of five, on the money, in my view. It was Rubenfeld’s first novel (2007), a heck of a debut. He has since written another. He also has published three scholarly works, one of which was a co-write. Anyone fascinated by Freud, Shakespeare and old New York would likely enjoy The Interpretation of Murder. It is just a tad over-written, but the prose and dialogue are smooth, reflective of the era. Those who prefer slam-bang, fast-paced works in simple language should pass.


Here's the early favorite for the oddest/funniest sports story of 2015. I just read at Yahoo Sports that the players on the L.A. Kings, winners of two of the last three Stanley Cups, locked their coach, Darryl Sutter, out of their locker room the past few weeks to keep from hearing him berate them. The rift goes back at least as far as February 7th at Tampa Bay, when Sutter tracked down an arena operative, asked him to unlock the door, and found three large trash receptacles blocking the way!


It was another beautiful day weather-wise. Dare I say it looks like we will actually have a Spring this year? The only drawback was that Luis was spreading black mulch in the garden along the East 13th side of the building at my usual nook. "What's that smell?" a lot of people asked. My thanks to the four kind folks who bought books.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/pdxwsnt

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/