(1989) is Banville’s seventh novel. Told in the first person, the narrative involves a destitute former scientist named Freddie Montgomery stealing a painting from a private collection and murdering a maid who catches him in the act. The novel is written in the style of a confessional monologue and has a violent murder as its centrepiece. At the beginning of the novel, Freddie is awaiting trial and he protests that he is innocent of his crimes, eventually claiming that the only sin he is guilty of is a failure of his imagination (215). Freddie can be considered a typical anti-hero as he is largely incapable of feeling empathy for other people, and is a callous and violent man. His tale is continued in the sequels
Ghosts(1993), where he is released from prison, and
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Citation: Boyle, Kevin. "The Book of Evidence". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 October 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1417, accessed 04 May 2024.]
