The Book of Evidence is the first-person narrative of Freddie Montgomery, a man of questionable morality who ends up murdering an incidental character in his life for no good reason. The book is told from prison as Montgomery reflects on his life, motives, and circumstances that brought him to his cell.

The command of language John Banville used to great effect in his Man Booker Prize winning novel The Sea is transmogrified here, taking on an aloof and brash character. This is likely intentional since Montgomery confesses to making good use of the dictionary in his cell. But the beauty is lacking.

That sentence is my ultimate view of The Book of Evidence. The beauty is lacking. Not unlike my experience reading Sartre’s La Nausée, The Book of Evidence left me—apathetic, somewhat unsettled and (quite frankly) bored.

I admit that I may be missing something here. This book is an award winner, shortlisted for the same prestigious prize won by The Sea. For me, the lack of a virtuous or even sympathetic character, left me underwhelmed.

Banville, John. . E-book ed., Vintage International, 2001. EPUB.