The Adversary
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
'On the Saturday morning of January 9, 1993, while Jean Claud Roman was killing his wife and children, I was with mine in a parent-teacher meeting ... ' With these chilling first words, acclaimed master of psychological suspense, Emmanuel Carrère, begins his exploration of the double life of a respectable doctor, eighteen years of lies, five murders, and the extremes to which ordinary people can go.
Reviews with the most likes.
This bizarre but true story is expertly narrated by Carrère is of interest to all true crime buffs or anyone interested into the darker, baffling side of human psychology. Its a short quick read that will stay with you long after you've read it.
A very well-written book I'll never read again.
Carrère says at the end that writing this story could only be a crime or a prayer.
I disagree. A crime it isn't. But it doesn't qualify as a prayer either, at least not to me.
Looking to understand the monstrosity of a life and crime such as Jean Claude Romand's is a fool's errand. It doesn't bring any clarity to what was evidently a dark and broken abyss of meaninglessness to begin with.
True crime, even when elevated by superb writing such as in this case, will never be my thing.
