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Bed of Nails
It's as if he's being mocked from beyond the grave.
When John Nichols arrives to identify the body of an old friend, he is immediately caught up in the detritus of Alan Musgrave's life, the side of Paris the tourists don't see, where everyone has a past but very few count on a future. But what can he expect from a man who bled to death in his own excruciating S&M stage...more
When John Nichols arrives to identify the body of an old friend, he is immediately caught up in the detritus of Alan Musgrave's life, the side of Paris the tourists don't see, where everyone has a past but very few count on a future. But what can he expect from a man who bled to death in his own excruciating S&M stage...more
Hardcover, 265 pages
Published
June 7th 2012
by Quercus
(first published 2009)
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Sono devota lettrice di Fred Vargas, per cui ho fatto un po' fatica, inizialmente, a staccarmi dal modello.
Ma: proprio questa difficoltà iniziale ha evidenziato un fattore interessante, su cui altrimenti non avrei riflettuto. Perché è innegabile che esista una scrittura più tipicamente maschile e una più tipicamente femminile, e mi è parso quindi in tutta la sua evidenza quanto Vargas, pur adottando uno pseudonimo maschile, poi si sveli autrice da sé.
Abituandomi a poco a poco al nuovo 'genere',...more
Ma: proprio questa difficoltà iniziale ha evidenziato un fattore interessante, su cui altrimenti non avrei riflettuto. Perché è innegabile che esista una scrittura più tipicamente maschile e una più tipicamente femminile, e mi è parso quindi in tutta la sua evidenza quanto Vargas, pur adottando uno pseudonimo maschile, poi si sveli autrice da sé.
Abituandomi a poco a poco al nuovo 'genere',...more
Au premier coup d'oeil, la couverture et le résumé ne sont guère alléchants. Et pourtant, ce roman noir, plus que noir, est divinement impitoyable, juste et captivant. C'est l'histoire, d'un côté, d'un lieutenant et de son adjoint, deux bras cassés confinés au service des suicidés, et qui commencent à relever plusieurs cas suspects sans véritablement mettre un nom à ce malaise. C'est ainsi qu'ils font la connaissance d'un trappeur franco-américain, appelé à la rescousse pour régler les formalité...more
I have not read a crime thriller as utterly compelling and emotionally powerful as ‘Bed of Nails’ for many years and, having been promised a unique crime reading experience by those lucky enough to have read this before publication, I would implore that you seek this out and prepare for an unparallelled master class in crime writing. A novel that metaphorically slaps you round the face from the opening scene of a harrowing suicide and a plot that continues to pummel the reader’s senses throughou...more
Bed of Nails is somewhat of a curious book - a police procedural that doesn’t easily fit the genre, with a misfit, and at times almost cartoonish, lead character. The plot is quite complex, weaving together different strands, which veers towards being opaque on occasion; it not always clear quite how Guérin is fitting his clues together or what exactly is going on. As a result, the first half of the book was interesting, but was not compelling. In the second half, the narrative becomes more enga...more
Translated from French "Bed of Nails" is rich in characterisation rather than story.
A rather bizarre crime thriller based around the death of a fakir of S&M. The plot-line gets lost after the second chapter but you are awarded with some beautifully awkward sub characters who become more important with each chapter.
The ex con we come to know as Bunker and his faithful companion, Mesrine are, for me, the most loveable throughout. Though damaged by previous experiences in his life, his nature...more
A rather bizarre crime thriller based around the death of a fakir of S&M. The plot-line gets lost after the second chapter but you are awarded with some beautifully awkward sub characters who become more important with each chapter.
The ex con we come to know as Bunker and his faithful companion, Mesrine are, for me, the most loveable throughout. Though damaged by previous experiences in his life, his nature...more
Am Anfang war ich sehr angetan von diesem Krimi. Sehr gute Sprachfabulierkunst und ein Hintergrundthema, das sehr interessant ist, nämlich wie Menschen zum Folterer gemacht werden können bzw. die Auswirkung von Folter auf den Gefolterten und den Folterer gewürzt mit ausgezeichneten psychologischen, zeitgeschichtlichen und politschen Hintergründen.
Diese an sich hervorragende Grundkonstellation ist aber verpackt in ein Werk mit völlig abstrus entwickelten Figuren, die sich komplett ambivalent und...more
Diese an sich hervorragende Grundkonstellation ist aber verpackt in ein Werk mit völlig abstrus entwickelten Figuren, die sich komplett ambivalent und...more
Uno dei più tristi romanzi che io abbia mai letto. Negativo, pessimista e quant'altro.
Trama un po' cervellotica, ma ben scritto
Trama un po' cervellotica, ma ben scritto
Like a mash up between Fred Vargas nd Ken Bruen. Dazzling and offbeat, but bleak.
I picked up Bed of Nail as part of my Paris in July reading and I think my lack of engagement with it is why I did so badly with my personal goals. The concept sounds good; Parisian suicide squad with offbeat characters and a talking parrot. Overall I found it a bit odd and there is an over use of “had” which makes the prose feel a bit clumsy. I don’t know if this is just the translation or the intended style but it wasn’t for me. A shortish book, I gave up at page 102.
I've finished the book but am uncertain as to my liking it or not. The writing good but uneven, the characters are colorful and nice but not always believable or likeable. Was not the "New pope of French mystery" as announced on the cover (unless French mystery is in horrible shape).
Pas mal du tout. Un peu difficile d'abord au démarrage et l'implication des 2 histoires n'est pas évidente, mais ensuite c'est très prenant. Et noir, très noir. À ne pas lire en période de déprime :-)
Excellent. Brilliantly written. A real page turner. Becomes one of my favourite novels. Highly recommended.
My rating went up the more I thought about this book after I finished it.
Apr 22, 2013
Iroulito91
marked it as to-read
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Né à Paris en 1973, Antonin Varenne n’y restera que quelques mois avant d’être enlevé par ses parents pour vivre aux quatre coins de France, puis sur un voilier. Il n’y reviendra qu’à vingt ans, pour poursuivre des études à Nanterre.
Après une maîtrise de philosophie (Machiavel et l’illusion politique), il quitte l’Université, devient alpiniste du bâtiment, vit à Toulouse, travaille en Islande, au...more
More about Antonin Varenne...
Après une maîtrise de philosophie (Machiavel et l’illusion politique), il quitte l’Université, devient alpiniste du bâtiment, vit à Toulouse, travaille en Islande, au...more
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