David Schwinghammer's Blog - Posts Tagged "thomm-satterlee"
THE STAGES
Daniel Peters is an American working as a translator at the Soren Kierkegaard Center in Copenhagen. He becomes embroiled in a murder case when his boss and former lover, Mette Rasmussen, is murdered, and a recently discovered Kierkegaard manuscript is stolen.
Daniel begins to pursue her killer, in his own unique fashion. You see, he has Aspergers and has a tendency to fall down stairs. He’s even a suspect in the case, as foot prints at the scene match his shoes, and he admits breaking a railing at the scene.
Many won’t recognize the name Kierkegaard. He was a philosopher/theologist who is sometimes called the “father of existentialism”. I took philosophy as a general in college, and I read Will Durant’s STORY OF PHILOSOPHY, or I wouldn’t know who he was either. The Danes seem to be obsessed with him. Not only is there a Kierkegaard Center, but there are several collections in various libraries Peters visits while helping the police find the killer. Peters himself is all too ready to accept the new manuscript as the real thing, despite the fact that Kierkegaard despised poetry. It’s not even good poetry, according to one of the philologists at the center. Kierkegaard was one strange dude. He wrote his books under assumed names, and Peters has trouble telling if Kierkegaard is being ironic during his translations. Kierkegaard seems to be toying with the reader. He also liked to pretend to be a slacker, although he was one of the hardest working writers of his time. He never married, although he was engaged, breaking off the wedding at the last minute. The poems are supposed to be about his fiancée. Mette believe that Kierkegaard himself suffered from Aspergers. Peters can be funny at times, although unintentionally. He asks the female police officer, who reminds him of Mette, if he can kiss her. She rejects him on the grounds that it would be unprofessional. We can hear an audible “Phew” from Peters, as he almost immediately regrets asking her. He doesn’t even like to be touched.
Peters’ background is important to the story. Mette Rasmussen’s family, one of the richest in Denmark, didn’t think he was good enough for her and broke up the marriage. When she dies, he can’t bring himself to grieve for her, although he wants to. We’re not sure if people with Aspergers even can grieve, which brings us to the end of the book. Peters is crying. The ending is also inconclusive in my mind. Did the person blamed for Mette’s murder actually do it? There seems to be a more likely suspect with more of a motive.
Daniel begins to pursue her killer, in his own unique fashion. You see, he has Aspergers and has a tendency to fall down stairs. He’s even a suspect in the case, as foot prints at the scene match his shoes, and he admits breaking a railing at the scene.
Many won’t recognize the name Kierkegaard. He was a philosopher/theologist who is sometimes called the “father of existentialism”. I took philosophy as a general in college, and I read Will Durant’s STORY OF PHILOSOPHY, or I wouldn’t know who he was either. The Danes seem to be obsessed with him. Not only is there a Kierkegaard Center, but there are several collections in various libraries Peters visits while helping the police find the killer. Peters himself is all too ready to accept the new manuscript as the real thing, despite the fact that Kierkegaard despised poetry. It’s not even good poetry, according to one of the philologists at the center. Kierkegaard was one strange dude. He wrote his books under assumed names, and Peters has trouble telling if Kierkegaard is being ironic during his translations. Kierkegaard seems to be toying with the reader. He also liked to pretend to be a slacker, although he was one of the hardest working writers of his time. He never married, although he was engaged, breaking off the wedding at the last minute. The poems are supposed to be about his fiancée. Mette believe that Kierkegaard himself suffered from Aspergers. Peters can be funny at times, although unintentionally. He asks the female police officer, who reminds him of Mette, if he can kiss her. She rejects him on the grounds that it would be unprofessional. We can hear an audible “Phew” from Peters, as he almost immediately regrets asking her. He doesn’t even like to be touched.
Peters’ background is important to the story. Mette Rasmussen’s family, one of the richest in Denmark, didn’t think he was good enough for her and broke up the marriage. When she dies, he can’t bring himself to grieve for her, although he wants to. We’re not sure if people with Aspergers even can grieve, which brings us to the end of the book. Peters is crying. The ending is also inconclusive in my mind. Did the person blamed for Mette’s murder actually do it? There seems to be a more likely suspect with more of a motive.
