Having read this book with some interest after finishing it I did my (now) customary google research to find out a little more about it. The one interesting thing I found is that apprently Edward Norton will direct and star in an adaptation of the book. The question is, will he play the Tourette’s afflicted protagonist, Lionel Essrog, or the the ubiquitous anti-hero John Minna?
Regardless, I think MB lends itself well to Film, or has the potential to.
Plot: Satisfying. There are some twists and turns and everything is explained in the end. You can trust the critics: read merely as a detective novel or pull your socks up and go in for a closer look, to mix metaphors. One thing I will say is that in the end I wondered whether the author (Jonathon Letham) wasn’t playing some trick on us, are we sure that the old tourettor’s hands were clean? Really? How sure? This was the impression I was left with. Maybe I’m an idiot. Now, I think the reason that NYT et al were so favourably disposed to this novel was that there was something Wolffesque in the way a tangental plot resolved itself to the readers satisfaction. This book is a must read.
Character Highlight: John Minna, founder of the “Minna Men”.
“Minna Men to the Bone”. You know, I found myself asking throughout this book, was Minna the salvation of young Essrog, or his destroyer? This is no real insight I grant you but a question the reader may thoughtfully explore.
Rating 4/5 (Read this book!)
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