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The Insult
A gritty yet sublimely intelligent psychological thriller, this book is a return to the vivid, unsettling urban underworld Thomson explored in his first two novels. "We are in the dark side of the brain, full of grief and deliciously strange comedy. I've never read anything like it, " writes Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient.
406 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
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3824 people want to read
About the author
Rupert Thomson
34 books315 followersRupert Thomson, (born November 5, 1955) is an English writer. He is the author of thirteen critically acclaimed novels and an award-winning memoir. He has lived in many cities around the world, including Athens, Berlin, New York, Sydney, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and Rome. In 2010, after several years in Barcelona, he moved back to London. He has contributed to the Financial Times, the Guardian, the London Review of Books, Granta, and the Independent.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
September 27, 2014
Absolute blindness is rare. There's usually some suggestion of movement, some sense of light and shade. Not in my case. What I 'saw' was depthless and impenetrable...There were no gradations in the blankness, no fluctuations of any kind. It was what depression would like, I thought, if you had to externalize it.
This was a spontaneous purchase for me - I knew nothing about the book or its author, but decided to give him a try because I was intrigued. I'm very glad that I did, as it turned out to be one of the stranger and certainly more interesting novels that I recently read.
The Insult opens with the main protagonist and narrator, Martin Blom, waking up in a hospital and being informed that he was shot in the head, and has suffered a cerebral insult which resulted in complete blindness. Blom's neurosurgeon, Bruno Visser, informs him that the loss of vision is permanent and irreversible - there is no chance of a recovery, and no operation or treatment which could give him at least a portion of his sight back. Visser tells Blom that if the bulled passed milimeters lower he would have been killed instantly - and that he will experience shock, depression, self-pity and even have suicidal thoughts before his long rehabilitation will be complete, and before he will eventually be able to exist among other people again. A titanium plate has been inserted into his skull to cover the hole left by the shot. There were no witnesses.
Martin begins the long and slow walk on the rough road leading towards his new life as a blind man - laboriously learning to life without depending on sight, as he did every minute before he was deprived of it. Until one day, when Martin is practicing with his new white cane in the hospital gardens, something incredible and inexplicable happens...
This is a tough novel to review, as I believe that the best way to read
it is to approach it without any knowledge about it - blindly, if you'll excuse the expression. Still, a review needs to be written, so I will do my best to not spoil it and encourage you to give it a shot (I am so bad).
Thomson is a very good writer - and refreshingly so. In the age of overwritten monstrosities or books which are overtly bare in their prose he achieves an elegant balance between both: he is descriptive, but not overtly so, and has a genuine talent for creating original and apt metaphor and similes, and images which are effective and memorable - which really is quite a feat in a novel about a and narrated by a blinded man. His writing is elegant and subdued, and there is a sense of carefulness and restraint in his sentences - although they are short and written in language styled to be ordinary, they give an air of being trimmed down or unnecessary fat and throwaway words, their structure chosen with delicate attention. It's refreshing to read a writer whose prose flows smoothly, but who pays attention to his craft and is a pleasure to read on the sentence level.
Thomson delights in playing hide and seek with the reader; the time when the novel takes place is very vague, and thanks to careful avoidance of any cultural or technological details The Insult could take place both in the 70's and in the 90's. The country where it is set is unnamed; it can't be England as it is said to have a president, and the characters' names sound foreign - Blom, Visser, Slatnick, Salenko, Kolan. There is a city where much of the novel takes place which features a hotel Kosminsky, and the city itself has numbered districts - much like Paris. But there is a certain grimness hanging around the place, typical to the ravaged natios of the former Eastern Bloc. If this is true, then the mountains which the novel also describes could well be the Carpathians.
The biggest flaw of The Insult is a complete shift of focus around halfway through - where Martin's narrative switches from his perspective to that of another character. The novel is still narrated in the first person, but the story is entirely different, although tied to Martin's - it's as if Thomson dreamed up two different books, and thought of a way to merge them into one. The novel shifts from being a surreal and hypnotic story about different ways of observing the world to a surreal and unnerving detective story, with a saga of a troubled family thrown in. This makes The Insult lose the almost unbreakable grip that it had on this reader - although it's still compelling and well-written, Thomson has pretty much abandoned the fascinating and exciting possibilities which he teased us with in the first act, and his plot starts wandering. Although it's sparkled with great scenes, it never manages to match the impression left by the beginning of the novel.
Still, despite its flaws, I believe that the novel is definitely worth reading - it is exciting, it is well-written, and it's dark in a quirky way. Rupert Thomson has been called an English Paul Auster, and the comparison is not entirely without any merits - Thomson's book shares the same interest in the detective story as the novels of The New York Trilogy, and both writers enjoy filling their worlds with strange events and protagonists and touch on the existential question of identity. Thomson creates a brilliant first act and his writing is a pleasure to read throughout the whole book, and I'm very glad that I have read it and that I also picked up his debut, Dreams Of Leaving, which I hope to read very soon.
This was a spontaneous purchase for me - I knew nothing about the book or its author, but decided to give him a try because I was intrigued. I'm very glad that I did, as it turned out to be one of the stranger and certainly more interesting novels that I recently read.
The Insult opens with the main protagonist and narrator, Martin Blom, waking up in a hospital and being informed that he was shot in the head, and has suffered a cerebral insult which resulted in complete blindness. Blom's neurosurgeon, Bruno Visser, informs him that the loss of vision is permanent and irreversible - there is no chance of a recovery, and no operation or treatment which could give him at least a portion of his sight back. Visser tells Blom that if the bulled passed milimeters lower he would have been killed instantly - and that he will experience shock, depression, self-pity and even have suicidal thoughts before his long rehabilitation will be complete, and before he will eventually be able to exist among other people again. A titanium plate has been inserted into his skull to cover the hole left by the shot. There were no witnesses.
Martin begins the long and slow walk on the rough road leading towards his new life as a blind man - laboriously learning to life without depending on sight, as he did every minute before he was deprived of it. Until one day, when Martin is practicing with his new white cane in the hospital gardens, something incredible and inexplicable happens...
This is a tough novel to review, as I believe that the best way to read
it is to approach it without any knowledge about it - blindly, if you'll excuse the expression. Still, a review needs to be written, so I will do my best to not spoil it and encourage you to give it a shot (I am so bad).
Thomson is a very good writer - and refreshingly so. In the age of overwritten monstrosities or books which are overtly bare in their prose he achieves an elegant balance between both: he is descriptive, but not overtly so, and has a genuine talent for creating original and apt metaphor and similes, and images which are effective and memorable - which really is quite a feat in a novel about a and narrated by a blinded man. His writing is elegant and subdued, and there is a sense of carefulness and restraint in his sentences - although they are short and written in language styled to be ordinary, they give an air of being trimmed down or unnecessary fat and throwaway words, their structure chosen with delicate attention. It's refreshing to read a writer whose prose flows smoothly, but who pays attention to his craft and is a pleasure to read on the sentence level.
Thomson delights in playing hide and seek with the reader; the time when the novel takes place is very vague, and thanks to careful avoidance of any cultural or technological details The Insult could take place both in the 70's and in the 90's. The country where it is set is unnamed; it can't be England as it is said to have a president, and the characters' names sound foreign - Blom, Visser, Slatnick, Salenko, Kolan. There is a city where much of the novel takes place which features a hotel Kosminsky, and the city itself has numbered districts - much like Paris. But there is a certain grimness hanging around the place, typical to the ravaged natios of the former Eastern Bloc. If this is true, then the mountains which the novel also describes could well be the Carpathians.
The biggest flaw of The Insult is a complete shift of focus around halfway through - where Martin's narrative switches from his perspective to that of another character. The novel is still narrated in the first person, but the story is entirely different, although tied to Martin's - it's as if Thomson dreamed up two different books, and thought of a way to merge them into one. The novel shifts from being a surreal and hypnotic story about different ways of observing the world to a surreal and unnerving detective story, with a saga of a troubled family thrown in. This makes The Insult lose the almost unbreakable grip that it had on this reader - although it's still compelling and well-written, Thomson has pretty much abandoned the fascinating and exciting possibilities which he teased us with in the first act, and his plot starts wandering. Although it's sparkled with great scenes, it never manages to match the impression left by the beginning of the novel.
Still, despite its flaws, I believe that the novel is definitely worth reading - it is exciting, it is well-written, and it's dark in a quirky way. Rupert Thomson has been called an English Paul Auster, and the comparison is not entirely without any merits - Thomson's book shares the same interest in the detective story as the novels of The New York Trilogy, and both writers enjoy filling their worlds with strange events and protagonists and touch on the existential question of identity. Thomson creates a brilliant first act and his writing is a pleasure to read throughout the whole book, and I'm very glad that I have read it and that I also picked up his debut, Dreams Of Leaving, which I hope to read very soon.
June 15, 2009
This book was fascinating. It starts with a man being shot and losing his sight. Except... maybe he can see after all.... but only at night. The entire book is his adventure, investigating the disappearance of a beautiful woaman, or maybe she not really beautiful and his sight is just a delusion..... In the middle of the book, we suddenly change narrators and drop back in time fifty years and the reader is completely confused... until it all comes back together at the end, brilliantly. I cant wait to read more by this author. Crazy unique and exciting story, and extremely well written.
October 9, 2007
I'd heard such good things about Rupert Thompson. I might try another book down the road, but this one was uniquely terrible, I couldn't even finish it. From the unoriginal, solipsistic narrator to the meandering pace and dearth of any suspense or momentum, I couldn't help but think of the author sitting down every day and arbitrarily picking something new for his protagonist to do. ("Today I'll have him order a pastry!" ... "Today he should meet yet another person who's unexplainably friendly to him even though he's a dick toward everyone!")
If anything, this reminded me of Haruki Murakami, where the entire world happens to the male protagonist, in which he expends minimal effort to woo women, make friends, and embroil himself in vague mysteries. I can only take so many books with bored, listless middle-class guys (who somehow don't need to work a day job) narrating to the reader their peregrinations around the city.
I'm sure the myriad strands of the plot come together, but the central conceit is so weak I couldn't bring myself to care. Also, there are dozens of gaps in logic regarding when Blom can or cannot see (the rules Thompson creates for this only seem to apply when he doesn't feel like describing anything visual). An apt title for the book, indeed.
If anything, this reminded me of Haruki Murakami, where the entire world happens to the male protagonist, in which he expends minimal effort to woo women, make friends, and embroil himself in vague mysteries. I can only take so many books with bored, listless middle-class guys (who somehow don't need to work a day job) narrating to the reader their peregrinations around the city.
I'm sure the myriad strands of the plot come together, but the central conceit is so weak I couldn't bring myself to care. Also, there are dozens of gaps in logic regarding when Blom can or cannot see (the rules Thompson creates for this only seem to apply when he doesn't feel like describing anything visual). An apt title for the book, indeed.
September 8, 2013
Well, I really did think the book was pretty different from the conventional books I usually read, so I'll give it that- it's extremely unique. I really liked how Thomson described the world from the man's perspective. Then going into the other perspective- Edith(?) was pretty unusual, the life of a female in a male-orientated house. Incest here. That was pretty odd. I really like how twisted and insane the whole thing was. Mazey's life was also odd to read as well- it was uncomfortable but in a good way I guess. The way everything randomly ties up at the end in such a weird way- the murder, the shooting... It's a really dark story in it's own quirky way.
First time I've read Thomson's books, I'd love to read more, really.
First time I've read Thomson's books, I'd love to read more, really.
April 21, 2023
*Re-read April 2023 - hmm a second go around left me disappointed. I still agree with my original review that the story is like a David Lynch film, a bit Twin Peaks or Blue Velvet-esque! The story starts off great and chugs along nicely; there is the mystery of the protagonist's (possible intermittent) blindness and the complexity of his missing girlfriend to solve. Then the last third of the book is just bad! I mean really bad! The story completely goes to pot, it's all over the place with random, bizarre plot twists that make no sense whatsoever! It's like Thomson just ran out of steam and started writing any old shite! And the ending is utter bollocks! Eugh! Drop from a (what was I thinking) 5 star to a 2 star (and that's being generous!) Off you go Thomson! Culled!
Original review: This book was like the literary version of a David Lynch film! In a good way!! The book starts and bam, page 1, you're catapulted straight into the story. The tale keeps getting freakier and increasingly bizarre, the characters become solidified in your mind, you're invested. Then bam, the ending, and whaaaaaaaaat?!! What just happened?!! What the f**k did I just read?!!!! Rupert Thomson lar, twin town David Lynch!
Original review: This book was like the literary version of a David Lynch film! In a good way!! The book starts and bam, page 1, you're catapulted straight into the story. The tale keeps getting freakier and increasingly bizarre, the characters become solidified in your mind, you're invested. Then bam, the ending, and whaaaaaaaaat?!! What just happened?!! What the f**k did I just read?!!!! Rupert Thomson lar, twin town David Lynch!
May 22, 2017
Things I liked: the undefined place and time (is it America? Europe? now? the past? we're not sure) and the really strange effect of the central idea (no spoilers, but we "see" everything from the viewpoint of a blind narrator). I wasn't so keen on the sudden switch to a different narrator for most of the last third, but it worked okay. And it's nice to discover a top-notch author who is still alive and writing; I'll be looking for more of his books.
April 16, 2008
I've had this on my shelf for a while. I was disappointed by 'Divided Kingdom' and I hoped that this novel wouldn't further distance me from Thomson. The mixed reviews on Amazon and here didn't help either, but I took the plunge...
... and I'm very glad I did. Again Thomson creates a strange land that is both familiar and alien at the same time. You feel like you recognise the place, but somehow it seems more unfriendly than anywhere you've actually been.
Within these he sets two stories, one of a blind man struggling to understand his strange sensory abilities and another of a remote family and their unusual relations.
I like Thomson's ideas. He isn't afraid of stretching things. He also creates striking prose images that support his imagination.
The only criticism is that the ending wrapped up a little quickly, without a neatly tied bow to the plot. But I can live with a few unanswered questions.
... and I'm very glad I did. Again Thomson creates a strange land that is both familiar and alien at the same time. You feel like you recognise the place, but somehow it seems more unfriendly than anywhere you've actually been.
Within these he sets two stories, one of a blind man struggling to understand his strange sensory abilities and another of a remote family and their unusual relations.
I like Thomson's ideas. He isn't afraid of stretching things. He also creates striking prose images that support his imagination.
The only criticism is that the ending wrapped up a little quickly, without a neatly tied bow to the plot. But I can live with a few unanswered questions.
May 17, 2009
One of the weirdest books I have ever read... surreal and at the same time very realistic, definitely original, unpredictable, disturbing, fascinating, unpredictable, sleazy, paranoid, ... Man gets shot in the parking lot (page 1), becomes blind but soon discovers that he can see in the dark, then his odyssey starts... very good! but probably not for everybody...
November 7, 2015
The Book is great.
This book shows the maturity level of the author. He explains every bit of the things in a manner you could picture it exactly how author pictures it. He really is a master of that game. Apart from that, the story is interesting. Sometimes you may feel its stretching unnecessarily. But anyway you'll enjoy those parts too because the writer is expert in his work.
I didn't find the end of story quite meaningful. It doesn't explain everything, instead almost everything.
Book is interesting though, it will take you to its own era. Its a nice 'point of view' category book.
I would like to give 3.7 (as goodreads has given too).
Somehow, the book looses its excitement level at the end, which he did maintained quite well throughout the novel. Its like the author just wanted to finish this shit as soon as possible. He could have done it in a more miraculous way. And maybe that's why this book didn't reached 4 & above ratings.
But I will surely like to read this author's another book. Not because of the story of this book, but because of his writings.
This book shows the maturity level of the author. He explains every bit of the things in a manner you could picture it exactly how author pictures it. He really is a master of that game. Apart from that, the story is interesting. Sometimes you may feel its stretching unnecessarily. But anyway you'll enjoy those parts too because the writer is expert in his work.
I didn't find the end of story quite meaningful. It doesn't explain everything, instead almost everything.
Book is interesting though, it will take you to its own era. Its a nice 'point of view' category book.
I would like to give 3.7 (as goodreads has given too).
Somehow, the book looses its excitement level at the end, which he did maintained quite well throughout the novel. Its like the author just wanted to finish this shit as soon as possible. He could have done it in a more miraculous way. And maybe that's why this book didn't reached 4 & above ratings.
But I will surely like to read this author's another book. Not because of the story of this book, but because of his writings.
January 11, 2010
I stumbled across this little psychological thriller at a thrift store. Something moved me to pick it up, and I'm glad I did; although it seems to take a kind of drastic curve toward the last third of the book, I urge you to stick with it. It's fascinating.
The narrator is a man who has been blinded by a stray bullet lodging in his brain, damaging his occipital cortex. Because of this, his eyes still perceive light, but his brain is no longer able to form an image of the outside world. However, as the sun comes down outside his hospital bed, he notices a strange ability...
To say any more would give too much away, and readers should experience the book for themselves; it's part of the ride to imagine you are blind like the narrator. All I will add is that the man becomes an unwitting participant in a murder mystery, and must use his strangely altered perceptions to navigate through a strange underworld as he pursues clues to the puzzle.
The narrator is a man who has been blinded by a stray bullet lodging in his brain, damaging his occipital cortex. Because of this, his eyes still perceive light, but his brain is no longer able to form an image of the outside world. However, as the sun comes down outside his hospital bed, he notices a strange ability...
To say any more would give too much away, and readers should experience the book for themselves; it's part of the ride to imagine you are blind like the narrator. All I will add is that the man becomes an unwitting participant in a murder mystery, and must use his strangely altered perceptions to navigate through a strange underworld as he pursues clues to the puzzle.
May 2, 2015
A weird, strange, and a WTF oddly addictive compulsive read.
An abstract, beautifully compelling mystery thriller.
I really don't know what else to say about this without giving anything away but I was blown away by the powerful imagery constructed by this picasoesque author.
Stunning !
An abstract, beautifully compelling mystery thriller.
I really don't know what else to say about this without giving anything away but I was blown away by the powerful imagery constructed by this picasoesque author.
Stunning !
April 8, 2009
The only good book I've read recently. Damn good it is too.
April 24, 2025
Strange to have discovered a writer through two awesome books (Katherine Carlyle and How to make a bomb) -and wanting to read everything from him- to follow this up with 3 disappointing books in a row.
December 11, 2010
you know when you find a book you'll never forget? that feeling in your brain and stomach? here it is
February 5, 2016
WHAT IF… by a whim of fate we lose vision? And what if, after having adjusted to a our new flawed life, we recover it again… but in an unexpected way? This is the core of the story that The Insult tells, and is as fascinating as it sounds.
I read this book through the recommendation of a friend –thanks again, Maciek - and one month after reading it I´m still affected by the originality of the story and the delicacy of its prose. Some of my favorite passages:
"Loots was a man of many talents, and some of them were hidden. If anyone understood the value of secrecy, it was me.The fact that he also had secrets didn’t frustrate or discourage me at all; if anything, it lifted him higher in my estimation."
"When she talked about her family, the words seemed to curdle in her mouth and, just for a moment, she reminded me of myself. She’d had some kind of bullet fired at her. The way she was behaving now revealed it. The path of the bullet, the rhythm of the knife."
"Certain kinds of secrets, they’re quiet and dead; they can be kept. There are others, though, that are alive and growing, and have a tendency to reveal themselves."
Nothing is more engaging in a novel than a powerful secret, and The Insult is full of these. And they are dark, as dark as someone who is condemned to live a life after the setting of the sun. The life of Martin Blom.
The novel takes off with Martin waking up in a hospital bed just to discover that he was hit by a bullet and had become blind as a consequence of it. Trying to adjust to his new situation, a new life is revealed and he, Martin, is forced to keep the secret. As the action progresses, his secret becomes greater and more unbearable, isolating him more and more, confining him to the four walls of a hotel room. But just when the narration reaches its climax and it seems there´s no way out, a completely different story takes over and Martin gets dragged into it, taking us with him.
The Insult is not read as a novel, but rather as two different books –a story inside of a story, with no relation between each other and only one thing in common: a growing darkness. The biggest merit of its author, Rupert Thomson, is to have given to its story its own voice. Both share a first person POV, and yet, one is told by a man, and the other by a woman; one takes place in the present, and the other in the past; one analyzes the isolation of a man in solitude, and the other, the isolation of a woman as part of a family. Still, they are both finely written, as if told by two different people. It struck me particularly the ability of Rupert Thomson to put himself in the shoes of a woman and the realism with which he describes feelings and touches on complex issues, like maternity, specific of women. The only flaw I found in this book and that has stopped me from giving it 5 stars was that the ending was too rushed. I did enjoy both stories equally, but I felt a little that after the second story takes over, its own intensity relegates the first one to second place. As a result, the first story rushes towards the end and concludes disappointingly. Paraphrasing Martin Blom:
"I had a thought that was treacherous and yet seductive: secrets become more powerful if you dilute them just a little."
The same applies to story endings, better to take the time to reach them than rushing, almost crashing into them.
Nevertheless, this has been one of the best books I´ve read in a long time.
I read this book through the recommendation of a friend –thanks again, Maciek - and one month after reading it I´m still affected by the originality of the story and the delicacy of its prose. Some of my favorite passages:
"Loots was a man of many talents, and some of them were hidden. If anyone understood the value of secrecy, it was me.The fact that he also had secrets didn’t frustrate or discourage me at all; if anything, it lifted him higher in my estimation."
"When she talked about her family, the words seemed to curdle in her mouth and, just for a moment, she reminded me of myself. She’d had some kind of bullet fired at her. The way she was behaving now revealed it. The path of the bullet, the rhythm of the knife."
"Certain kinds of secrets, they’re quiet and dead; they can be kept. There are others, though, that are alive and growing, and have a tendency to reveal themselves."
Nothing is more engaging in a novel than a powerful secret, and The Insult is full of these. And they are dark, as dark as someone who is condemned to live a life after the setting of the sun. The life of Martin Blom.
The novel takes off with Martin waking up in a hospital bed just to discover that he was hit by a bullet and had become blind as a consequence of it. Trying to adjust to his new situation, a new life is revealed and he, Martin, is forced to keep the secret. As the action progresses, his secret becomes greater and more unbearable, isolating him more and more, confining him to the four walls of a hotel room. But just when the narration reaches its climax and it seems there´s no way out, a completely different story takes over and Martin gets dragged into it, taking us with him.
The Insult is not read as a novel, but rather as two different books –a story inside of a story, with no relation between each other and only one thing in common: a growing darkness. The biggest merit of its author, Rupert Thomson, is to have given to its story its own voice. Both share a first person POV, and yet, one is told by a man, and the other by a woman; one takes place in the present, and the other in the past; one analyzes the isolation of a man in solitude, and the other, the isolation of a woman as part of a family. Still, they are both finely written, as if told by two different people. It struck me particularly the ability of Rupert Thomson to put himself in the shoes of a woman and the realism with which he describes feelings and touches on complex issues, like maternity, specific of women. The only flaw I found in this book and that has stopped me from giving it 5 stars was that the ending was too rushed. I did enjoy both stories equally, but I felt a little that after the second story takes over, its own intensity relegates the first one to second place. As a result, the first story rushes towards the end and concludes disappointingly. Paraphrasing Martin Blom:
"I had a thought that was treacherous and yet seductive: secrets become more powerful if you dilute them just a little."
The same applies to story endings, better to take the time to reach them than rushing, almost crashing into them.
Nevertheless, this has been one of the best books I´ve read in a long time.
June 27, 2018
This is one of the strangest books I have read in a while. It starts off with the main character getting shot in the head at very close range and subsequently becoming blind. It is never explained who did the shooting or why. The story then really begins with his rehabilitation and the life he leads as a blind man. He is medically, certifiably blind but he can see at night, or can he? It just gets weirder and weirder the further you go down the rabbit hole with him.
Totally engrossing, fully realised and mind fucking. Bloody Brilliant.
Totally engrossing, fully realised and mind fucking. Bloody Brilliant.
May 21, 2024
It's so great to read something which is truly original, loved it.
January 1, 2013
I bought this book due to a recommendation in a book store, and what I personally found to be a very enticing, and intriguing synopsis. I found it enjoyable, but a little frustrating. I can totally understand why there are so many conflicting views on this book. Part one is so well written it continues to make you turn the pages, even with what appears to be a lack of substantial storyline. Once the narration changes in part two this is where at times, you have to have a little patience to persist. It is not as good as the blind man's narration, and is slightly drawn out. Overall the author's intention is to have you questioning the realism of the blind man's 'visions' from beginning to end. Thompson does this so very well, but it is also why the book goes a little off the boil once the narration changes. The main contributing factor to an addictive beginning has ceased, right until the very end. It is a very good story that all comes together in the end. It just could have been better.
July 21, 2008
Rupert Thomson is an extremely talented writer whose subject matter has a tendency to lean toward the subculture/sexual deviancy side of things. If I'm to judge him by "The Insult", which is only the second book of his I've read so far, he also likes to play around with shifting points-of-view, something that pays off in the end (in this case), but I still find it jarring and it almost lead to my not finishing the novel.
July 24, 2018
Ik kwam dit boek een aantal keren tegen en het blijkt dan ook nog tot de 100 favoriete boeken van David Bowie (mijn ‘hero’) te behoren. Mijn nieuwsgierigheid was gewekt! Kennelijk niet veel gelezen in Nederland want ik moest de Nederlands editie hier op Goodreads toevoegen.
Het is een soort psychologische thriller. Thomson laat qua tijd en plaats in het midden wanneer en waar het zich afspeelt. Hoewel er enkele typische Nederlandse namen in voorkomen speelt het zich zeker niet in Nederland af, want aan het eind van het boek bevinden we ons in een bergdorpje in het zelfde land…
Martin Blom is in het eerste deel de hoofdpersoon en verteller. Het tweede deel wordt verteld door de grootmoeder van Nina (op wie Martin verliefd wordt). Het laatste afsluitende deel wordt weer verteld door Martin.
Al op de openingspagina wordt Martin op een parkeerplaats van een supermarkt in zijn hoofd getroffen door een kogel. In het ziekenhuis vertelt dokter Visser hem na de operatie dat hij zijn verdere leven niet meer kan zien. Maar tijdens zijn revalidatie ontdekt Martin opeens dat hij ’s nachts wel kan zien. Maar dokter Visser had hem al gewaarschuwd:
“’Je kunt ook visuele hallucinaties krijgen.’ ging Visser verder, lichtflitsen, noem maar op. Dat is heel gewoon bij patiënten zoals jij, die ernstig hersenletsel –‘
‘Ik denk dat ik al begrijp wat u bedoelt, dokter.’
Visser zweeg, wachtte.
‘U bedoelt dat ik mezelf niet moet wijsmaken dat ik nog kan zien,’
‘Eh, ja. Precies.’”
Wat volgt is een verhaal vol paranoia. Want wat Martin ons verteld, maakt hij dat echt mee? Of is het inderdaad een hallucinatie. Als Nina verdwijnt krijgt het verhaal thriller/detectiveachtige elementen en ging ik steeds sneller lezen. Want ik moet bekennen dat ik tijdens het lezen van het eerste deel een moment heb gekend dat ik het boek wilde wegleggen. Dit is zo’n boek waar je dus even moet volhouden. Boeiend tot de laatste pagina. Want is het hele verhaal een hallucinatie of waargebeurd?
Het is een soort psychologische thriller. Thomson laat qua tijd en plaats in het midden wanneer en waar het zich afspeelt. Hoewel er enkele typische Nederlandse namen in voorkomen speelt het zich zeker niet in Nederland af, want aan het eind van het boek bevinden we ons in een bergdorpje in het zelfde land…
Martin Blom is in het eerste deel de hoofdpersoon en verteller. Het tweede deel wordt verteld door de grootmoeder van Nina (op wie Martin verliefd wordt). Het laatste afsluitende deel wordt weer verteld door Martin.
Al op de openingspagina wordt Martin op een parkeerplaats van een supermarkt in zijn hoofd getroffen door een kogel. In het ziekenhuis vertelt dokter Visser hem na de operatie dat hij zijn verdere leven niet meer kan zien. Maar tijdens zijn revalidatie ontdekt Martin opeens dat hij ’s nachts wel kan zien. Maar dokter Visser had hem al gewaarschuwd:
“’Je kunt ook visuele hallucinaties krijgen.’ ging Visser verder, lichtflitsen, noem maar op. Dat is heel gewoon bij patiënten zoals jij, die ernstig hersenletsel –‘
‘Ik denk dat ik al begrijp wat u bedoelt, dokter.’
Visser zweeg, wachtte.
‘U bedoelt dat ik mezelf niet moet wijsmaken dat ik nog kan zien,’
‘Eh, ja. Precies.’”
Wat volgt is een verhaal vol paranoia. Want wat Martin ons verteld, maakt hij dat echt mee? Of is het inderdaad een hallucinatie. Als Nina verdwijnt krijgt het verhaal thriller/detectiveachtige elementen en ging ik steeds sneller lezen. Want ik moet bekennen dat ik tijdens het lezen van het eerste deel een moment heb gekend dat ik het boek wilde wegleggen. Dit is zo’n boek waar je dus even moet volhouden. Boeiend tot de laatste pagina. Want is het hele verhaal een hallucinatie of waargebeurd?
January 27, 2018
Read for 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book from a celebrity book club. Apparently this novel is among David Bowie's 100 favourite novels, so I guess it counts (tbh, couldn't find another category to fit this in lol).
I don't even know where to start... perhaps with saying that this is one of the strangest novels I've ever read. There's no exact time or place reference, but I'd place it somewhere in Eastern Europe, maybe in the 80s-90s?
Anyway, the book starts with the accident of Martin Blom who becomes blind due to the shooting. He also receives a titanium piece in his cranium. Visser, his doctor, tells him that he'll have to get used to this new life, which may even alter his personality. However, Martin soon discovers that he can see at night. He tries telling Dr. Visser about it, who is convinced that he's just hallucinating.
After he's discharged from the clinic, Martin decides to leave his old life and start a new one in the capital. He meets a lot of strange people while he roams the streets at night, among them Nina, a young woman with whom he starts a relationship. This part is dragged out and there was so much weirdness... which is between believable and unbelievable, hence me categorising this as magical realism. Honestly, at some point it was so odd (Martin suspecting that the titanium piece in his head was some super secret device with which the doctor can transmit TV shows... lol). So at some point it became so much that I was thinking about giving up on this book.
What convinced me to stay was the mystery around Nina's disappearance. After another slow part, Martin makes his way to the mountains where Nina's grandmother lives. One evening, she tells him her family story - even the narration changes. This part was absolutely fantastic, very intriguing and engaging. Although, for other naive readers, let it be known that there's incest and rape here. The latter is just mentioned.
Just like the other Thomson novel I read, Death of a MurdererDeath of a Murderer , the ending was full of tension and you fear for the live of the main character. Although not every question is answered, the Nina mystery is solved.
All in all, a very unusual read... I thought it would be about something completely different and then it turned into a crime story. I wish the second story would have been on its own, it was far more interesting (or the first one shorter).
I don't even know where to start... perhaps with saying that this is one of the strangest novels I've ever read. There's no exact time or place reference, but I'd place it somewhere in Eastern Europe, maybe in the 80s-90s?
Anyway, the book starts with the accident of Martin Blom who becomes blind due to the shooting. He also receives a titanium piece in his cranium. Visser, his doctor, tells him that he'll have to get used to this new life, which may even alter his personality. However, Martin soon discovers that he can see at night. He tries telling Dr. Visser about it, who is convinced that he's just hallucinating.
After he's discharged from the clinic, Martin decides to leave his old life and start a new one in the capital. He meets a lot of strange people while he roams the streets at night, among them Nina, a young woman with whom he starts a relationship. This part is dragged out and there was so much weirdness... which is between believable and unbelievable, hence me categorising this as magical realism. Honestly, at some point it was so odd (Martin suspecting that the titanium piece in his head was some super secret device with which the doctor can transmit TV shows... lol). So at some point it became so much that I was thinking about giving up on this book.
What convinced me to stay was the mystery around Nina's disappearance. After another slow part, Martin makes his way to the mountains where Nina's grandmother lives. One evening, she tells him her family story - even the narration changes. This part was absolutely fantastic, very intriguing and engaging. Although, for other naive readers, let it be known that there's incest and rape here. The latter is just mentioned.
Just like the other Thomson novel I read, Death of a MurdererDeath of a Murderer , the ending was full of tension and you fear for the live of the main character. Although not every question is answered, the Nina mystery is solved.
All in all, a very unusual read... I thought it would be about something completely different and then it turned into a crime story. I wish the second story would have been on its own, it was far more interesting (or the first one shorter).
April 1, 2015
The premise is intriguing :
Martin Blom is shot in the head in an act of random violence and consequently goes blind. His doctor insists that he is in denial and suffering from Anton’s Syndrome whereas Blom sees (?!?) perfectly well at night. He doesn’t feel suicidal, not even depressed, in fact he is brimming with optimism and can’t wait to start life afresh from the moment of his attack.
He breaks off his relationship with his fiancée, cuts off all communication with his parents and friends and moves to a different city. So far, so good.
The first thing that bothered me is that the author never specifies where the action takes place but apparently it's not Britain. Is it the Netherlands ? Is the city Amsterdam ? I don't like being left in the dark.
Alright, so that is just nitpicking but after Blom moves to "the city" things just get weirder and weirder. He sees (?!?) prostitutes and their clients all over the second floor of his seedy hotel, hanging out of the lift, over radiators and tables, he sees (?!?) circus people, jugglers, knife-throwers and an "invisible man", has a passionate affair with a mysterious waitress etc. etc. etc. By about a third of the book the author had lost me (or I had lost him). Mr. Blom and his lot were fairly obnoxious and the story seemed to be going nowhere so I ended up reading the last chapter and feeling I had saved precious time by not slugging through the whole book.
Martin Blom is shot in the head in an act of random violence and consequently goes blind. His doctor insists that he is in denial and suffering from Anton’s Syndrome whereas Blom sees (?!?) perfectly well at night. He doesn’t feel suicidal, not even depressed, in fact he is brimming with optimism and can’t wait to start life afresh from the moment of his attack.
He breaks off his relationship with his fiancée, cuts off all communication with his parents and friends and moves to a different city. So far, so good.
The first thing that bothered me is that the author never specifies where the action takes place but apparently it's not Britain. Is it the Netherlands ? Is the city Amsterdam ? I don't like being left in the dark.
Alright, so that is just nitpicking but after Blom moves to "the city" things just get weirder and weirder. He sees (?!?) prostitutes and their clients all over the second floor of his seedy hotel, hanging out of the lift, over radiators and tables, he sees (?!?) circus people, jugglers, knife-throwers and an "invisible man", has a passionate affair with a mysterious waitress etc. etc. etc. By about a third of the book the author had lost me (or I had lost him). Mr. Blom and his lot were fairly obnoxious and the story seemed to be going nowhere so I ended up reading the last chapter and feeling I had saved precious time by not slugging through the whole book.
January 19, 2013
Wonderfully skilled writer, drawing on sources from parts of Central Europe close to my heart, but the book was fantastically overlong. If there ever was an example of a short story or novella drawn out to chunky paperback scale, this is it. Not sure why, the central idea is wonderful, the characters fresh, the plot development keen. But you find yourself skipping lines, paragraphs, pages, and then feeling disappointed when the gaps fill themselves without any need of the writer's pen.
Recommended, if you have the patience.
Recommended, if you have the patience.
September 9, 2014
Amateurish, naive, unconvincing, disjointed, dull first half of the book. The writing just filled me with anger and disappointment (eg a retired knife thrower carries around a set of knives with him, yeh right, just like a chef always has a spatula in their top pocket). The second half was thrilling in content and style and earned it another star rating but it felt like two different books with much of half one just existing to be utterly ridiculous and devoid of meaning.
June 19, 2017
Even if I could give zero stars, I'd allow this a one because despite having now given up on it, I did find it very readable to start with. There were some genuinely novel descriptions of things which marked this as excellent writing. But, oh dear, the plot! Is there any? There are no signposts as to where this story is going and my attention span is way too short these days to continue on this journey. He's blind. He appears to be able to see in the dark, however. So... ?
June 2, 2010
My favourite Thomson novel.
April 6, 2012
Yeah, Quite the insult once i'd gotten to the end. Poor read.
April 4, 2013
Gripping beginning but the so slow pace left me not caring. I found myself skipping lines - & when that happens I'd rather read something else.
June 20, 2017
I love the concept of this. We begin with a bang - literally - as the protagonist is the victim of a random shooting in a car park. We're told that the bullet has damaged his optic nerve and that he'll never see again, and we follow him to a hospital for tests and treatment. But pretty soon, he's sure he can see. And there his adventures begin.
I won't say any more for fear of spoiling the story, but I thought this was an inspired idea. We have the description of the world as imagined from the sounds and smells, as a man tries to grapple with the loss of his most dominant sense. Somewhere near the middle of the book there's a hiccup where we get a story within a story. This seems rather unbalanced as it takes us away from the main story for a long time, to a completely new set of characters. Although it eventually ties up, I felt the detour was too long. But still, a fascinating read, a bold concept and very beautifully written.
I won't say any more for fear of spoiling the story, but I thought this was an inspired idea. We have the description of the world as imagined from the sounds and smells, as a man tries to grapple with the loss of his most dominant sense. Somewhere near the middle of the book there's a hiccup where we get a story within a story. This seems rather unbalanced as it takes us away from the main story for a long time, to a completely new set of characters. Although it eventually ties up, I felt the detour was too long. But still, a fascinating read, a bold concept and very beautifully written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 18, 2019This one was baffling. We were reading it for the BowieBookClub podcast and reading at different speeds at one point while texting back and forth with my co-host I said, "wait a minute, are we reading different books?" Turns out we kind of were because he was a chapter ahead and it was basically a new book altogether.
Check out the podcast episode for our Bowie Book Club look at the novel:
Check out the podcast episode for our Bowie Book Club look at the novel:
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