Emmanuel Carrère – The Adversary

Our innate need to understand, to find explanations for certain deeds of our peers cannot be denied. Murder?! Well, we are fascinated by detective stories, bizarre cases, crime motives, the psychology of the murderer and many more regarding the darkest side of our spirit. We want to understand. We are certain that any puzzle may be solved. ‘The Adversary’ is based on a real case, and the writer masterly describes testimonies, proofs, details from the trial and his own questions regarding the case.

Contrary to other similar novels from the genre, we know from the very start the murderer’s identity. The crime is briefly described at the beginning of the book, we are then led to the past, and gradually we are brought closer and closer to the crime, to the trial, to the court’s decision, and the tranquility after it. I must admit that I looked for any crumbs of humanity related to the murderer in any of the parts mentioned above. It was impossible for me not to hope until the very last page for an explanation that could make sense, that could put an end to the rising fear and reassure me that such cases are accidents or events that could be prevented, in a way or another.

I was deeply touched by the last sentences, the writer’s reflections. There is an adversary in any common thing around us, as there is an adversary within any of us. Is it being led by us or is just fooling us by making us believe we control it?!