Jean-Claude Romand lived for eighteen years as a respected doctor with a wife and children, and no one knew he had not been working at all. In 1993, when his lies were about to be exposed, he killed his wife, children and parents. Emmanuel Carrère, a French writer, attended the trial and corresponded with Romand, and this book is his attempt to understand what kind of man could live a false life and then destroy everything. Carrère also reflects on his own relationship with the story and on how far a writer can enter a murderer's mind.
For readers of true crime who want a thoughtful, literary account. It suits those interested in psychology, deception and the limits of knowing another person.
Deep and inward-looking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2001
- Publisher
- Folio
- Language
- FR
