Published : Aug. 28, 2014 - 20:13
I Can See in the Dark
By Karin Fossum
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Over the years, I’ve read lots of Scandinavian crime fiction, but nothing from Norwegian novelist Karin Fossum. In retrospect, that was a huge oversight.
Her books have sold millions of copies worldwide, and a few years ago she was named one of the 50 greatest crime writers of all time by The Times of London.
After reading “I Can See in the Dark,” I understand why.
This is a taut, well-paced book written totally from the point of view of a sociopath named Riktor. From the opening pages, his observations reveal his distorted worldview.
“I don’t think people notice anything peculiar about me,” Riktor narrates. “My manner is calm and friendly, and I do what I’m told; I simply mimic the others who stay within the norm.”
He works in a nursing home where he inflicts hidden cruelties on helpless residents. The title of the book comes from his claim that, indeed, he can see in the dark. Readers quickly learn, though, that reality and Riktor’s view of reality often differ.
For most of the book, Riktor wrestles with irony. He’s accused of doing something he didn’t do, all the while knowing there are crimes he did commit that he hasn’t been accused of ― yet.
The book, published in Norway in 2011 and just coming to the U.S., is a departure for Fossum. She built her international reputation on a series of novels featuring an inspector named Konrad Sejer. He doesn’t appear in “I Can See in the Dark,” and the cop investigating Riktor appears only briefly.
“My detective is not very important to me,” Fossum told The Independent in a 2009 interview. “He’s in the book because he has a job to do for me, but I never intend him to be a major character.”
There’s no doubt about the major character in this book. Page after page, layer after layer, Riktor reveals his madness and his growing separation from others and society in general.
“The pious will also perish, and we’ll get no reward in heaven,” he narrates mid-book. “So what was the point of exerting ourselves?”
Considering he had just committed a terrible crime, it’s chilling to see Riktor consider himself on the side of piety. The last line of the novel is especially chilling, considering Norway’s tendency toward lenient criminal penalties. But it’s perfect in the context of the character.
Now that I’ve read a Fossum novel, I look forward to reading more and getting acquainted with Inspector Sejer. (MCT)