The Adversary by Emmauel Carrere

Rather like Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, the journalist Carrere becomes fascinated by the story of a man who lived a completely false life and then on the verge of his lies unraveling he kills his family - his wife, children, parents and tried to kill his lover.  How did he manage to maintain this lie for so long; why was he not found out, why kill, why, why, and how?  These questions are at the heart of this true story.  
Carrere tries to keep speculation and imagination to a minimum, How did Jean-Claude Romand manage to keep up the pretense that 
1) he had managed to graduate from medical school (without ever taking an exam) 
2) he worked for the World Health Organization (he never worked, he spent his days in cafes and laybys) what a waste of a life and time 
3) why did people trusted him so much they gave him their money to invest without any questions 
4) and how at the end, once convicted, he became the darling of the prison visitors with his conversion to religion, acceptance of his sins therefore his forgiveness and redemption is assured. 

This creepy book generated a good discussion on the nature of man, do we really know people, how much people will accept or ignore, just because you are 'normal, ordinary'.  

Words used to describe it:  
Profoundly drepressing, cold, shocking, disturbing, intriguing

Marks out of 10 - between 5 - 8

Next Book

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

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