The Psychoanalytic Adventures of Inspector Canal By Bruce Fink

Book Review of The Psychoanalytic Adventures of Inspector Canal By Bruce Fink

Bruce Fink’s eccentric Canal would, to many, be reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. But although the two may appear to the readers as long-lost twins, on a profound level, both of them have their own distinct personalities. So, is Canal able to match up to the standards of our lovable Poirot?

‘The Psychoanalytic Adventures of Inspector Canal’ is a psychological work of fiction that was published in 2010. It revolves around a retired French spy, Quejac Canal, who assists befuddled New York detectives in various cases that they encounter; using the techniques of psychoanalysis to arrive at startling conclusions. The author, Bruce Fink, is a Lacanian psychoanalyst and has penned down numerous books, both fiction and non-fiction.

The book consists of three cases – ‘The Case of the Lost Object’, ‘The Case of the Pirated Formula’ and ‘The Case of the Liquidity Squeeze’. The first case revolves around Rolland Saalem, a music director who claims that the slow movement of a musical score he acquired went missing. It tracks the personal as well as musical journey of the famous Mozart in exhaustive detail. The second case revolves around a peculiar counterfeit of a Chartreuse wine that seems uncannily similar in taste to the original. The last one deals with a mayor caught in a series of scandals with the unaccounted embezzlement of funds.

Numerous themes are potrayed in the three stories. The first case talks about the pressures and expectations a prodigy child is subjected to, and the psychological impact it carries well onto his/her adult life. The second theme deals with the way modern technology has enslaved mankind and we have become averse to having conversations with people in real life. The empowerment of women is brought up from a man’s perspective and how many men feel threatened with women gaining self-reliance and independence. Other themes involve a philosophical take on spirituality, avarice, different perspectives on connecting with God, and the men-women dynamics in a relationship.

I appreciate the novel approach behind the plot with psychoanalysis at the core but it would have been more effective if the stated technique was used by Canal to gain valuable insights pertaining to the case. However, that seldom happens and it is used more commonly to remediate the personal issues of the secondary characters which may seem like a drag at times to readers. There are quite a few conversations which I found were unnecessary to the plot and were only included to prolong the plot. Coming to the topic of the cases itself, there were not that exciting or suspenseful that would entice readers to explore further. The pacing of the plot is quite slow in all three stories. The main character is, indeed, multilayered and well-nuanced, with snippets of his background and past experiences popping out subtly throughout the story. However, the same cannot be said about the secondary characters who, inspite of their background stories, appear flat and one-dimensional. Characters like Inspector Olivetti, Sandra Errand, Inspector Ponlevek are not as memorable. I like the way profound topics are expressed without them getting too heavy and preachy. I appreciate the incorporation of various global cultures in the story such as the French, American, Chinese, Amish, Indian and so on. There are plenty of historical references to monasteries, chapels, saints and musicians.

The author describes scenes quite vividly, but the interactions between characters fall flat and seem unnatural or forced. There is use of obsolete grammar in many instances. There are numerous French phrases interspersed throughout the book which the author has not bothered to translate. The context of some dialogues is lost in translation. The author repeats many words such as ‘proffered’ and ‘wont’ which may appear as superfluous. In addition to the above, the author also assumes that his readers have ample knowledge about the technicalities of music and finance which, in reality, may not be the case.

Overall, the premise of a Frenchman trying to familiarize himself with the ‘American’ way of life seems interesting enough to make a person pick this book up, but the execution of it all fails to a great extent where the reader loses interest eventually. If you love psychology and do not mind slow paced plots, it would be a decent read. Otherwise, there could have been many things that could have been improved.

Reviewer

Name: Ramona Fernandes, Roll No: 15

Bibliography

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/inflibnet-ebooks/detail.action?docID=689917

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