Customer Reviews

The Gentle Axe: A Novel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

nothing is more difficult than to understand him. Fyodor Dostoevsky.

It takes audacity for an author to choose a great novel or a well-known protagonist from another author's work as the starting off point for his own work. It takes an even greater amount of talent to pull it off. Many have tried and many have failed. There have been some notable successes, however. Jon Clinch's new novel, "Finn", which took a character from Mark Twain's Huck Finn is one. R.N. Morris' novel "The Gentle Axe" is another. He has taken St. Petersburg, Russia's police magistrate Porfiry Petrovich from the pages of Fyodor Dostoevsky's magnificent "Crime and Punishment" and placed him in charge of a new criminal investigation . "The Gentle Axe" manages to be an entertaining novel on its own while doing no disservice to the memory of one of the great novels of all time.

The story starts off with, no surprise here, dead bodies. An aging, former St. Petersburg prostitute finds two bodies in a snow-covered St. Petersburg park; a dwarf who has been hacked to death and stuffed into a suitcase and another man, a peasant, hanging from a nearby tree. Although Magistrate Petrovich suspects that this is a double-homicide his `superiors' are determined to consider this a murder-suicide and close the investigation. But, Petrovich plods on and what seemed at first blush to be a simple plot turns out to be a complicated look into St. Petersburg's `heart of darkness'. Petrovich's investigation takes him to a world of brothels, child pornographers, and poverty-stricken university students who have little food and less clothing but who are rich in nihilism and despair. It is one such student, Pavel Virginisky who capture Petrovich's imagination, a student whose every movement and whose every word invokes in Petrovich the memory of Raskolnikov whose confession he obtained in Crime and Punishment. The conversations between Petrovich and Virginsky form the emotional core of the book.

I very much enjoyed "The Gentle Axe". It has been almost thirty years since I've read "Crime and Punishment" so I cannot state with any certainty whether or not Morris has captured Petrovich's essence (or whether he tried to do so). However, Morris' Petrovich is well-drawn and with an appropriately dark Russian soul even if taken as a stand-alone character. The plot moves along very nicely. Morris has a nice descriptive touch and his portrayal of life amongst the demimonde in 19th-century St. Petersburg feels as if it is very accurate. The dialogue is sharp even if Petrovich and some of the other characters seem a bit florid and prone to excessive word play at times. I particularly liked the portrayal of the medical examiner whose sarcasm and mordant observations would serve him well in even the most modern crime lab. The only (mild) criticism for me came as the booked reached its conclusion. In many books of this genre there is a great revelatory moment where all the loose ends are tied up. In this instance I felt there was a lot revealed in very short order. It did appear to me to a bit too rushed. Again, this is a minor criticism.

As far as comparisons go, I think "The Gentle Axe" will likely be compared with some regularity to Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin series. That is actually a compliment to both authors even though there are some major differences between the two. I'd say that Akunin focuses more on the adventure with the psyche of Fandorin playing an important but secondary role, where Morris has focused more on the internal lives of the characters with the action playing an important but secondary role.

Last, Morris concludes his acknowledgments by stating: "[a]nd to Fyodor Dostoevsky, I can only apologize". I got the impression that this was Morris' tongue-in-cheek way of saying thanks for the character Fyodor and, by the way, I'm not trying to write a new "Crime and Punishment", just an entertaining novel. In that, Morris has succeeded very well. 4.5 Stars. L. Fleisig

For readers that have been yearning for a book that speaks with an older, wiser voice, written in a long forgotten style, with a classic fluidity that can only be penned by a select few...Here ya' go! R. N. Morris has delivered a novel that embraces the historic elements of a true masterpiece, indulges the nostalgic desires of the quintessential reader and satisfies even the most discerning contemporary suspense-thriller lover!

Fyodor Dostoevsky first introduced readers to criminal investigator Porfiry Petrovich, in the 1866 novel Crime & Punishment. The book is centered around the murder of a pawnbroker and her half-sister by a deranged, impoverished student, named Raskolnikov. It is a year after this mind-numbing case that Morris picks up the story and takes the reader deep into the investigator's life and of course, a brand new murder mystery.

Searching for firewood in St. Petersburg's Petrovsky Park, a woman stumbles upon a dead body hanging from a tree. Nearby, a second body, that of a dwarf, is found in a suitcase. A laundry list of items were initially left at the scene, however, by the time investigator Petrovich is alerted, via an anonymous tip, anything of value is missing, thus complicating an already difficult case.

The search for answers will take the rotund detective through many facets of Russian society, from the dark, dank squalid apartments of the slums to the elegant, sprawling homes of the sophisticated elite. As the Park investigation continues, other, seemingly unrelated murders occur, forcing the investigation in a surprisingly new direction. To solve the Park case, Petrovich will have to think outside the box...connecting the dots of this disturbing case will prove to be even more difficult than the case that had defined him.

Morris unravels the layers of St. Petersburg and its residents, slowly, like a delicious, blooming onion, allowing the reader to savor the flavor and enjoy each and every bite. There are strong, no-non-sense characters and those that bring a lighter, at times, humorous element to the story, thus eliciting a myriad of emotions from the reader. Gentle Axe is not littered with red herrings and preemptive spoilers, instead it is based on a clever plot, written with artistic flair. The characters are drawn with the kind of intimate detail one ascertains from a photograph and the settings are constructed with the artistic eye of a painter. The author took a significant, yet calculated risk- borrowing the lead character, setting and back story from the famous work of a beloved writer, which could easily garner a host of negativity. However, creating a sequel that feels Dostoevsky-like, that reads like a Morris novel is a note-worthy accomplishment, indeed!

A spell-binding novel that will definitely keep you up late...reading! And you'll want to share this one with friends and coworkers -it's really that good!

I adored this novel, and I'm so pleased that there will be a sequel with the same protagonist. Morris provides good plot, great atmosphere, and characters that are several levels above those found in most novels labeled as mysteries. Rather than skim over paragraphs about walking through the streets or climbing staircases, I found myself rapt in the small bits of characterization and setting that Morris includes in such passages. This is a great find for lovers of historical crime.

After a century and a half wait, we finally get the pulse-pounding sequel to Crime & Punishment -- or at least, this cunning little literary conceit disguised as a compelling thriller. Maybe the period detail isn't as authentic as a Boris Akunin novel, but it's a respectable cousin. The involving mystery moves briskly, with well-drawn characters. Best of all are some long exchanges of perfectly crafted dialogue you may find yourself re-reading. Superb.

They don't write Russian novels like the old masers any more. But this effort comes close. The year is 1866 in St. Petersburg ad we find investigating magistrate Porfiry Petrovich still weary from the case, the year before, of the deranged student Raskolnikov made known to us in Crime and Punishment.

While an historical mystery, the story progresses more like a modern-day police procedural. It begins one wintry day with a large peasant hanging from a tree in a park. Nearby, a suitcase lies with a dwarf in it, his head cut open by an axe which is found on the hanging man's belt. Is it a simple case of murder and suicide? From this beginning the story progresses to more murders, bringing Porfiry across the wide swath of the people and sites of the then Russian capital.

It would not be fair to compare this novel to one by Dostoyevsky, suffice it to say it is a real suspense filled mystery, intricately plotted and completely enjoyable. More important, it is recommended.

In case you missed the movie, Raskolnikov is the poverty-stricken Russian student who killed the old woman pawnbroker with an axe in Fyodor Dostoevsky's renowned novel Crime and Punishment (Enriched Classics). Eventually, Raskolnikov confesses to a persistent police lieutenant, Porfiry Petrovich, and is sent to Siberia.

Now, R. N. Morris has brought Porfiry Petrovich to life as the protagonist of The Gentle Axe. It's 1866, eighteen months after his capture of Raskolnikov, and he's now an investigating magistrate in the reformed Russian legal system. The action takes place in St. Petersburg in deep winter, when Porfiry is tipped off by an anonymous note to "murder in Petrovsky Park". There the police find a mutilated dwarf stuffed into a suitcase and his companion hanging from a tree with an axe in his belt. At first, it appears to be a straightforward murder/suicide. But the autopsy reveals that the dead man was hung from the tree after death and a case begins to take shape. When one of the dwarf's acquaintances turns out to be another poverty-stricken student who is in love with a gentle prostitute, Porfiry Petrovich has to wonder if the past is repeating itself.

The book moves quickly through the frozen landscape of St Petersburg where the rich stay warm and eat well and the poor freeze and starve. Although the legal system has been reformed, the police and magistrates still operate under the imperial caste system: a wealthy witness is believed while a poor one is either discounted or perhaps sent to Siberia. As Porfiry Petrovich tries to navigate a compassionate yet moral path through the turmoil of 1866 Russia we are drawn with him into the poverty, corruption and decay at the heart of an empire. Ultimately, the plot threads draw together to a shocking climax.

I found the book to be a delicious foray into the tortured Russian soul and a well-plotted mystery to boot. Here's hoping the author will create a series based on the Porfiry Petrovich character. He's likeable, kind and very Russian.

Set in 1867 St. Petersburg, Russia, The Gentle Axe is an audiobook mystery novel starring police investigator Porfiry Petrovich - the same character from Dostoevsky's classic novel, "Crime and Punishment". When an elderly woman discovers the horrific scene of a hanged peasant with a bloody axe, and the corpse of a dwarf tucked into a suitcase, Petrovich suspects that the full truth behind the crime is more complex than an initial glance would suggest. Following his investigation into brothels, drinking dens, and squalid hovels infested with poverty to the upper strata populated by the well-to-do, Petrovich uncovers human darkness to shock and terrify, culminating in a thrilling climax. Award-winning audio performer Simon Vance flawlessly narrates this captivating and highly recommended saga of suspense. 8 CDs, 10 hours, unabridged.

If you have read Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" you will recognize the protagonist of this novel written a couple of years ago by R. N. Wilson, a British writer, and set (obviously) in the 1860s when the events of "Crime and Punishment" also occurred. This is a quality thriller and murder mystery full of period detail and description.The Gentle Axe

I purchased this book without knowing its main character was Porfiry Petrovich. Crime and Punishment was a favorite of mine during my college years, as were other Dostoevsky's writings. When I realized the connection I thought, "oh no" and anxiously anticipated a train wreck. Instead I got an enjoyable modern mystery novel that really did not need the use of Petrovich to make it good. Morris obviously could not match the tone of Dostoevsky's writing and thankfully did not try. My only complaints were (1) at times the conversation seemed slow, stale, and predictable and (2) the wrap-up was too quick and too hard to connect to what I had just read. Even with these complaints, I am keeping my eye for when Mr. Norris's next book hits the shelves of my local book store.

having spent time in saint petersberg taken russian lit courses at university as well as several years of russian history l really enjoyed the book as evoking an era and a time and the things that always seem darkly to lurk under the the thin veener of progress and reform...in russia. it was anotch under the work of boris akonen,yet still really good l look foreward to the next