“The Meaning of Night” by Michael Cox is uncompromisingly slow moving. It is about a man confessing to a murder he committed, what drove him to commit murder and why he needed to do it. His confession goes on for nearly 700 pages and it was a good use of those pages.
This book is not for everybody, it is heavily focused on character and not on plot progression. You will find while reading that any plot progression feels like a special treat that encourages you to stay with the story and continue reading. In that respect it is well paced giving you just enough to keep you interested.
As for the story itself, it isn’t anything ground breaking or new, and it is more than a little predictable, but these days what isn’t? It’s a story about revenge, exposing truth, love, betrayal, all themes we have read a thousand times before. It is how this story is constructed the characters themselves and the time period that makes this book shine.
The main character, Edward Glyver, is a book-lover and much of “The Meaning of Night” touches on his interactions with other characters about books they’ve obtained or read. It is often a way for him to find something in common with these characters, giving him an opening to gain trust and information about his adversary.
The confession takes place in the 1850′s in England. The literary sweet spot for me. Even though the book uses much of the language from that time, it isn’t so authentic that it’s unreadable. It’s a nice compromise that adds so much to the overall feeling and setting of the novel.
In conclusion, “The Meaning of Night” is a intriguing story with great characters. Not without it’s flaws, it still is worth a read if you can get past the slow pace and the size of the book.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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