One of the things about being a fiction writer is that you can no longer read novels like a reader. You admire things that everyday readers never notice and catch mistakes that most readers miss. This is both satisfying and a bit annoying.
I recently read Cape Fear by John D MacDonald. Some of you may know this story from the two movies that it inspired, one with Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, the other with Nick Nolte and Robert DeNiro. It is basically a tale of a psychopath out to get the lawyer he thinks responsible for his imprisonment, and how little the law can help if the nut is crafty.
MacDonald is a great writer and so I enjoyed the book. However, the ending was disappointing. Note: Here there be Spoilers. 😊
The story is written from one point of view, that of Sam Bowden, the protagonist. The buildup is solid, with readers experiencing each new depraved act of Max Cady (the villain) through Sam’s eyes. But the problem with a single point of view is that the reader can only experience what this character experiences. This is especially true for the climax. The problem with Cape Fear is that Sam isn’t present for the climax, which is perpetrated against his wife and a private eye. So, the reader never gets to experience the climactic struggle, only hear about it second hand.
Sam shows up only as Cady is leaving the crime scene. Sam fires blindly as Cady escapes, leaving room for Cady and Sam to eventually have it out. In fact, this is what I was expecting. Instead, Cady’s body is found by the police, the victim of one of Sam’s random shots.
As a writer of thrillers, I think it is important that the readers get to experience the climax that the whole novel builds toward. I’m not sure why MacDonald chose to miss this opportunity, but as I said, it is still a well-written and entertaining read.