I wrote this elsewhere on the 27th of January 2008. I have decided to bring here all my writings about books I have read. Originally it was my intention to write here about books. Then I started writing about my life in general elsewhere and my thoughts about books got mixed up with those writings. I have stopped that other blog, but do not want to lose it all. So here goes:

Motives for murder, modern and not so modern

The Shakespeare Secret by J. L. Carrell

10 as of this morning. "Out, damned spot! out, I say!" (Lady Macbeth not talking about mice like I was in my blog.)

I finished reading The Shakespeare Secret by J.L.Carrell last night. Why else would Shakespeare come to mind in relation to mice in our house! The cover states that the novel is a story of "A modern serial killer - hunting an ancient secret". The novel is very interesting regarding the secrets, ideas and theories about Shakespeare and the plays. The real historical characters, events and places are cleverly intertwined with invented characters, events and places.

The lunatic, the lover, and the poet
Are of imagination all compact . . .
The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,
Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven,
And as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen
Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name. --Shak.

However, I take exception to the calling of this murderer "a modern serial killer". Its the modern part which grates with me. I confess I do not know much of real serial killers and their motives. It is the motive that I find in this novel to be somehow not so modern. Although I abhor the deeds, like I abhor any taking of life be it state commissioned, group or individual acts of cruelty which taking of life always is, I must say that the motive in this novel makes of this murderer something other than modern. I have never heard or read of any real motive like this. Of course, all our deeds are always at least partially motivated by self interest (proved by Phoebe in Friends:). How can they not be, being what we are? However, the self interest can be elevated by other considerations as is the case here.