A Closed Book

A blind author interviews and hires an assistant to help him write his next book from his isolated home. The entire story takes place within the confines of the author's house. The narrative consists almost entirely of dialogue between these two characters, with occasional entries from the author's private diary. Their complex working relationship forms the core of the plot as they collaborate on the writing project. Through their exchanges and interactions, questions emerge about identity, truth, and the nature of trust between two people who can't fully know each other. The novel examines how we construct reality through what we choose to reveal and conceal from others.

Readers describe this as a tense psychological thriller that relies heavily on dialogue. Many comments note the innovative format, written almost entirely as conversation between two characters. Readers appreciated: - The tight pacing and building suspense - The technical skill of telling a story through dialogue alone - The exploration of trust and deception themes - The unexpected ending Common criticisms: - The limited cast and setting felt restrictive to some - Some found the dialogue-only format difficult to follow - A few readers said the plot became predictable - Several mentioned the ending felt rushed Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (127 ratings) Amazon UK: 3.8/5 (24 reviews) Amazon US: 3.7/5 (12 reviews) "Like a play in novel form," wrote one Amazon reviewer. "The dialogue-only approach is clever but wears thin," noted another. Multiple readers compared it to a chamber piece or radio drama.

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🔍 The 2000 novel was adapted into a film in 2010, starring Tom Conti and Daryl Hannah, though it was retitled "Blind Revenge" for international release 📚 Author Gilbert Adair was trilingual and worked as a translator, famously translating Georges Perec's novel "A Void" - a book written entirely without using the letter 'e' 🏰 The book's setting, a grand isolated country house, reflects a common Gothic literature tradition dating back to Horace Walpole's "The Castle of Otranto" (1764) 👁️ Like his protagonist, Gilbert Adair experienced vision problems in his later life, which may have influenced his sensitive portrayal of blindness in the novel 🎭 The book's dialogue-driven format draws inspiration from theatrical traditions, particularly the two-person play format popularized by works like "Sleuth" and "Deathtrap"