“I have taken a good firm knot and reduced it to a mess of loose ends.” Detective Mike Hoolihan
After Martin Amis’ recent death, I came across his Night Train at our neighbourhood bookstore. It was used and discounted so I bought it.
The book, named after a song, tells the story of Detective Mike Hoolihan’s investigation of the death of Jennifer Rockwell. Was it or was it not a suicide?
Mike Hoolihan is a woman. She knows both Jennifer and her father, Colonel Tom. Both Jennifer and the Colonel were very kind to Mike when she tried to beat her alcohol dependency. So Mike feels much in debt with the Colonel. And he wants her to investigate his daughter’s death hoping that it wasn’t a suicide but, if so, what was the motivation. Why would Jennifer consider ending her life when she was “a kind of embarrassment of perfection”, an exceptionally beautiful and brilliant astrophysicist with plenty of verve and promises of success.
*Semi-spoiler alert here
Felo de se is Latin for “felon of one’s self” meaning that whoever kills themselves commits a crime. And if you commit a crime, you should be punished but how can you be punished if you’re dead? You can’t so who will pay for your gesture will be those you’ve left behind.
Jennifer had “terrific esprit” and “was unfailing cheerful. She got frustrated sometimes. We all do. Because we—we’re permanently on the brink of climax.” Mike finally comes to the conclusion that Jennifer did indeed kill herself probably because she suffered from the Paradise Sundrome. This syndrome is manifested in individuals who, despite having actualized their dreams, feel only dissatisfaction. You know, when too much is not enough.
Although women may think more about committing suicide, men actually die by suicide more frequently
In the U.S., the profession with the highest suicide rate is among doctors. And the lowest is, apparently, among librarians and teachers.
The county with the highest suicide rate is Lesotho with about 72% suicides per 100,000 people. Once known as Basultoland, Lesotho was a British colony from 1884 until 1966 when it became the Kingdom of Lesotho. Poverty is a leading reason for these suicides.
The Narrative Within 