DAY I KILLED MY FATHER

One of Brazil's most exciting novelists writes in a charming and chilling prose, drawing the reader directly into the mind of a man who has committed patricide. Part psychological thriller, part intellectual puzzle, the novel plays on some of humankind's most profound archetypes and fables, all the while lulling the reader with the brilliance of its voice. 'The day I killed my father was a bright day, although the light was hazy, without shadows or contours.' So begins this unforgettable work of suspense, tragedy and profound reflection on the human soul. It is a bold and stark book drawing on complex themes of religion, philosophy and literature in seeking to understand the nature of evil. Absorbing and at times quite funny, Sabino handles his subject with humour and imagination in a book which is chilling and sad, even on the same page, and we are driven to the conclusion with voyeuristic horror. The bleak relationship between son and father is told in a relatively short account in two parts, the first our protagonist narrating his experiences by addressing the reader to offer philosophical explorations as to why he felt compelled to abruptly end his father's life. Frequent literary and religious references are woven into the text to support his reasoning. The second section is an excerpt from a book he has written, presumably while incarcerated. The only connection between father and son had been money. His emotionally constipated father had funded his lifestyle in Paris where he met his gorgeous wife and has his allowance increased as a reward. 183pp, paperback.