Quote by Joël Dicker.
When an Internet user inquires about "Jöel Dicker books", the results will guide him to The truth about the Harry Quebert case. And it is not for less, since this novel turned the young writer into a star. The work has been translated into more than 40 languages and has sold more than 4.000.000 copies worldwide.
Today, el New York Times he lists it as "The irritating literary prodigy"; other media such as "The Little Prince of Contemporary Black Literature." Although in the beginning not everything was rosy, this did not stop the writer. On the contrary, every line drawn by him becomes something of value. Proof of this are his more than 10 million books sold, which translates into a huge success.
Biographical synthesis of Jöel Dicker
Jöel Dicker came to the world on June 16, 1985 in Geneva, a Swiss city whose official language is French. Although he was not a good student as a child, he always demonstrated a great natural talent for letters. With only 10 years he instituted La Gazette des Animaux (The Animal Magazine), which he presided over for seven consecutive years. This work earned him the Prix Cunéo award for the Protection of Nature as “Switzerland's youngest Editor-in-Chief”.
Dicker's youth was spent in his hometown, but At 19 he decided to go to Paris. There he took acting classes at the theater school Florent course. A year later, he returned to Switzerland to study law at the University of Geneva, obtaining a degree in 2010.
Beginnings in literature
When talking about Dicker's beginnings as a writer, there is a relevant anecdote: his participation in a youth literary contest. In this competition presented the short novel Tiger, and was disqualified because the main judge presented doubts about his authorship. Although the situation upset the young man, he currently sees it as just a stumbling block that ultimately prompted him to improve.
In 2009, Dicker completed his first novel called The last days of our fathers, based on the UK Secret Intelligence Service. After not raising interest in any publisher, in 2010 he decided to enroll her in the Prix des Ecrivains Genevois for unpublished works. The writer was the winner of this important award, to finally achieve its publication a year later with Éditions de Fallois.
Best books by Jöel Dicker
Here are Jöel Dicker's best books:
The truth about the Harry Quebert case (2012)
This work catapulted the success of the young novelist, surpassing the 4 million copies sold in the world. In addition to being translated into more than forty languages, it was adapted into a TV miniseries in 2015, starring renowned actor Patrick Dempsey. It should be noted that this novel has been awarded two important awards, such as:
- Grand Prize for Novel of the French Academy
- Prix Goncourt des Lycéens, awarded by the students
Synopsis
It is a crime mystery novel that begins in 2008. It is set in the small town of Aurora, New Hampshire. The story introduces Marcos Goldman —a young writer—, who lives in New York and is under pressure to finish his second literary work. While searching for inspiration, he learns that Harry Quebert - a friend and renowned writer - is accused of the murder of the young Nola Kellergan, an incident that occurred during 1975.
Marcos, persuaded by his instincts, trusts that Quebert, his mentor, is innocent, so he decides to travel to Aurora to help solve the enigma. There begins the plot of this incredible novel, which takes place between various periods —1975, 1998 and 2008— and various settings. In the midst of so many discoveries, Marcos, in parallel with the investigation, begins to write a book about the case. The end of this plot will come after a long, complicated and exciting journey.
The Baltimore Book (2015)
It is the third novel published by Dicker. Something interesting is that it has as its protagonist Marcos Goldman, the same The truth about the Harry Quebert case. However, although some try to focus that it is a sequel to the best-selling hit, nothing could be further from the truth. Perhaps the only significant coincidence between the two texts is that they have the same main character. Of the rest, this new work is is a family drama based on the collapse of the relationships of the members of the Goldman caste.
The Montclair Goldmans - the side Marcos belongs to - are a middle-class family living in New Jersey. Quite the contrary, the Baltimore Goldmans - who reside in this city - are surrounded by money and luxuries. In 2012, Marcos, overwhelmed by the memories of past times in which they happily shared, decides to look for details that will let him know when the family dissolved. To do this, the protagonist makes a trip to Baltimore, where the plot is fully developed.
Little by little, Between recurring memories of family experiences, the dark hidden truths that gave way to the bankruptcy of the Goldmans are revealed. The clues are released as a puzzle in the various remembrances of Marcos, which means that the reader must be attentive to everything and organize their final conclusions around the drama.
The disappearance of Stephanie Mailer (2018)
After a 3-year break, Dicker presented his fourth novel, again betting on the mystery. It is a story that takes place in a spa called Orphea, located in The Hamptons. It all begins in 1994, when Samuel Paladin desperately searches for his wife Meghan. Later, the man finds his wife dead, right in front of Mayor Gordon's house.
As if the aforementioned was not tragic enough, everything gets worse. Paladin, distraught, decides to enter the official's property and encounters a horrible and bloody scene: everyone inside is dead. Two policemen (Jesse Rosenberg and Dereck Scott) are in charge of carrying out the investigation, managing to catch the "murderer".
After 20 long years, Scott coincides in the retirement ceremony of his partner Rosenberg; the journalist also appears there Stephanie mailer. She alleges investigators made a mistake, and arrested the wrong person for the 1994 quadruple crime. That comment sows doubts in the officers. Then Mailer mysteriously disappears, thereby generating intrigue in the population. Right at that moment the search for clues between past and present begins to finally put together the puzzle that will lead to the unexpected truth.
The riddle of room 622 (2020)
In this latest novel, the literary laureate continues to bet on mystery. Now the main stage is located in the Swiss Alps, specifically in the luxurious hotel Palacio de Verbier, during the winter of 2014. Employees of a famous Swiss private bank were staying there, who would hold a meeting to announce the new director. On the night of the appointment - in room 622 - one of the directors of the entity is assassinated. Despite the seriousness of the matter, the crime was not clarified and went unpunished.
Four years after the event - in the summer of 2018 - a young and famous writer (who bears the same name as the author, Jöel Dicker) stays at the hotel. The man is trying to clear himself after a love failure and the physical loss of his editor. Without waiting, he meets Scarlett, a beautiful young aspiring novelist, who introduces him to that winter of 2014 after recounting the mysterious unsolved murder. From that moment, both go into the investigation to tie up loose ends in the midst of love conflicts and betrayals.
