The final problem
The final problem is a mystery and suspense novel written by the RAE academic, journalist and Spanish author Arturo Pérez Reverte, creator of novels such as Revolution (2022). The work that concerns this review was published by the Alfaguara publishing house in 2023, following the writer's well-known love for characters such as Sherlock Holmes and Watson, by Arthur Conan Doyle.
According to statements by the author himself in the presentation of The final problem, His novel is greatly influenced by Sherlock Holmes. because, in addition to Don Quixote and the Musketeers, this is one of the best characters in universal literature. Also, in the pages of his book you can read a clear reference to Agatha Christie, which results in a tribute to the queen of thrillers.
Synopsis of The final problem
An old school crime novel
The final problem It is a work that presents a formula known as “the mystery of the closed room.”, or “the locked room.” This type of narrative involves solving an impossible crime, such as a murder that could hardly have taken place given its circumstances—a death in a totally impassable room, for example.
The origins of this resource date back to Sheridan Le Fanu, with A passage in the secret history of an Irish countess (1838) The formula can also be attributed to Edgar Alan Poe, who used it in his story The crimes of morgue Street (1841). However, the narrative styles most addressed in The final problem They are more similar to those used by Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.
This is, consequently, a novel that opts for a repetitive and predictable plot. But, it does not mean it lacks charm or interesting factors.
The beginning of the problem
The plot of The final problem It takes place in 1960, on a small island of Utakos, which is located off Corfu.. There is a small hotel in which nine characters have stayed, due to bad weather that does not allow anyone to go out.
Everything seems very calm until The unthinkable happens: the apparent suicide of Edith Mander, a reserved English tourist. The death affects the guests, who begin to suspect that there is something more behind the events.
After discovering the woman's body in one of the beach pavilions, Hopalong Basil begins to see clues that seem imperceptible to others. For him, it is evident that it is not a suicide, and he will use all his resources to find the culprit, on his own initiative and at the request of other guests. Basil is a disgraced actor who used to play the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, so he knows police techniques.
If no one leaves and no one enters, who is to blame?
The closed room formula works by discard. That is to say: the main character must investigate all the guests until he finds the real culprit. In this context, eventually, all participants become suspects. Hopalong Basil must use all the resources that the legendary detective Holmes put into practice during all the book series and films made in his name.
During this process, the protagonist begins to make very frequent references in relation to characters and literary elements that are part of popular culture. At the same time, Arturo Pérez Reverte creates Paco Foxá, a Catalan writer of newsstand novels who acts as a kind of Watson. It is through this last character that the author philosophises regarding the sociology of literature.
About great novels and commercial books
Paco Foxá It raises several interesting arguments regarding how literature works in the times in which the work takes place. Besides, establishes criticisms about how the narrative has deteriorated, what young people like and how publishers manipulate buyers.
Similarly, Foxá's character makes the reader notice a lack of more police books like those of yesteryear. Those that, although they had twists that could be predicted several pages away, had a heroic and elegant quality.
An ode to thriller classics
Unlike other works by Pérez Reverte, The final problem It has many dialogues, which serve to clarify the investigation, make statements about the art, establish the connections between all the characters and open interesting debates. This is known as “metafiction,” and has been used in detective literature since its inception.
About the author, Arturo Pérez Reverte
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Arturo Perez Reverte Gutiérrez was born in 1951, in Cartagena, Murcia, Spain. After his expulsion from the former Marists of Cartagena, he studied Literature at the Isaac Peral Institute. Later, He graduated with a degree in Journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid.. While studying Communication, he took Political Science classes.
After graduating, he worked as a war correspondent for 21 years. In parallel to this work, The author founded the magazine Defensa with his colleague Vicente Talón. Later, he worked as a correspondent for Spanish Television (TVE). Later, he resigned, and began to be interested exclusively in literary creation, especially that of a historical nature.
Other books by Arturo Pérez Reverte
Narrative
- Hussar (1986);
- Fencing master (1988);
- The Flanders table (1990);
- The Dumas Club or The Shadow of Richelieu (1993);
- The shadow of the eagle (1993);
- Comanche territory, Ollero and Ramos (1994);
- A matter of honor (Cachito) (1995);
- Drum skin (1995);
- The spherical letter (2000);
- The Queen of the South (2002);
- Cape Trafalgar (2004);
- The painter of battles (2006);
- A day of anger (2007);
- Blue eyes (2009);
- The siege (2010);
- The tango of the old guard (2012);
- The patient sniper (2013);
- Good men (2015);
- The civil war told to the young (2015);
- the little hoplite (2016);
- urban warriors (2016);
- Tough dogs don't dance (2018);
- A border story (2019);
- Fire line (2020);
- The Italian (2021);
- The final problem (2023)
Series The Adventures of Captain Alatriste
- Captain Alatriste (1996);
- Blood cleansing (1997);
- The sun of Breda (1998);
- The king's gold (2000);
- The Knight in the Yellow Doublet (2003);
- Raising Corsairs (2006);
- The Bridge of Assassins (2011)
Falcó Series
- Falcó, Alfaguara (2016);
- Eva, Alfaguara (2017);
- Sabotage (2018)
Articles
- Short works, stories and articles (1995);
- Patent of corso (1993-1998);
- With the intention of offending (1998-2001);
- You won't take me alive (2001-2005);
- When we were honest mercenaries (2005-2009);
- Ships get lost ashore (1994-2011);
- Dogs and sons of bitches (2014);
- A history of Spain (2013-2017).