The Eye of the Beholder

by Marc Behm

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At the center of this genre-bending tale of sex, death, and parental love is a private investigator known as The Eye, who has been seeking his missing daughter for many years. In the course of his search, he encounters a mysterious femme fatale who routinely attracts, robs, and murders wealthy men. The Eye knows perfectly well that this woman is not his long-lost daughter, yet he's compelled to follow her, destroying the evidence of her murders, covering her tracks, and taking an active - show more though silent - role in her crimes. This offbeat mystery's portrait of a pair of despondent loners presents a haunting tale of obsession. show less

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bluepiano Easily described: In the course of his work, protagonist encounters a woman he then follows place to place across the country though she remains a stranger. Interesting to see how differently the plot is treated and better still both are good. Montes's is terrifically atmospheric.

Member Reviews

8 reviews
Truly bizarre and maddening at times, but you can't stop reading. It all has the feeling of a dream, and even at the surprisingly moving end, you can't be certain how much has been real or not. The ability of "The Eye" to follow her for so many years defies literal belief.
An odd little spin on the noir genre: private eye develops fixation on Black Widow killer and pretty much stalks her for years, never running out of money and failing to solve a ridiculously simple crossword clue (which was annoying).
Mesmerizing, will require a 2nd read,
Un detective fracasado y solitario, obsesionado con una hija a la que busca desde hace años, es contratado por unos padres preocupados para que investigue a la pareja de su hijo. Ante la sorpresa del detective, la joven mujer se revela como una auténtica viuda negra capaz de matar a su marido con una insospechada frialdad. Sin embargo, el investigador no sólo no la delatará, sino que se desvinculará de sus clientes y se dedicará a seguirla obsesivamente e incluso a protegerla en ocasiones, puesto que en ella ve personificada de una manera irracional la figura de su hija.
L'Occhio è un investigatore privato senza nome. È un uomo metodico, e sofferente. La moglie lo ha abbandonato lasciandogli la foto di 15 ragazzine in divisa di scuola, una delle quali è la figlia che lui non può riconoscere, perché non l'ha mai conosciuta. Incaricato di pedinare una giovane sospettata di una catena di omicidi ai danni di uomini ricchi, sedotti e subito dopo eliminati, si convince che quella ragazza è la sua occasione per ritrovare ciò che gli è stato tolto. Glielo suggerisce la sua voce interiore, con la quale l'Occhio sempre parla: una voce che a volte lo conforta, a volte alimenta le sue ossessioni. L'Occhio comincia a seguire la donna, a proteggerla da ogni pericolo. Per questo intraprende un viaggio lungo le show more strade infinite di un'America surreale e dolorosa. E scoprirà che chiunque la ragazza sia, è sicuramente una spietata assassina... show less

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18+ Works 573 Members

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Forster, Alan (Cover designer)

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title
The Eye of the Beholder
Original title
The Eye of the Beholder
Original publication date
1980
Original language
English

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, Mystery
DDC/MDS
813.54Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English1900-19991945-1999
LCC
PS3552 .E38 .E9Language and LiteratureAmerican literatureAmerican literatureIndividual authors1961-
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Statistics

Members
182
Popularity
179,968
Reviews
6
Rating
(3.21)
Languages
6 — English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
22
ASINs
6