25 THERESE DESQUEYROUX Francois Mauriac (France, 1927)
Everyone knows Therese Desqueyroux of attempted murder, including the very husband she tried to kill, but in order to save the family's reputation, he refuses to accuse her during the trial.
What makes this novel interesting, is that even though we know Therese to be guilty, it is impossible to not feel sorry for her. Most of the novel consists of her recounting the tale of her life and the dull bourgeois life that gradually leads her to commit the crime. Therese is above all a victim of circumstance whose personality is ultimately crushed by her family and society.
3/5