This book’s premise is so simple yet so absorbing. It follows a man on the death row for murdering four women, in his last 12 hours. The narrative oscillates between his perspective, and the perspectives of three women whose lives were irrevocably affected by his crimes: his mother, his sister-in-law, and a childhood acquaintance. As his execution approaches, the three women ponder on his impact on their lives. Through their point of view, the book constructs a compelling picture of the murderer and the consequences of his actions.

Just when I thought I could happily wrap up my reading year, I dive head-first into this masterpiece. Notes on an execution trapped me in its masterful prose. I physically couldn’t put it down and, within a day, I finished it.

Consistently stunning writing style

Kukafka’s writing style is consistently stunning: lyrical, but without losing its grasp on the plot, as tends to be the case with some literary novels. The book is also self-aware. The narrative acknowledges how the discourse on serial killers tends to construct an idealised/romanticised persona around them, at the detriment of their victims. This novel steers away from this archetype through the alternating perspectives which ground the main character in the gruesome reality of his actions – he is a killer who caused immense suffering.

A meta-textual discussion on morality

Perhaps my favourite aspect of the reading experience was the meta-textual discussion on morality started by the main character himself. He perceives himself a philosopher whose Theory would revolutionise people’s perspective on morality. But the three other POVs paint a different picture – he is at best a pseudo-intellectual with a giant ego. His Theory on good and evil both mirrors and opposes the three other characters’ view of the matter. And so, it forces the reader to ponder on the same questions. Is redemption possible? Could different choices have led to different results, and, if so, is it even relevant?

Well-rounded and painfully real characters

The characters were well-rounded and painfully real. Through them, the narrative reveals aspects of human nature many books shy away from, such as the complicated dynamic between siblings, where unconditional love teeters on jealousy and resentment. Or how childhood experiences can shape a person to their core, dictating their path in life in ways they can’t even comprehend.

All in all, this book was fascinating, gripping and, despite its subject, stunning in execution. Easily one of my favourites this year.