Swiss Writer Explores 1968 Murder Case in Debut Novel, Unpacking Guilt and Distress

Swiss writer Olivier Vonlanthen's debut novel, "Notre-Dame-des-Démolies," delves into a chilling 1968 murder case involving a chambermaid from Fribourg. The book moves beyond the sensationalism of the crime to explore the deep distress of the woman who committed the act. Vonlanthen uses the scant details available from police and press reports of the era, supplemented by rare archives and family memories, to imagine the life and motivations of Marthe, the 37-year-old chambermaid. She "savagely" killed her employer with knives one January morning in Montpellier.

The novel seeks to understand what lies beneath the label of "dementia" that was applied to Marthe and her actions. Vonlanthen, who comes from a poetry background, views these seven letters as representing "a whole horizon of silences, seven letters of prohibition, a word sanctioning powerlessness, a word prison." His literary approach aims to unpack the complex web of guilt and unspoken issues surrounding the crime, offering a nuanced perspective on a dark event from the past. The book is positioned as a literary exploration rather than a simple retelling of a crime.

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a whole horizon of silences, seven letters of prohibition, a word sanctioning powerlessness, a word prison