Human Traces

The book has a protracted plot spanning decades from the childhood life of Jacques Rebiere into his adulthood and finally old age. It passes as a tiring read and it is easy to forget events and details at the beginning due to many settings and failure of an overriding setting. However, the research done for the psychological ailments in the story is excellent, details are accurate and fascinating too, it might fit the bill of a psychology fan facts book. But the again, it seems there was too much emphasis on the details vis-a-vis the storyline.

As a historical novel, the book perfectly captures the scenes of the 18th and 19th centuries. Among the outstanding ones was the depiction of lifestyle and medical changes occasioned by invention of electricity and other industrial machines. The story ends on an anti-climax, in-fact the story has no climax, it's flat. The pace it starts on is maintained through out the plot.