Payment Deferred – C. S. Forester

William (Mr. Marble), on the spur of the moment, commits an atrocious crime to solve his financial problems. The rest of the book is a study in the neurotic fear of being caught, and of consequences. It says much of the William’s character (or lack thereof) that guilt is not a major issue for him… only the fear of being caught and hanged. Payment Deferred follows a theme very close to that of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, but on a bit lower level. Payment Deferred is an excellent novel with a thought-provoking narrative, but it doesn’t rise to the level of timeless literature that Crime and Punishment does, with its deeper and more sophisticated treatment of the spiritual and intellectual consequences of crime on the perpetrator. Payment Deferred is much easier read though, and especially for anyone who isn’t going to bite off the more challenging Crime and Punishment, is an excellent substitution. I recommend reading both.

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