The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair author Joël Dicker sets the record straight on whether a true story influenced the book on which the Epix series (now streaming on Amazon Prime Video) is based. The 10-episode mini-series follows the story of a young novelist, Marcus Goldman, who experienced writer's block while working on his book, so he decided to head to his mentor, Harry Quebert's, home for inspiration. However, what he discovers is more shocking: it turns out that Harry is being accused of murdering a 15-year-old girl, Nola Kellergan, who has been missing for 33 years.
The premise of The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair is interesting and bizarre because it turned into a full-fledged murder investigation with Harry and Marcus at the center of the "who dunnit." The series is gripping and told from different perspectives, complete with various twists and turns. With such a controversial story due to the reveal that a grown man like Harry was infatuated with a minor (Nola), some have pondered whether such a complex narrative is based on a real-life case.
Speaking with the Compulsive Reader in May 2014, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair author Joël Dicker confirmed that the book, which the series is based on, is not inspired by a true story, explaining how he built the characters of Marcus and Harry and "decided to create a universe around them:"
Compulsive Reader: "This is only your second novel, and already it’s a major bestseller in Europe. Could you talk about what inspired you to write this book?"
Joël Dicker: "I wanted to write a story about a teacher-student relationship, about the transmission of values from one person to another. Marcus and Harry were the first characters I created for this novel. Then I decided to create a universe around them, and that’s when I imagined the town of Somerset."
Dicker continued by saying he has an "important rule" when writing his novels: "Never mix reality with fiction," which is further confirmation that The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair is a purely fictional story:
Compulsive Reader: "You make very real the experience of daily life in a small, close-knit community. Did you base any of the characters or episodes on people in your own life?"
Joël Dicker: "No, this is a very important rule for me. Never mix reality with fiction. And the pleasure of writing a book is to invent scenes and characters. Reproducing something that I’ve already lived doesn’t interest me at all."
Dicker's comments solidified the fact that The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair's story did not happen in real life, which is a relief because of its disturbing nature tied to violence, abuse, and murder.
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair was published in the United States in May 2014. It had an original French version called La Vérité sur I’affaire Harry Quebert. In December 2013, The Hollywood Reporter described the novel as "Switzerland's answer to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."
Meanwhile, the series has a strong cast of veteran and up-and-coming actors led by Patrick Dempsey (who also starred as a sinister character in Thanksgiving), Ben Schnetzer, Damon Wayans Jr., Kristine Froseth, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kurt Fuller, Colm Feore, and Virginia Madsen. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair premiered on Epix on September 4, 2018, and ended its run on October 17, 2018.
'The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair's Has a Disturbing Ending
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair ended on a wild note since Marcus Goldman discovered that the actual killers were police officers Gareth Pratt and Travis Dawn, who were exposed as corrupt figures of law enforcement. They killed Nola because she saw them as the main culprits behind the death of Luther Caleb.
Throughout the series, Marcus has been protecting and defending Harry, believing he was innocent and did not do anything to 15-year-old Nola. While Harry did not kill Nola, it turned out that his mentor is not a saint at all because of one big deception.
For starters, it was obvious that Harry had been shady from the beginning, as he was infatuated with a minor with mental problems. Harry had taken advantage of Nola and even convinced her to marry him. It didn’t happen, but it came at the cost of Nola’s life.
Although the ending solved the mystery behind Nola's death, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair threw another unexpected twist when it revealed that Harry only pretended to be a bestselling author. Marcus discovered that Harry stole Luther Caleb's manuscript and submitted it as his own.
This revelation completely shattered Marcus because he looked at Harry as his mentor and friend who inspired him to write a novel in the first place. The ending saw Harry and Marcus part ways, ending a friendship that initially had a strong foundation but was slowly destroyed due to dark secrets that haunted them from the past.
