For a complete change of pace, we have S.J. Watson's thriller, Before I go to sleep...Every morning Christine Lucas wakes without memories. Her past, her present, the people she loves -“ all are erased every night when she goes to sleep. Each day she must try to piece her life together. Each day the questions come. Who can she trust when she can't remember yesterday? How can she love without memory? And why is she so frightened? [Taken from the book cover].
From Diana
ReplyDeleteMedically/neuropsychiatrically (whatever) it could well have happened that way; there are such cases and he had researched one I think ... and he did a good job of writing the creepy increase in the feeling of wrongness as she started recovering a sense of self. But there were things that jarred as there always are with me! Keeping a journal from much earlier on would surely have been tried when she was in the hospital. On the other hand, maybe she did, and did not remember ... and it was destroyed ... or it upset her so much that it was discontinued ..... anyway, a nod in that direction would have been appreciated. .... There is a rather strange book called 'Soldier in the Mist' by Gene Wolfe which is about a fictional soldier, a mercenary on the Persian side, who sustained a head injury at the battle of Plataea and lost his memory and the ability to store new ones for more than that day , but was encouraged by those looking after him to write down what happened each day, and what people had told him, on a scroll before he went to sleep each night - and on the scroll was the instruction to read it each morning - so he was able to somewhat keep track of what was happening to him, as he continued to be peripherally involved in the further events of the Persian war. The brain injury also enabled him to see the gods and various spirit denizens of the Greek landscape, which is where the strangeness came in. - Anyway, the 'keeping a journal' idea for amnesia is not new!
All but two members read the book.
ReplyDeleteMost people "enjoyed" it, reading for the story, not analysing it as they read. The doctor seemed a bit creepy and there was some doubt about his motives as the story progressed.
Was it reasonable for the husband to leave his wife - there was a lot of sympathy with this, particularly from the point of view of the child.
Those who finished the book found it an easy read, and as a whole, a good choice.
During the course of the discussion, there was mention made of a couple of movies that follow this sort of premise - 50 First Dates (a comedy), and Momento (a thriller).
ReplyDeleteUnrelated to the book discussed, Jan mentioned a Samoan movie "The Orator" as one that was well worth watching.
On the topic of visiting Turkey, a novel "Birds Without Wings" by Louis de Bernières was highly recommended.