Thursday, June 26, 2008

The Amnesiac by Sam Taylor

James Purdew finds that he cannot remember three years of his life. He is not sure why. But when he trips on the stairs to his apartment and breaks his leg, he has too much time to think about it. His girlfriend Ingrid does not understand what he is going through. He becomes obsessed with it and heads back to England where he believes it all started to a house that holds memories for him or so he thinks. He comes across a manuscript from the nineteenth century about a murder mystery. It might just get him to give him some clues to the time that he has forgotten.

Mr. Taylor weaves a story that is full of suspense. Amnesia, memory, dreams and reality all have a part to play in it. It is a haunting gothic tale that helps you question what is really going on in life. I was surprised with how well it was put together though at times I was a little confused.

This is one story that reminds of me of Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. And while that was not my favorite book in the world, The Amnesiac is a fantastic story. I was pulled in because I was curious to find out what happened. You really get to look inside the human character and how it affects everything you do. In all honesty, I am not sure I would want to do some of the things I found out James did in the story. I understood why he submitted himself but at the same time, he had horrible consequences later on. This was an intriguing book that I could not put down.

Sam Taylor/Chunkster/ 400 pages/ Gothic Tale/ 4 out of 5

Off to a few more review books, but I would like to get in a few more of my own before the month is through. :)