What do you think?
Rate this book
The Coma
After being attacked on the Underground, Carl awakens from a coma to a life that seems strange and unfamiliar. He arrives at his friends' house without knowing how he got there. Nor do they. He seems to be having an affair with his secretary which is exciting, but unlikely. Further unsettled by leaps in logic and time, Carl wonders if he's actually reacting to the outside world, or if he's terribly mistaken. So begins a psychological adventure that stretches the boundaries of conciousness.
192 pages, Paperback
First published June 17, 2004
85 people are currently reading
9563 people want to read
About the author
Alex Garland
27 books1,770 followersAlex Garland (born 1970) is a British novelist, screenwriter, and director.
Garland is the son of political cartoonist Nick (Nicholas) Garland. He attended the independent University College School, in Hampstead, London, and the University of Manchester, where he studied art history.
His first novel, The Beach, was published in 1996 and drew on his experiences as a backpacker. The novel quickly became a cult classic and was made into a film by Danny Boyle, with Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Tesseract, Garland's second novel, was published in 1998. This was also made into a film, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. In 2003, he wrote the screenplay for Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, starring Cillian Murphy. His third novel, The Coma, was published in 2004 and was illustrated with woodcuts by his father.
In 2007 he wrote the screenplay for the film Sunshine—his second screenplay to be directed by Danny Boyle and star Cillian Murphy as lead. Garland also served as an executive producer on 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to 28 Days Later.
Garland also wrote the first screenplay for Halo, the film adaptation of the successful video game franchise by Bungie Studios.
He made his directorial debut with Ex Machina, a 2014 feature film based on his own story and screenplay.
His partner is actress/director Paloma Baeza.
Garland is the son of political cartoonist Nick (Nicholas) Garland. He attended the independent University College School, in Hampstead, London, and the University of Manchester, where he studied art history.
His first novel, The Beach, was published in 1996 and drew on his experiences as a backpacker. The novel quickly became a cult classic and was made into a film by Danny Boyle, with Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Tesseract, Garland's second novel, was published in 1998. This was also made into a film, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. In 2003, he wrote the screenplay for Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, starring Cillian Murphy. His third novel, The Coma, was published in 2004 and was illustrated with woodcuts by his father.
In 2007 he wrote the screenplay for the film Sunshine—his second screenplay to be directed by Danny Boyle and star Cillian Murphy as lead. Garland also served as an executive producer on 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to 28 Days Later.
Garland also wrote the first screenplay for Halo, the film adaptation of the successful video game franchise by Bungie Studios.
He made his directorial debut with Ex Machina, a 2014 feature film based on his own story and screenplay.
His partner is actress/director Paloma Baeza.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 564 reviews
February 6, 2015
I remember reading The Coma when it first came out some 10 years-ish ago, flying through it in a day and dismissing it as “eh, dream story, got it”. I’m glad I came back and re-read it and thought about it more afterwards as there’s a lot more to it than that (and understanding what I read, rather than chalking it up as another book down, is the whole point of why I write reviews anyway).
Carl is in the office making notes on papers late into the night. His secretary calls to remind him that the last train leaves in 25 minutes so he leaves. On the underground he sees a young woman being hassled by some yoofs. He intervenes and they stomp on his head. Carl is rushed to hospital in a coma. The novella begins with Carl trying to figure out what’s happened and then how he can awaken and return to his life.
Alex Garland wonderfully describes the dream state Carl finds himself in, really bringing that aspect alive for the reader. Carl goes from scene to scene without knowing how he got from one place to another, time seems to speed up, time goes backwards as he revisits favourite memories - it’s a great trip and exactly follows dream logic.
The book, though some 200 pages or so in length, is actually much shorter – a mirage in itself. Take all of the text and cut out the white space, the blank pages, the woodcut drawings, and it’s more like a 60ish page short story. But actually the way the book is laid out with everything spaced out like it is, is all part of the story.
The reader realises, at the same time as Carl, that his memories are extremely limited and he’s suffering from amnesia. The blank pages represent the blanks in his memory and the short chapters - some are just a paragraph - could be a way of measuring time with each chapter perhaps representing a day or an episode that he’s in a coma and conscious but not awake. The longer chapters mean he’s conscious for longer, etc.
Garland’s father, Nicholas, also supplies black and white woodcut drawings which heightens the moody, haunting nature of the story. They’re a fantastic addition to the book and show that Garland was thinking more visually in his writing - an indication of his career path where he would give up prose novels (The Coma was his last book) and focus on screenwriting. More recently he’s made the transition to directing with his first film, Ex Machina, being released a couple weeks ago.
But the woodcuts also serve as visual clues to the story. Later on, Carl buys a chotchkie of a strange little demon/god figure and it’s the same one as one of the three that we see breaking up the story at certain intervals/parts. I think the chotchkies are there as another indicator to mark time and indicate how many cycles Carl has gone through these memories. The first section of the book, we see one chotchkie; the second, there are two; the third there are three - Carl has lived through this book we’re reading three times. The final time we see the three chotchkies lined up, they’re set against a black background. Something’s changed. Has Carl woken up - or has he died?
There’s also other ways to interpret The Coma: it might be an exercise in exploring narrative fiction from the perspective of the character. Carl is a character in a novel, so this story might be about him slowly realising this. All he knows are the facts that the author has supplied him with that we see in the opening passage of the book: he works in an office with papers, he has a secretary, he was brutally assaulted, and he’s in a coma. When he thinks about other aspects of his life, he draws a blank. If that could happen to Carl, could it happen to us – are we characters in a story we’re not aware of?
It’s interesting how Garland looks at language as well - Carl has been in a coma for so long that he begins to forget how to use and the meaning of language. He throws out unconnected words and then muses on why those don’t make sense but others do, like the ones he uses to express himself. Or do they? Towards the end, the gibberish begins to make sense to him. Does that mean he’s freeing himself from the bonds of the author? Does that mean he’s deteriorating - that he’s actually dying and his brain is giving up?
I can understand some readers’ frustration at the way this novel meanders but if you’ve read Garland’s most famous work, The Beach, you’ll know his theme of aimless wandering is a favourite of his. The Coma is an extension of that theme, delving further into our identities and our search for meaning.
I think the search for answers and aimlessness is especially pertinent to Garland who was making the transition from feted young novelist to high profile screenwriter at this time. The Coma is that transition in a book from prose to screenwriting, as well as the answer that he was done with novels and ready to move on to something new.
But there is no real answer to The Coma. The ending is that most polarising of finales: open-ended. In a way, that’s the best choice to end it - to give the illusion of finality while leaving poor Carl in his spiral of never-ending searching. In that interpretation, this is a very true representation of being in a coma - the same thing going on and on forever until you either wake up or die. Though really a narrative of aimlessness could never have a solid conclusion due to its nature.
In the end, most people can read The Coma quickly as it’s well written, it’s short, and you’re going to want to see where it’s all going; but don’t. Reading a book is not a race. I’m not saying this is a masterpiece - the writing is a bit too spare and not terribly evocative at times - though it is a book that has more substance here you can easily gloss over if you speed read your way through it.
The Coma is a haunting story on the nature of reality and the search for identity. It could also be read as many other things like the purpose of memories in informing our reality, the aim of narrative in our lives and our art, and, more simply, a fine, unusual entertainment for fiction lovers everywhere. Definitely well worth a read.
Carl is in the office making notes on papers late into the night. His secretary calls to remind him that the last train leaves in 25 minutes so he leaves. On the underground he sees a young woman being hassled by some yoofs. He intervenes and they stomp on his head. Carl is rushed to hospital in a coma. The novella begins with Carl trying to figure out what’s happened and then how he can awaken and return to his life.
Alex Garland wonderfully describes the dream state Carl finds himself in, really bringing that aspect alive for the reader. Carl goes from scene to scene without knowing how he got from one place to another, time seems to speed up, time goes backwards as he revisits favourite memories - it’s a great trip and exactly follows dream logic.
The book, though some 200 pages or so in length, is actually much shorter – a mirage in itself. Take all of the text and cut out the white space, the blank pages, the woodcut drawings, and it’s more like a 60ish page short story. But actually the way the book is laid out with everything spaced out like it is, is all part of the story.
The reader realises, at the same time as Carl, that his memories are extremely limited and he’s suffering from amnesia. The blank pages represent the blanks in his memory and the short chapters - some are just a paragraph - could be a way of measuring time with each chapter perhaps representing a day or an episode that he’s in a coma and conscious but not awake. The longer chapters mean he’s conscious for longer, etc.
Garland’s father, Nicholas, also supplies black and white woodcut drawings which heightens the moody, haunting nature of the story. They’re a fantastic addition to the book and show that Garland was thinking more visually in his writing - an indication of his career path where he would give up prose novels (The Coma was his last book) and focus on screenwriting. More recently he’s made the transition to directing with his first film, Ex Machina, being released a couple weeks ago.
But the woodcuts also serve as visual clues to the story. Later on, Carl buys a chotchkie of a strange little demon/god figure and it’s the same one as one of the three that we see breaking up the story at certain intervals/parts. I think the chotchkies are there as another indicator to mark time and indicate how many cycles Carl has gone through these memories. The first section of the book, we see one chotchkie; the second, there are two; the third there are three - Carl has lived through this book we’re reading three times. The final time we see the three chotchkies lined up, they’re set against a black background. Something’s changed. Has Carl woken up - or has he died?
There’s also other ways to interpret The Coma: it might be an exercise in exploring narrative fiction from the perspective of the character. Carl is a character in a novel, so this story might be about him slowly realising this. All he knows are the facts that the author has supplied him with that we see in the opening passage of the book: he works in an office with papers, he has a secretary, he was brutally assaulted, and he’s in a coma. When he thinks about other aspects of his life, he draws a blank. If that could happen to Carl, could it happen to us – are we characters in a story we’re not aware of?
It’s interesting how Garland looks at language as well - Carl has been in a coma for so long that he begins to forget how to use and the meaning of language. He throws out unconnected words and then muses on why those don’t make sense but others do, like the ones he uses to express himself. Or do they? Towards the end, the gibberish begins to make sense to him. Does that mean he’s freeing himself from the bonds of the author? Does that mean he’s deteriorating - that he’s actually dying and his brain is giving up?
I can understand some readers’ frustration at the way this novel meanders but if you’ve read Garland’s most famous work, The Beach, you’ll know his theme of aimless wandering is a favourite of his. The Coma is an extension of that theme, delving further into our identities and our search for meaning.
I think the search for answers and aimlessness is especially pertinent to Garland who was making the transition from feted young novelist to high profile screenwriter at this time. The Coma is that transition in a book from prose to screenwriting, as well as the answer that he was done with novels and ready to move on to something new.
But there is no real answer to The Coma. The ending is that most polarising of finales: open-ended. In a way, that’s the best choice to end it - to give the illusion of finality while leaving poor Carl in his spiral of never-ending searching. In that interpretation, this is a very true representation of being in a coma - the same thing going on and on forever until you either wake up or die. Though really a narrative of aimlessness could never have a solid conclusion due to its nature.
In the end, most people can read The Coma quickly as it’s well written, it’s short, and you’re going to want to see where it’s all going; but don’t. Reading a book is not a race. I’m not saying this is a masterpiece - the writing is a bit too spare and not terribly evocative at times - though it is a book that has more substance here you can easily gloss over if you speed read your way through it.
The Coma is a haunting story on the nature of reality and the search for identity. It could also be read as many other things like the purpose of memories in informing our reality, the aim of narrative in our lives and our art, and, more simply, a fine, unusual entertainment for fiction lovers everywhere. Definitely well worth a read.
August 20, 2019
As modern writers go, this one has the career I covet & an incredible repertoire--he has been compared to Graham Greene. Well, this is the WRITER OF MY GENERATION (or Gen x, whatev), and therefore, it's Mr. Greene who should consider himself fortunate. (Forgive the hyperbole...)
For a book that requires no bookmark, this one is a must. Like a riveting film, one of the best ones out there that you probably never got to see in the theater and sweetens the day considerably when you do sit down and invest & hour and a half, this one is worth it. Even the woodcuts added to the drama by the writer's father gives it extra spice.
Alex Garland's "The Coma" is like Paul Auster's "Timbuktu": brief, told in a disembodied POV, a cool concept that you think might fail at any minute, might become pretentious or may end soon in nowheresville, but does NOT. Whereas Auster's work is plagued with obvious pathos, Mr. Garland chooses wisely to stray far and make beauty without the use of sentimentalism: a trait I find very attractive and undoubtedly speaks to the generation. Carl is us and his simple ambitions, whether it is to "find a partner and have kids" or just the physical act of waking up, are likewise ours.
Man, you don't have to describe to me how sad things are spelled out so implicitly when, like the true master that Garland is (Just see my profile under FAVORITE AUTHORS), using both blankness and darkness, minutiae and profundity, you can bestow me with a portal that sees inside myself.
For a book that requires no bookmark, this one is a must. Like a riveting film, one of the best ones out there that you probably never got to see in the theater and sweetens the day considerably when you do sit down and invest & hour and a half, this one is worth it. Even the woodcuts added to the drama by the writer's father gives it extra spice.
Alex Garland's "The Coma" is like Paul Auster's "Timbuktu": brief, told in a disembodied POV, a cool concept that you think might fail at any minute, might become pretentious or may end soon in nowheresville, but does NOT. Whereas Auster's work is plagued with obvious pathos, Mr. Garland chooses wisely to stray far and make beauty without the use of sentimentalism: a trait I find very attractive and undoubtedly speaks to the generation. Carl is us and his simple ambitions, whether it is to "find a partner and have kids" or just the physical act of waking up, are likewise ours.
Man, you don't have to describe to me how sad things are spelled out so implicitly when, like the true master that Garland is (Just see my profile under FAVORITE AUTHORS), using both blankness and darkness, minutiae and profundity, you can bestow me with a portal that sees inside myself.
June 16, 2008
this book was the perfect length for one queens-manhattan/manhattan-queens subway ride on a sunday shopping spree. sibilant, no?
im more taken with that fact than the actual content of the book. i enjoyed it, but marabou stork nightmares is way, way better.
im more taken with that fact than the actual content of the book. i enjoyed it, but marabou stork nightmares is way, way better.
November 19, 2015
Alex Garland is the author of The Beach, a real tour de force set on a remote island in Thailand. The Beach is an awesome debut novel, and one which I read in two sittings in two days - I could barely tear myself away from it, from beginning to end. Garland's second novel, The Tesseract, was very different - much more conceptual and experimental, and unfortunately nowhere near as successful (though the blurb states that J.G. Ballard was a big fan). The Coma is his shortest novel, and the last one to be published before he abandoned the format in favor for screenwriting.
On the surface, The Coma begins normally enough: Carl, the protagonist, is coming home from his office job on the London tube, where he sees a group of men harassing a lone woman. Despite not wanting to get involved at first, Carl experiences a surprising outburst of bravery and stands up to defend her; unfortunately, he is promptly beaten unconscious. Carl wakes up in the coma war at the local hospital and is discharged home, but soon realizes that things are somehow not right: he arrives at places but cannot remember how he got there, and time seems to work as it pleases. Carl begins to fear that his psychological trauma might be severe, but soon suspects that his situation might be infinitely worse.
The Coma is incredibly short - most of the space is taken by woodcut illustrations made by Garland's father, Nicholas; the text itself is divided into short chapters, which are then divided into even shorter paragraphs, separated by large swathes of empty white space. In many cases this would be a drawback, but I think that in this case such arrangement works perfectly: we read the novel as if moving between glimpses of Carl's memories, and the strange illustrations complement it as many strange and unexplainable images that we might see in our own dreams. The text can be read in one or two sittings, and never feels overly long.
However, it never feels truly satisfying either; because of its theme, The Coma is an experiment at trying to convey the various states of human consciousness, but without anything that would make it particularly memorable. The eerie opening tension is dissolved too quickly, and by the end the novel does not leave a lasting impression - ironically, I bet most of those who read it will remember only single images afterwards; this way, the book itself will become a half-remembered dream, which might have been the author's aim all along.
As I mentioned earlier, since publishing The Coma Alex Garland has devoted his talent entirely to scriptwriting (penning such films as 28 Days Later, and Sunshine, which are both very good films. In 2015 has made his directorial debut with Ex Machina, which he also wrote and which is really quite brilliant, minimalist science fiction piece about artificial intelligence. It's a great accomplishment for a directorial debut, much like The Beach was a great accomplishment for a debuting novelist - even if Alex Garland does not intend to write any more novels, I hope that he will write and direct more films, which seem to be the medium he realizes himself best.
On the surface, The Coma begins normally enough: Carl, the protagonist, is coming home from his office job on the London tube, where he sees a group of men harassing a lone woman. Despite not wanting to get involved at first, Carl experiences a surprising outburst of bravery and stands up to defend her; unfortunately, he is promptly beaten unconscious. Carl wakes up in the coma war at the local hospital and is discharged home, but soon realizes that things are somehow not right: he arrives at places but cannot remember how he got there, and time seems to work as it pleases. Carl begins to fear that his psychological trauma might be severe, but soon suspects that his situation might be infinitely worse.
The Coma is incredibly short - most of the space is taken by woodcut illustrations made by Garland's father, Nicholas; the text itself is divided into short chapters, which are then divided into even shorter paragraphs, separated by large swathes of empty white space. In many cases this would be a drawback, but I think that in this case such arrangement works perfectly: we read the novel as if moving between glimpses of Carl's memories, and the strange illustrations complement it as many strange and unexplainable images that we might see in our own dreams. The text can be read in one or two sittings, and never feels overly long.
However, it never feels truly satisfying either; because of its theme, The Coma is an experiment at trying to convey the various states of human consciousness, but without anything that would make it particularly memorable. The eerie opening tension is dissolved too quickly, and by the end the novel does not leave a lasting impression - ironically, I bet most of those who read it will remember only single images afterwards; this way, the book itself will become a half-remembered dream, which might have been the author's aim all along.
As I mentioned earlier, since publishing The Coma Alex Garland has devoted his talent entirely to scriptwriting (penning such films as 28 Days Later, and Sunshine, which are both very good films. In 2015 has made his directorial debut with Ex Machina, which he also wrote and which is really quite brilliant, minimalist science fiction piece about artificial intelligence. It's a great accomplishment for a directorial debut, much like The Beach was a great accomplishment for a debuting novelist - even if Alex Garland does not intend to write any more novels, I hope that he will write and direct more films, which seem to be the medium he realizes himself best.
December 19, 2018
This book has been sitting, unread, on my shelves since I bought it in 2004 from a Tesco's supermarket in Derby. But I'm glad I kept it alive, faintly, in my memory all this time. The story is quite lyrical and easy to follow and the 40 woodcuts Garland's father made to illustrate each scene add to rather than detract from the experience. And it's quite a haunting experience. On one level a simple mystery of lost identity, it's also much more than that, an exploration of consciousness and search for meaning in life, without being at all pretentious. And it's a quick read too.
Download my starter library for free here - http://eepurl.com/bFkt0X - and receive my monthly newsletter with an original painting, and book recommendations galore for the Japanophile, crime-fiction-lover in all of us.
Download my starter library for free here - http://eepurl.com/bFkt0X - and receive my monthly newsletter with an original painting, and book recommendations galore for the Japanophile, crime-fiction-lover in all of us.
May 3, 2009
I sat down and read this all in one sitting this morning.
Because of the situation (narrator in a coma, struggling to get out), it was pretty well impossible to get a good grip on who the narrator is/what is life is about... but in that it's easy to lose yourself to this novel & imagine yourself in that situation. He's searching for things within his memory that will spark him, shake him free of this coma, and he struggles with his inability to remember the details, the lyrics, these type of things.
I also think it was impressive how the author captured dreams and waking and falling in such clear ways. As he points out, no one ever can describe their dreams to you in ways that you can really feel like you were there. He has succeeded here in doing that, and not only capturing the setting, but the feelings that go along with that.
To be honest, more than the words, I was impressed with the woodcut illustrations that were before every chapter. They were seriously beautiful and really made this book sing.
Because of the situation (narrator in a coma, struggling to get out), it was pretty well impossible to get a good grip on who the narrator is/what is life is about... but in that it's easy to lose yourself to this novel & imagine yourself in that situation. He's searching for things within his memory that will spark him, shake him free of this coma, and he struggles with his inability to remember the details, the lyrics, these type of things.
I also think it was impressive how the author captured dreams and waking and falling in such clear ways. As he points out, no one ever can describe their dreams to you in ways that you can really feel like you were there. He has succeeded here in doing that, and not only capturing the setting, but the feelings that go along with that.
To be honest, more than the words, I was impressed with the woodcut illustrations that were before every chapter. They were seriously beautiful and really made this book sing.
February 9, 2016
I should really have read this when it came out 12 years back and I was into Garland's The Beach and The Tesseract, as this is much better than either of those. Quick enough to read entirely in a book shop over lunch break (drawn in by the eerie woodcuts that illustrate it), but the spare elegance conveys quite a lot of philosophic weight to mull over. A haunting suggestion of the loneliness of any single, inescapably solitary consciousness, in any real or imagined reality, assuming the differentiation of the two.
July 4, 2011
I think this is maybe what happened after someone dared Alex Garland to write a novel of exactly 200 pages featuring chrysanthemums, fresh milk, bandages, a temple, a cab driver, and a nurse. Go! It's not that it's bad, it's just that it isn't much. The narrator is in a coma, and the reader experiences all of his delusions, dreams, fractured memories, and efforts to awaken. The end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2015
First of all this book is strange. Second I loved every moment of it.
This book is about a man named Carl who takes a subway home and while on the tube gets attacked and is now in a coma. The whole book is Carl in his dreamlike coma state. Figuring out where he is and what is going on. He is trying to figure out how to wake up.
The book is broken up into 3 parts and each part he comes closer and farther away from consciousness. Each chapter has an illustration that ties into the chapter. I loved it's simplicity.
This was a very quick read. Large margins and short chapters. I am interested in reading some of Alex Garlands other books. I found this one fascinating!
This book is about a man named Carl who takes a subway home and while on the tube gets attacked and is now in a coma. The whole book is Carl in his dreamlike coma state. Figuring out where he is and what is going on. He is trying to figure out how to wake up.
The book is broken up into 3 parts and each part he comes closer and farther away from consciousness. Each chapter has an illustration that ties into the chapter. I loved it's simplicity.
This was a very quick read. Large margins and short chapters. I am interested in reading some of Alex Garlands other books. I found this one fascinating!
August 19, 2024
6.4/10
I feel like The Coma could've been an incredible book, and at times it was. The premise of a coma in literature is not an unexplored one, but Alex Garland really provides a very different and fascinating insight into the psychological process of a man in a coma, and that's what gives this book so much potential. There is a consistent eerie, unsettling and mysterious atmosphere throughout the story, which is supported by Garland's great prose which keeps the book engaging and very easy to read. The format of the book is certainly interesting, with its extremely short chapters, each with their own piece of eerie artwork. The best parts of the book are the mysteries that Garland presents in this dream-life, and the psychological battles that the main character, Carl, experiences. The description of Carl's dream-world is excellent, as are his the interactions he has with people as he tries to decipher his situation.
However, the book in my opinion lacks substance and needs more storybuilding. I feel the book would have benefitted from being longer as it tells a story that in the end feels almost half-hearted. Also, I think there was a somewhat unsatisfiying ending to the book, with a minor plot twist and then a last page which falls flat. I almost feel as if Garland tried too much to make The Coma a literary art piece instead of a story. The book definitely does feel like an art form with its unique set-out and interesting places Garland takes the narrative, straying into realms of philosophy. In conclusion, The Coma is a really fascinating read and will keep you interested the whole way, and I think that many people will consider it as incredible if they read it, but for me, the book itself just falls behind the potential it had from its premise and writing.
I feel like The Coma could've been an incredible book, and at times it was. The premise of a coma in literature is not an unexplored one, but Alex Garland really provides a very different and fascinating insight into the psychological process of a man in a coma, and that's what gives this book so much potential. There is a consistent eerie, unsettling and mysterious atmosphere throughout the story, which is supported by Garland's great prose which keeps the book engaging and very easy to read. The format of the book is certainly interesting, with its extremely short chapters, each with their own piece of eerie artwork. The best parts of the book are the mysteries that Garland presents in this dream-life, and the psychological battles that the main character, Carl, experiences. The description of Carl's dream-world is excellent, as are his the interactions he has with people as he tries to decipher his situation.
However, the book in my opinion lacks substance and needs more storybuilding. I feel the book would have benefitted from being longer as it tells a story that in the end feels almost half-hearted. Also, I think there was a somewhat unsatisfiying ending to the book, with a minor plot twist and then a last page which falls flat. I almost feel as if Garland tried too much to make The Coma a literary art piece instead of a story. The book definitely does feel like an art form with its unique set-out and interesting places Garland takes the narrative, straying into realms of philosophy. In conclusion, The Coma is a really fascinating read and will keep you interested the whole way, and I think that many people will consider it as incredible if they read it, but for me, the book itself just falls behind the potential it had from its premise and writing.
May 18, 2010
This book is a wonderful tale of the unconscious. It explores a world of unconscious dreaming that is beautifully gentle in the way it slowly reveals something of the character of the narrator, and something about all of us. The black and white woodcuts, by Nicholas Garland, perfectly illustrate this short story.
The edition I read was the paperback, with a separate dustcover. It was a delight to hold; there was something about the binding, the texture, the layout, that perfectly suited the story.
A very quick read, and recommended.
The edition I read was the paperback, with a separate dustcover. It was a delight to hold; there was something about the binding, the texture, the layout, that perfectly suited the story.
A very quick read, and recommended.
January 13, 2008
Garland's first book The Beach is truly one of my favorite books. Maybe I happened to read it at the exact right moment in my own existence, but I connected to it on a deep level, and I found it to be not only thrilling, but quite moving.
I managed to miss his second novel, but after the total mess that they made of the theatrical version of The Beach, I loved 28 Days Later, so I was excited the day I picked this book up, and in the first moments I remember finding it darkly compelling. Not too far into though, the concept had run its course, and there was little substance behind it. I found myself really bored, and trudging my way through it only out of my devotion to his previous work, hoping Garland would reveal something really clever at the eleventh hour that made the whole thing worth it.
That moment never came. I closed the last page of the book, and had the worst feeling you can have. That what's-the-point feeling that is even worse than hating something. I thought this work was not particularly original or unique, not very well executed, and at only 200 pages (with big type and a lot of pictures) it was way too long.
I managed to miss his second novel, but after the total mess that they made of the theatrical version of The Beach, I loved 28 Days Later, so I was excited the day I picked this book up, and in the first moments I remember finding it darkly compelling. Not too far into though, the concept had run its course, and there was little substance behind it. I found myself really bored, and trudging my way through it only out of my devotion to his previous work, hoping Garland would reveal something really clever at the eleventh hour that made the whole thing worth it.
That moment never came. I closed the last page of the book, and had the worst feeling you can have. That what's-the-point feeling that is even worse than hating something. I thought this work was not particularly original or unique, not very well executed, and at only 200 pages (with big type and a lot of pictures) it was way too long.
January 6, 2018
I'm a huge fan of the screenplays Garland has written--'Ex Machina' was excellent and 'Sunshine' is one of the most underrated sci fi films I can think of--but this was the first book of his that I've read. It was an easy read with an interesting premise. While it wasn't nearly as captivating as the movies he is associated with, it was well executed and a fast read. I would definitely read more of his stuff in the future.
July 14, 2007
The Coma was on the bargain table at Chapters when it caught my eye. Alex Garland, I said to myself. Isn't that the guy who wrote The Beach? Yes, he is.
I read The Beach long before it was made into a movie with the unspeakable Leonardo DiCaprio (which I've never seen), and I was fascinated. I recognized the society Garland creates in The Beach in so many ways, it was scary and uncomfortable and utterly fascinating. I haven't yet have the guts to read The Beach again, but it left a real impression on me, much more than Lord of the Flies, which it has clearly been influenced by, ever did. Anyway, The Coma was written by the same author, so I read the description,
"When Carl awakes from a coma after being attacked on the subway train, life around him feels unfamiliar, even strange."
Garland plays with a very common idea (I don't want to spoil it by saying too much), but he does it expertly and with a feeling for language that fits the confused and dreamlike state of his protagonist perfectly. A short book that I found by chance and enjoyed very much.
I read The Beach long before it was made into a movie with the unspeakable Leonardo DiCaprio (which I've never seen), and I was fascinated. I recognized the society Garland creates in The Beach in so many ways, it was scary and uncomfortable and utterly fascinating. I haven't yet have the guts to read The Beach again, but it left a real impression on me, much more than Lord of the Flies, which it has clearly been influenced by, ever did. Anyway, The Coma was written by the same author, so I read the description,
"When Carl awakes from a coma after being attacked on the subway train, life around him feels unfamiliar, even strange."
Garland plays with a very common idea (I don't want to spoil it by saying too much), but he does it expertly and with a feeling for language that fits the confused and dreamlike state of his protagonist perfectly. A short book that I found by chance and enjoyed very much.
September 12, 2014
In my opinion, it was the perfect little tale, taking into consideration the subject matter. You read as if you are in the coma with him, battling to wake, feeling the despair. If the story were any longer, it would get tiresome to read very quickly. There is only so much comatose thinking one can take.
February 17, 2021
"Das Koma" (orig: "The Coma") is a highly experimental novella with supporting woodcut illustrations by the author's father. However, it's more an Eastern philosophically influenced meditation on what consciousness actually is than a fully-fledged story.
The plot is simple (or is it?): Carl is beaten up one night on the Underground (subway) and falls into a coma. After a while, he realises what's happened and that he needs to wake up. But what does that mean, wake up and how can he make it happen?
Wandering through a series of dream sequences that are a jumble of his 'waking life' and memory, Carl starts to question his own understanding of existence. How, if his waking life is taken from him and he sees he's merely a free-floating conscious, and his dream life is taken from him and he sees he's merely a free-floating conscious....then where is the difference between being awake, being asleep, being alive or being dead?
As with "The Tesseract" (which I loved), this novella offers no easy answers and can be interpreted in any number of ways. In any case, it's well-written, well-thought through and very interesting if esoteric Eastern philosophy or experimental lit about levels of conscious are your thing. 4 stars.
The plot is simple (or is it?): Carl is beaten up one night on the Underground (subway) and falls into a coma. After a while, he realises what's happened and that he needs to wake up. But what does that mean, wake up and how can he make it happen?
Wandering through a series of dream sequences that are a jumble of his 'waking life' and memory, Carl starts to question his own understanding of existence. How, if his waking life is taken from him and he sees he's merely a free-floating conscious, and his dream life is taken from him and he sees he's merely a free-floating conscious....then where is the difference between being awake, being asleep, being alive or being dead?
As with "The Tesseract" (which I loved), this novella offers no easy answers and can be interpreted in any number of ways. In any case, it's well-written, well-thought through and very interesting if esoteric Eastern philosophy or experimental lit about levels of conscious are your thing. 4 stars.
January 30, 2018
So-so short novel.
The story of a fellow who falls into a coma after being beaten on a bus. (Or is it the subway? Or are they the same thing? Confession: I haven't ridden a bus since I took a group of students on a field trip in 2009; never ridden public transport; never taken the subway or whatever it's called these days; and only been in a taxi twice, both in 1994. Yes, I am a hermit.)
Anyhow the story's about how he's in this sort of netherworld, sometimes feeling very alert and in tune with his surroundings - and at other times adrift in a dreamy landscape. Eventually he realizes he is in a coma, and...
One wonders if the author really went through all this, if this was his coming to terms with his experience. Or, if he simply used his imagination.
Anyhow, three stars.
The story of a fellow who falls into a coma after being beaten on a bus. (Or is it the subway? Or are they the same thing? Confession: I haven't ridden a bus since I took a group of students on a field trip in 2009; never ridden public transport; never taken the subway or whatever it's called these days; and only been in a taxi twice, both in 1994. Yes, I am a hermit.)
Anyhow the story's about how he's in this sort of netherworld, sometimes feeling very alert and in tune with his surroundings - and at other times adrift in a dreamy landscape. Eventually he realizes he is in a coma, and...
One wonders if the author really went through all this, if this was his coming to terms with his experience. Or, if he simply used his imagination.
Anyhow, three stars.
December 8, 2021
On the back cover of my copy of this, Kazuo Ishiguro states that “The Coma is a bold step towards the creation of a new genre, perhaps even a new art form”, which is ridiculous even for publishers’ blurb. New art form? What this book strongly reminded me of was Philip K Dick’s science-fiction classic, Ubik, published nearly four decades earlier.
The set-up is this: punched and kicked into unconsciousness one night (by four assailants, while trying to defend a fellow passenger on the Tube) Carl reawakens in a hospital bed. Patched up, he’s allowed to return home. But, almost immediately, a series of puzzling incidents set him wondering whether he’d been more badly injured than he’s realised—whether he has, in fact, even woken up at all. It soon becomes obvious enough: he hasn’t. What’s “happening” now is happening inside his own head, while in reality he’s still lying in that hospital bed sunk in a coma (this isn’t a huge spoiler; he tells us himself fairly early on, and of course there’s the book’s title). So far, so unremarkable. What he also realises, though, is that his goal should be to wake from this coma. But how? If you realise you’re living in a sort of dream-world, how do you find your way back to the real one? And that’s where it does all begin to get interesting.
If you’re of a mind to (just as with Ubik) you can read Eastern philosophy into all this: our everyday life as the equivalent of a coma, from which we must, somehow, try to wake back to reality. The book’s many completely blank pages, its woodcut illustrations and writing style (very plain, with lots of short simple sentences) are all, I think, intended to enhance this impression. It’s a short read overall too; at no more than seventy or eighty pages of actual text, you can read, mull over, reread…and it was during my second read-through that the penny finally dropped: rereading, perhaps, is itself the key to understanding this book’s odd “ending” in particular. Interesting…
That’s very much the kind of book The Coma is: ancient ideas, sure, dulled by overfamiliarity maybe, but here expressed in a fresh, and much more modern, way.
The set-up is this: punched and kicked into unconsciousness one night (by four assailants, while trying to defend a fellow passenger on the Tube) Carl reawakens in a hospital bed. Patched up, he’s allowed to return home. But, almost immediately, a series of puzzling incidents set him wondering whether he’d been more badly injured than he’s realised—whether he has, in fact, even woken up at all. It soon becomes obvious enough: he hasn’t. What’s “happening” now is happening inside his own head, while in reality he’s still lying in that hospital bed sunk in a coma (this isn’t a huge spoiler; he tells us himself fairly early on, and of course there’s the book’s title). So far, so unremarkable. What he also realises, though, is that his goal should be to wake from this coma. But how? If you realise you’re living in a sort of dream-world, how do you find your way back to the real one? And that’s where it does all begin to get interesting.
If you’re of a mind to (just as with Ubik) you can read Eastern philosophy into all this: our everyday life as the equivalent of a coma, from which we must, somehow, try to wake back to reality. The book’s many completely blank pages, its woodcut illustrations and writing style (very plain, with lots of short simple sentences) are all, I think, intended to enhance this impression. It’s a short read overall too; at no more than seventy or eighty pages of actual text, you can read, mull over, reread…and it was during my second read-through that the penny finally dropped: rereading, perhaps, is itself the key to understanding this book’s odd “ending” in particular. Interesting…
That’s very much the kind of book The Coma is: ancient ideas, sure, dulled by overfamiliarity maybe, but here expressed in a fresh, and much more modern, way.
November 3, 2023
BOOOOORINNNNGG
December 7, 2025
★★★½
The Coma has the feel of a drifting dream, each scene sliding into the next with no clear step between them. I liked that quality and the quiet unease it creates. The illustrations add a lot and give the book a sharper tone.
There were points where I felt genuinely stuck in the loop of dream after dream, which works for the story although it kept me at a slight distance. The ending left me unsure, fitting enough but not entirely satisfying.
Even so, it is an intriguing read. Brief, strange, and confident in its own way.
The Coma has the feel of a drifting dream, each scene sliding into the next with no clear step between them. I liked that quality and the quiet unease it creates. The illustrations add a lot and give the book a sharper tone.
There were points where I felt genuinely stuck in the loop of dream after dream, which works for the story although it kept me at a slight distance. The ending left me unsure, fitting enough but not entirely satisfying.
Even so, it is an intriguing read. Brief, strange, and confident in its own way.
September 8, 2007
"The Coma is a bold step towards the creation of a new genre, perhaps even a new art form." -Kazuo Ishiguro, Observer Books of the Year
This book is really good, if you're into psychology and all. Very Chilly. =)
Tells a story about a man, who got into an accident/crime. he was beaten to unconsciousness, and was placed into a state of coma. The book perfectly describes the difference of being in dream-life and wake-life.. and almost dead-life(coma). It digs well into the subconscious mind, with disturbing and unexpected results. Reading this would somehow twist your mind, so just read it slowly, unlike what i did, i finished it readin in a day! hahaha.. im so book thirsty.. sorry naman! =p
The story also includes woodcut illustrations by a political cartoonist, Nicholas Garland, the author's father as well. Alex Garland is also the author of the best selling novel "The Beach".
"You wake, you die."
"INSIDE WHAT ORDER KEPT EVENING UNDER PROTECTION AGAINST NEW DUST IT TRIES WARNING ALL SEASONS AND LIGHTS LANTERNS AROUND DEVILS REACHES ECHOES ARE MADE." -made sense, right? =p
now im off to my second book, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer.
This book is really good, if you're into psychology and all. Very Chilly. =)
Tells a story about a man, who got into an accident/crime. he was beaten to unconsciousness, and was placed into a state of coma. The book perfectly describes the difference of being in dream-life and wake-life.. and almost dead-life(coma). It digs well into the subconscious mind, with disturbing and unexpected results. Reading this would somehow twist your mind, so just read it slowly, unlike what i did, i finished it readin in a day! hahaha.. im so book thirsty.. sorry naman! =p
The story also includes woodcut illustrations by a political cartoonist, Nicholas Garland, the author's father as well. Alex Garland is also the author of the best selling novel "The Beach".
"You wake, you die."
"INSIDE WHAT ORDER KEPT EVENING UNDER PROTECTION AGAINST NEW DUST IT TRIES WARNING ALL SEASONS AND LIGHTS LANTERNS AROUND DEVILS REACHES ECHOES ARE MADE." -made sense, right? =p
now im off to my second book, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer.
December 8, 2020
Adoro os guiões escritos por Alex Garland —28 Days Later (2002) ou Sunshine (2007) — assim como os guiões por ele dirigidos — Ex Machina (2015) ou Devs (2020). Já os livros não posso dizer o mesmo. O The Beach (1996) nunca passei das primeiras páginas. Este li-o até ao fim, mas apenas por ser um conto pequeno e por querer terminar o mesmo.
Atendendo ao facto de ele ter apenas escrito 3 livros, o The Beach foi o primeiro e este The Coma foi o terceiro e último, com data de 2004, provavelmente deve ter percebido que não era o seu mundo. Não é que não escreva bem, mas o que escreve não se sustenta sozinho, não nos agarra. Garland parece estar melhor talhado para escrever ideias que depois são materializadas audiovisualmente.
Neste The Coma relata-se, na primeira pessoa, os sonhos de alguém em coma. Como premissa parece interessante, mas na verdade não o é, pela simples razão de que sabendo que tudo não passa de sonho, perde consequência, perdendo o interesse. Nem os desenhos que intervalam cada capítulo, criados pelo seu pai, Nicholas Garland, conseguem evitar o nosso desligar.
Atendendo ao facto de ele ter apenas escrito 3 livros, o The Beach foi o primeiro e este The Coma foi o terceiro e último, com data de 2004, provavelmente deve ter percebido que não era o seu mundo. Não é que não escreva bem, mas o que escreve não se sustenta sozinho, não nos agarra. Garland parece estar melhor talhado para escrever ideias que depois são materializadas audiovisualmente.
Neste The Coma relata-se, na primeira pessoa, os sonhos de alguém em coma. Como premissa parece interessante, mas na verdade não o é, pela simples razão de que sabendo que tudo não passa de sonho, perde consequência, perdendo o interesse. Nem os desenhos que intervalam cada capítulo, criados pelo seu pai, Nicholas Garland, conseguem evitar o nosso desligar.
February 28, 2025
Recensione apparsa su Leggere Distopico e Fantascienza Oggi! :)
Bentrovati amici di LDFO! Ho il piacere di parlarvi di una novità: “Coma” di Alex Garland - sceneggiatore di 28 giorni dopo e Annientamento -, un volumetto agile che si risolve in circa 220 pagine pubblicato da 451 e su traduzione di Silvia Salis. La copertina è molto evocativa ed è stata curata da Simone di Meo, inizialmente mi ha solo colpita per “l’estetica”, ma post-lettura devo dire che illustra in modo efficace l’idea di quanto letto ossia una vera e propria immersione nell’oscuro mare della nostra psiche.
A seguito di un pestaggio avvenuto in metropolitana, Carl viene trasportato d’urgenza in ospedale. È scioccato e disorientato da quanto gli sta accadendo. Ricostruire la dinamica del fattaccio è più difficile di quanto pensasse e alcuni pezzi non stanno al loro posto. Più cerca una spiegazione e più la situazione si complica, le poche certezze in suo possesso sembrano sfuggirgli inesorabilmente dalle dita.
L’aver acquisito la piena consapevolezza di non essere ancora morto, ma di trovarsi in una sorta di limbo tra la vita e la morte innescherà una scia clamorosa di eventi che, giocoforza, lo faranno riflettere.
“[…] Toglietemi la vita vigile e sono una coscienza nel nulla. Toglietemi la vita del sogno e sono una coscienza nel nulla. Che differenza c’è?”
“Coma” in che genere letterario si colloca? Scava tra le pieghe del dramma psicologico, per certi versi ricorda davvero un thriller psicologico, rivestendolo di una coltre sci-fi.
Carl vaga senza meta in quello che potremmo definire uno spaziotempo o, ancora meglio, una dimensione onirica.
È un percorso alla ricerca di sé stesso?
Di un modo per risvegliarsi?
Di risposte?
Può lasciarsi andare o tentare qualche espediente per fuggire. Tuttavia spetta al lettore colmare i vuoti che l’autore volutamente lascia alla fine.
Lo scrittore riesce a descrivere con una coerenza questa condizione di amnesia associata allo stato comatoso pur affidandosi a uno stile astratto, a tratti con caratteristiche che hanno del metafisico.
Quella di Alex Garland è una nuova voce che si inserisce in punta di piedi nel panorama della fantascienza, è stato capace di conciliare la suspense tipica del thriller\mistery con una profonda originalità del contesto in cui la storia prende forma; il tratto fantascientifico è delicato così da poter avvicinare al genere anche chi ha delle rimostranze a riguardo.
La prosa è senza alcun dubbio trascinante, sensazione che viene amplificata dalla struttura in brevi capitoli nei quali fanno capolino dei disegni dal tratto xilografico.
Ciò che conta qui è la graduale perdita, da parte del protagonista, della percezione della realtà. Avvertiamo il suo sprofondare allucinato negli abissi della sua mente vaneggiante in cui si sovrappongono ricordi che non corrispondono effettivamente alla realtà oggettiva a un senso di impotenza che pian piano si fa strada. Infatti perdura uno spaesamento che trasmette, a chi legge, la teoria che Carl – in fin dei conti - non sia un narratore molto attendibile.
Con questo suo romanzo, lo sceneggiatore apre una nuova finestra su un tema attraverso il quale lanciare a briglia sciolta l’immaginazione e ritengo sia stato proprio questo lo scopo ultimo dell’autore: spingersi, ma soprattutto spingerci oltre i confini fisici e mentali. Il tutto filtrato con una sobrietà sia narrativa sia di linguaggio che rende l’esperienza di lettura adatta a chiunque, anche un target più giovane.
February 25, 2009
This is one of those dream stories where reality is vague at best. There is a sense of dread in this book that, at least in part, comes from the very fine woodcuts made by the author's father. I was wondering which came first, the woodcuts or this novel. I suspect the woodcuts. I was waiting for illumination while I read this book and it never arrived, to my disappointment. Maybe others will understand this book, I hope so.
November 2, 2017
Fast-paced, could finish in one go. Love the plot-- excellent writing depicting a dreamland journey of comatose. Bizarre but interesting, weird and unusual. Playing with logic, an unknown parallel and one's subconcious mind.
Think it was brilliant. How Carl realised he was in the state of coma but still 'flying' all over settling the unsettled or perhaps some needs. Love the part when he met the cabby again and went back to his old house.
Short chapters with simple illustrations. A journey to remember. I do think a lot after finishing the read. The plot kind of stuck inside my head-- the ending especially. If you are into some mystery but with a pinch of magical and surreal imaginative dreams and wouldn't mind a comatose character, then try. 3.5 stars!
Think it was brilliant. How Carl realised he was in the state of coma but still 'flying' all over settling the unsettled or perhaps some needs. Love the part when he met the cabby again and went back to his old house.
Short chapters with simple illustrations. A journey to remember. I do think a lot after finishing the read. The plot kind of stuck inside my head-- the ending especially. If you are into some mystery but with a pinch of magical and surreal imaginative dreams and wouldn't mind a comatose character, then try. 3.5 stars!
August 26, 2022
i’m an easy to please reader. i see an alex garland book i’m gonna pick it up and like it, i love his movies (especially with danny boyle) and i absolutely loved the beach, i consider it my favorite book and make everyone around me read it too. but this was genuinely so good. i have a problem with people telling me how to read a book right, i don’t like english teachers! sorry! but this was so effortlessly meaningful, especially with the visuals that added so so much to the short story. it really got me thinking and it was written so beautifully, really good read.
March 2, 2012
The Coma, written by Alex Garland (the 'mastermind' behind the novel The Beach, as well as the films 28 Days Later and Sunshine) presents a straightforward story: a man finds himself trapped in a dreamworld after being put in a coma, and struggles to regain his memory in order to wake up.
This "man," whose true identity even he is unsure about, is Carl. His experience begins as a series of scenes in which he seems to awake, all of a sudden someplace new. For the reader, it is no mystery that he is dreaming, though it takes him a bit longer to figure this out. At least, long enough for us to start thinking "Is his dream-state supposed to shock us, too?" Well, there isn't much shock at all. Anywhere.
He discovers his situation soon enough, often philosophizing on the nature of being awake and what it means to be dead — probably the most interesting aspect of the book. Carl maneuvers through his dreams easy enough once he gets the hang of it, meeting people he either remembers vividly from his life or that appear only as blurry images. The most significant of these people is Christine, a woman he (ergo: we) believe to be his secretary, and who in his dreams he is having a passionate affair with. It is with her he realizes what is happening, and she helps him in his mission to trigger a memory that might prompt him to wake up.
And that is it. Carl and Christine continue on a short, fragmented journey through disjointed memories and images that Carl is able to unearth from the depths of his waste-bin of a brain. Carl never describes himself, and even though he doesn't know much (pst! amnesia!) we still never find out much about him. It is for this reason I found it difficult to care much about where the book was taking me.
Where Garland's storytelling lacks in character and plot points, it somewhat makes up for with its structure, illustrating a breathtaking ability to capture — as much as can be — a written example of what it truly feels like to dream. Things aren't always obvious, people aren't always clear, places come and go, and time works in inconceivable ways.
Events move quickly, and though it took me longer than I care to admit to read this book (lack of interest, as opposed to inability to read), it is probably the 'easiest' of any book I've ever picked up (that wasn't for children). Though it didn't particularly grab my interest, I do not feel it was necessarily Garland's fault. I feel as though a novel may not have been the artistic medium for this story. The entire time I was reading it, I tried to picture it as a movie (which was remarkably easy to do) or a graphic novel. It would have made the experience far more enjoyable.
The writing is decent, the ideas are interesting and imaginative, but the novella seems to be written more as a fictional musing on the nature of dreams than a serious attempt at storytelling. I would say this is the perfect airplane book — something that is simple and reads like a movie on paper. It won't change your life, it isn't even that great, but you could finish it — no problem — if you've got an hour and a half to kill on a plane ride.
This "man," whose true identity even he is unsure about, is Carl. His experience begins as a series of scenes in which he seems to awake, all of a sudden someplace new. For the reader, it is no mystery that he is dreaming, though it takes him a bit longer to figure this out. At least, long enough for us to start thinking "Is his dream-state supposed to shock us, too?" Well, there isn't much shock at all. Anywhere.
He discovers his situation soon enough, often philosophizing on the nature of being awake and what it means to be dead — probably the most interesting aspect of the book. Carl maneuvers through his dreams easy enough once he gets the hang of it, meeting people he either remembers vividly from his life or that appear only as blurry images. The most significant of these people is Christine, a woman he (ergo: we) believe to be his secretary, and who in his dreams he is having a passionate affair with. It is with her he realizes what is happening, and she helps him in his mission to trigger a memory that might prompt him to wake up.
And that is it. Carl and Christine continue on a short, fragmented journey through disjointed memories and images that Carl is able to unearth from the depths of his waste-bin of a brain. Carl never describes himself, and even though he doesn't know much (pst! amnesia!) we still never find out much about him. It is for this reason I found it difficult to care much about where the book was taking me.
Where Garland's storytelling lacks in character and plot points, it somewhat makes up for with its structure, illustrating a breathtaking ability to capture — as much as can be — a written example of what it truly feels like to dream. Things aren't always obvious, people aren't always clear, places come and go, and time works in inconceivable ways.
Events move quickly, and though it took me longer than I care to admit to read this book (lack of interest, as opposed to inability to read), it is probably the 'easiest' of any book I've ever picked up (that wasn't for children). Though it didn't particularly grab my interest, I do not feel it was necessarily Garland's fault. I feel as though a novel may not have been the artistic medium for this story. The entire time I was reading it, I tried to picture it as a movie (which was remarkably easy to do) or a graphic novel. It would have made the experience far more enjoyable.
The writing is decent, the ideas are interesting and imaginative, but the novella seems to be written more as a fictional musing on the nature of dreams than a serious attempt at storytelling. I would say this is the perfect airplane book — something that is simple and reads like a movie on paper. It won't change your life, it isn't even that great, but you could finish it — no problem — if you've got an hour and a half to kill on a plane ride.
April 16, 2024
It is hard to put into words what it is like to dream unless you're Shakespeare or a Surrealist like Breton. This Alex Garland novella does the interior states pretty well even if it doesn't go anywhere in regard to conventional storytelling or plotting. This is experimental fiction, in other words, similar to his film MEN which was most likely too abstract/silly for those viewers spoon-fed by realism. However, if you can give yourself over to the experience you'll love it.
July 26, 2015
Well, that was a strange, little book...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 564 reviews