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Shadowlife: Novel
Set in a futuristic society, this story relates the horror of living in a world where individuality, true feelings, and authentic experiences do not exist
- GenresGerman Literature
207 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 14, 2015
This book was an absolute delight - intelligent, layered, cryptic, well thought out, well put together - I was frustrated when I couldn't finish it in one sitting last night, but I've been fighting a sinus infection and taking pain killers, and my brain was telling me it was time to go, and I was telling it to give me just 45 more minutes. My brain won, and I spent all day anticipating when the kids would go to bed so I could read the final section.
First, the book reminded me a bit of Nicholas Mosley and a bit of Philip K. Dick, in pretty equal measure. It's got a nice dystopic speculative fiction paranoiac streak running through it, but it's also layered in a way that is easy to miss, and a depth that begs to be plumbed.
The book is split into three main sections (there are a couple very small concluding sections) - the first section is a letter, the second letter is response to that letter, and the third section - as a crime is committed in the first letter - is a report on the events covered in the two letters. The book starts out straightforward enough, the first letter lays out a series of events and recollections - though discordant notes (both in the text and in the background of some descriptions) pop up here and there - and is a quick, interesting read. Then the second section calls into question basically all of the first section. But, due to the structure and stated purpose of the second section, the second section calls itself into question at the same time. The third main section (and the two small following sections) only further complicate the accuracy of the narrative - a narrative that, in great part, is about the accuracy of narratives - not just the narrative of any particular section, but the narrative of the book as a whole. It's neat.
The lovely thing about the book is that it is a great "surface" read, even without unpacking the narrative layers written in, and yet has a great deal to give to the diligent reader. Once I started it I really didn't want to put it down until I finished it - stupid sinus infection - but I'm damned glad I randomly found this at the used book store yesterday.
(This isn't quite a five star read, it's more like 4 and a half, but I rounded up since there are only 3 reviews of this book total, and no other book of his is listed in the database - hell, only one other of his books has ever been translated into English - so I figured a little overstatement couldn't hurt)
First, the book reminded me a bit of Nicholas Mosley and a bit of Philip K. Dick, in pretty equal measure. It's got a nice dystopic speculative fiction paranoiac streak running through it, but it's also layered in a way that is easy to miss, and a depth that begs to be plumbed.
The book is split into three main sections (there are a couple very small concluding sections) - the first section is a letter, the second letter is response to that letter, and the third section - as a crime is committed in the first letter - is a report on the events covered in the two letters. The book starts out straightforward enough, the first letter lays out a series of events and recollections - though discordant notes (both in the text and in the background of some descriptions) pop up here and there - and is a quick, interesting read. Then the second section calls into question basically all of the first section. But, due to the structure and stated purpose of the second section, the second section calls itself into question at the same time. The third main section (and the two small following sections) only further complicate the accuracy of the narrative - a narrative that, in great part, is about the accuracy of narratives - not just the narrative of any particular section, but the narrative of the book as a whole. It's neat.
The lovely thing about the book is that it is a great "surface" read, even without unpacking the narrative layers written in, and yet has a great deal to give to the diligent reader. Once I started it I really didn't want to put it down until I finished it - stupid sinus infection - but I'm damned glad I randomly found this at the used book store yesterday.
(This isn't quite a five star read, it's more like 4 and a half, but I rounded up since there are only 3 reviews of this book total, and no other book of his is listed in the database - hell, only one other of his books has ever been translated into English - so I figured a little overstatement couldn't hurt)
February 7, 2008
awesome! i read it in the doctor's office this morning. now all day, i am happy!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews