The Brain Within Its Groove

by L.N. Nino

"The Brain, within its Groove, Runs evenly - and true - But let a Splinter swerve (...)" This line by Emily Dickinson gives the title to this horrid tale about madness, lust, and the dangers of exploring our darkest memories. An old, agonizing Psychiatrist learns that his only hope of recovering his sanity lies in a patient from his past who suffered from an unusual kind of amnesia. The sinister remembrances he will uncover from this dark past will send him into a nightmarish downward spiral of insanity and fear.

56 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 2014

Reviews

[Viga Boland · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's rare that I feel compelled to read what other reviewers have said about a book before I write my own review. But this was one of occasions because this 60-page novella both annoyed and intrigued me.

Indeed, if I hadn't promised to read this book free in exchange for an honest review as offered by the site at Story Cartel, I most likely wouldn't have persisted past the opening chapter. I selected this book to review based on its eye-catching cover, its title, and the description, all of which led me to believe this was my kind of book. And while the story line was indeed compelling, reading the book was quite demanding for a reader who simply wants to enjoy a good book.

That's not to say this isn't a good book. So what's the problem then? The problem is the author's obvious love of, and rather remarkable ability in using erudite language. He has a massive vocabulary and wants everyone to know it. His opening paragraph in his other book, "The Gray Man" explains why he writes the way he does. He says there that "it seems to be in the public's taste nowadays that all irrelevant minutiae about their dearest characters be specified in the most plain prose." (Dare I correct his grammar here to suggest "the most plain prose" should be "plainest prose"?) The author obviously aspires to a much higher level of writing than the majority of today's writers. His goal is to write classics in the style of old masters that we were forced to read at university. And in that aspiration, he succeeds.

But the question is: who wants to read books written this way on what is actually a rather simple subject: a professor going insane as he discovers his own base motivations and repressed memories that culminate in a sexual orgy between mentally unbalanced inmates on an institution? Aha! Got your attention now eh? Sex sells. But you'll need a university education to understand most of the sentences, and the patience of Job to get to the end without feeling like you've been given a classroom assignment for a book report on one tough book to read. Thank heaven it's a novella and not a 300-page novel!

I shared some paragraphs from this book with a writer's workshop class that I mentor and watched their eyes widen in confusion. Yes, they could understand what he was saying but all agreed the book would be a great exercise in learning how to apply the KISS rule to writing. But of course, simple is the last thing the author wants his writing to be and that's his prerogative. As L.N. Nino says of his writing style:

"Every book I publish is a new draft of the very last one I'll ever write. This means not that my books lack in quality. Quite the contrary, it means that with each book I'll try to create the best piece of fiction I am capable of, and to surpass everything I have already done, until the time when I am satisfied that I wrote a book good enough to stand side-by-side with the greatest works of Universal Literature."

Well he's on track for achieving that admirable goal I suppose. But whether he'll attract followers and readers as he charts his course toward writing excellence is another story.

[Just another reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a complex but interesting read. A psychoanalyst suffering on the brink of turning completely amnesiac, decides to seek solace and remedy from a forgotten patient of his from his past - Isadora. He recalls Isadora had a bizarre kind of amnesia, and his hopes lie in being able to uncover her strange illness. The plot takes him to an institution with mentally imbalanced inmates and takes further turns. While the narration is a bit cumbersome to follow, the plot itself remains gripping. I enjoyed reading this book and my thanks to Nino, and the publishers BookBuzz, for gifting me with a copy of this book.

[Grampy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Brain Within Its Groove” by L.N. Nino is quite an interesting novella told from the past perspective of a young psychoanalyst, now advanced in years, regarding a forgotten female patient of his who haunts the man as he draws near to his deathbed; but he doesn’t yet realize she is the root of his own amnesiac symptomatology.

Beginning his practice in pre-war Germany, the doctor relocated to America for reasons not yet evident. In a classic touch of irony, the female patient in question, known only as Isadora K., suffered from an unusual and somewhat bizarre type of amnesia, which the good doctor himself now suffers from.

In his early days, Isadora became his patient through the intervention of her elderly uncle, who first informed the doctor that the depth of his niece’s problem had not yet been plumbed by other psychiatrists, including the well-known Dr. Freud himself. He then handed the doctor a golden, jewel-encrusted crucifix of immense value, in payment for taking his niece’s case.

The doctor, whose name was never revealed to my recollection, quickly assayed that a repressed memory of some horrific event was responsible for Isadora’s amnesia. As he continued probing into the girl’s psyche, he observed many odd symptoms exhibited by her amnesia, leading him eventually to believe he had broken new and significant ground in his science. But what was this ground-breaking new idea?

Isadora started to recall things she had previously been unable to remember. But at what price? As the doctor and Isadora continued their regular sessions, their progress took unexpected and unfathomable detours into uncharted territory. Whatever commenced was sufficient to cause the doctor’s ailing wife to leave him, and sufficient to make the doctor relocate to America.

This story is well written, well thought out, and perfectly believable in its entirety, although it might be perhaps a bit offensive to some. However, nothing was graphically portrayed at any time, nor was there any profanity. Although generally morose for all concerned parties, the story was nevertheless very interesting and entertaining.

I don’t have any reluctance about recommending “The Brain Within its Groove” to others, although just to err on the side of caution I would suggest it may not be entirely appropriate for readers under the age of 18, simply because of the clever manner in which the author incorporates the readers’ own perverse imaginings into the story.

[R Pavan Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Brain Within Its Groove" is an interesting read. It has a good atmosphere of Gothic horror and suspense. The story is told from the perspective of an aged psychoanalyst of the Freudian tradition. He is now facing severe problems because of some events in his past that his brain has repressed severely. With the help of another therapist he tries to uncover these memories and discovers that they are related to a female patient that he treated several years ago. The story has all the hallmarks of classic horror fiction and the suspense of the story builds up very well.

However, I was not very happy with the climax. I understand that it is better to leave the details to the reader's imagination. But when the build up to the climax is so tense I ended up expecting something much more sensational and was let down. The character of the female patent needed to be developed even more and made more credible so that it could better match that of the doctor. Also no details, however vague, are provided as to the reason for the female patient's mental problems in the first place. It would help if the reader can understand what the doctor learned through his nontraditional therapy.

The language of the novel is very erudite, as would suit a character like the doctor, and it also helps build the Gothic feel of the novel. But at several points in the story the language becomes a deterrent. Several paragraphs are worded in a strange manner. Several sentences are too long and unnecessarily complex. There are several spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in the book that can be easily avoided. The book does need another review by the author to take care of those.

"The Brain In Its Groove" is a good read and fans of Gothic horror should definitely try it.
I received a free copy of the book from Story Cartel in exchange for a honest review.

[Z. Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Story Cartel in exchange for an honest review.

The Brain Within It's Groove by L.N. Nino takes inspiration from Emily Dickinson's poem of the same name. An aged, former psychiatrist is reflecting on his past. In his younger days he practiced psychoanalysis. He is currently suffering from nightmares. He remembers his past patient a woman named Isadora who suffers from a form of amnesia and other maladies. She is related to a memory he has repressed. The deeper he re-examines his past the more disjointed he seems.

I honestly drudged through this. I didn't hate it, it just wasn't exciting or mentally provoking enough for me. The author writes in an old style. That didn't bother me since the doctor is living at the pre-war era. I also felt the characters were underdeveloped. The doctor is egotistical and acts unethically. His wife becomes an afterthought. His patient Isadora is strange and not in an intriguing way. I just kept thinking what is going on with her? Or maybe the doctor's recollections of her and this time period aren't to be trusted either. I as the reader was left with more questions and answers. The one redeeming quality about this book is how well written the imagery is. You really get the sense of how rapidly he's losing his sanity. It was an interesting read, but I'm unsure who I'd recommend it to.

[D.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Brain Within its Groove by L. N. Nino, is an intriguing horror novella. Author L. N. Nino writes the story of an aging psychoanalyst, who is suffering from nightmares and terrors that leave him, literally, paralyzed.

L. N. Nino writes his novella with only a few characters, but the characters are rich in personality, life, and vigor. The aging psychoanalyst tells the story from his point of view. He is working with a younger psychoanalyst to find a cure for his problems of the mind and why it is causing the paralysis of his body. He discovers that the cure lies deep within the darkness of his own mind.

The journey of the aging psychoanalyst into the worst nightmares and terrors deep within the darkness of his mind, contains many twists and turns. There are volatile moments when the old man thinks he is on the brink of something big, and then there are bouts of depression and doubt. A definite roller-coaster ride. A must read for horror and thriller lovers.

I loved this novella and recommend it to all who love a short read of the horrors of the mind.

I received a pdf copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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[Gill's likes reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brain Within It's Groove by L.N. Nino ‘A novella in the vein of Freud vs Marquis De Sade, interesting dark read.’