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Wasted
Nathan Lucius has a problem. Every time he thinks he’s got life by the scruff of the neck it just wriggles free. There are so many rules. So many things that should be said and done to keep everyone happy. And no one is happy. But Nathan is a problem solver. And if he just tries hard enough, he will maybe, somehow, make someone, just one person happy. And then his friend Madge is diagnosed with cancer. She is dying. And she wants him to help her end it all . . . "Wasted" is a pop culture "Crime and Punishment" set in a dark and twisted version of Cape Town – a novel that takes the reader into the very heart of what it is to be human.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2015
2 people are currently reading
411 people want to read
About the author
Mark Winkler
8 books26 followersMark Winkler is the author of the critically acclaimed novels An Exceptionally Simple Theory (of Absolutely Everything), Wasted, as well as The Safest Place You Know and Theo & Flora, both of which were shortlisted for the Sunday Times Barry Ronge Fiction Prize. His work has been published worldwide in English and in French translation. His latest novel, Due South of Copenhagen, was published in April 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 30, 2019
A journey that exposes what might happen when helplessness and betrayal turns to rage. What a magnificent reversal this story takes the reader on. None but maybe the most astute person would see what was coming though there were signs and plenty of them to guide one to the outcome. These signs, as I look back, offered a deeper understanding of the relationships and situations in Nathan’s troubled life. About midway Nathan goes silent. Next comes the anger and eventually when his words return the real story is told. A wholly original story told in deceptively simple language. Along the way there are pieces of writing that are so direct and genuine they gave me pause. At times this is repulsive but a significant enough story to keep me hooked.
June 7, 2019
I got an Advance Uncopyedited Edition of this book because of National Bookstore's online contest for the Manila International Book fair 2018!
That thing we all think that we're significant, that we matter. When in reality, we're forgotten before we're born. When are footprints are so shallow they disappear long before we die. Still we believe that we mean something.... What's important is where we end up. Who we end up."
That particular quote above resonated with me, really. I'm in the stage in life where I feel like I will never amount to something; that I will never be successful; that I will not have a legacy to leave or pass unto other people; that I will never be enough. However, another part of me likes to believe - and remain optimistic - that I need not be known by the whole world; that it is enough that I've touched a few people's lives no matter how minuscule my footprints are in their lives.
My Name is Nathan Lucius plunged into issues like self-awareness and psychological disorders. The blurb didn't help me much with getting a glimpse of what the book is about (although, yes, I know someone may/may not die) which helped with my reading experience. It really wasn't what I was expecting.
To be honest, though, the beginning had some parts whose pace is so slow and had details that I didn't think were vital to the story, resulting to actually boring me at some point. I took it as a metaphor for Nathan Lucius life, how slow it might seem in his head, how monotonous his life is, and how insignificant it could be to other people.
Overall, I liked My Name is Nathan Lucius. It had so much to offer as events and facts started rolling out.
Read
March 28, 2018DNF.
The story starts beautifully and then gets crazy to a point of no return. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters, and the unexpectedness is disturbing. Expected better. The writing style didn't work for me either.
Thank you Edelweiss and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.
The story starts beautifully and then gets crazy to a point of no return. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters, and the unexpectedness is disturbing. Expected better. The writing style didn't work for me either.
Thank you Edelweiss and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.
February 12, 2017
Nathan is not suppose to be a likeable character. However, I couldn't help myself liking him. I realised not far into the book that something must have happened to him as a child.
He is one of those highly intelligent people that has so much potential and then all gets fucked up because of some trauma. One of those people that society failed, that parents failed.
Some say this is a dark book. I say this is a sad book. I wonder about all the Nathans out there. We failed them all.
He is one of those highly intelligent people that has so much potential and then all gets fucked up because of some trauma. One of those people that society failed, that parents failed.
Some say this is a dark book. I say this is a sad book. I wonder about all the Nathans out there. We failed them all.
December 3, 2018
MY NAME IS NATHAN LUCIUS is by no means your typical thriller. Those who are looking for something that is a bit different but still keeps its nose firmly tucked within the crime and suspense genres will find this off-kilter offering of particular interest. This sophomore effort by Mark Winkler --- originally published in 2015 as WASTED in his native South Africa --- features an unreliable narrator who takes readers by the hand and leads them into a funhouse whose mirrors distort to deadly effect.
The book is divided into three sections: “After,” “Before” and “Before and After.” The first opens with some introductory bullet points, narrated by Nathan, and gives a bit of an indication that perhaps all is not well in his world. Certainly we all know someone like Nathan. He seems to be a bit eccentric, superficial and somewhat of a loner as he goes through the motions of working at a job that he is able to perform with average competence yet with little interest. But just because we know someone does not always mean we know of him, and that is the strata that Winkler plumbs in this unsettling tale.
Nathan works in the advertising department of a struggling Cape Town, South Africa newspaper. The underlying message --- a newspaper sells not news, but ads with articles sandwiched in between --- is a subtle one, and as the newspaper industry collapses, so does its ability to sell commercials. Nathan may be an odd case, but he understands this, at one point saying the obvious out loud and eventually paying the price for it. The focus of MY NAME IS NATHAN LUCIUS is not on Nathan’s employment, but on his relationships, such as they are. The first-person present narrative gives readers an unflinching, though not totally accurate, look at Nathan’s friends, none of whom have anything in common with the other. Nathan has a superficial relationship with Eric, a local tavern owner. There is also Mrs. Du Toit, the woman who lives in the apartment next door to him, who takes him in as somewhat of a carnal pet.
Then there is an older woman named Madge, who, in her own way, is even more eccentric than Nathan, with a fashion sense that almost begs description. Madge runs an antique store of dubious reputation, given that she knows next to nothing about antiques. Nathan, who has an obsessive interest in old photographs and a knowledge of other objects of antiquity, assists her in a regular, if hodgepodge, fashion. As Nathan’s story unfolds, we learn that Madge is terminally ill with cancer. She wants Nathan to end her suffering, and a part of the book is given over to their discussion as to how he will do this.
What results unleashes a somewhat unexpected, but not altogether surprising, chain of events, some of which the reader becomes immediately aware and others that are only revealed in retrospect. We also gain some insight into Nathan’s background. The guy is not right in the mind, but he most certainly has a reason. The result gives us a cautionary tale about the consequences of actions and how they radiate far into the future in deeply unfortunate ways.
MY NAME IS NATHAN LUCIUS is a fast read, though its unblinking narrative will occasionally give one pause. Nathan is unusual, but readers may find that in their heart of hearts they share one --- or more --- of his peculiarities. The twists and turns that Winkler provides make the novel addicting from its unusual beginning to its final sentence, which is a revelation all by itself. Be prepared.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
The book is divided into three sections: “After,” “Before” and “Before and After.” The first opens with some introductory bullet points, narrated by Nathan, and gives a bit of an indication that perhaps all is not well in his world. Certainly we all know someone like Nathan. He seems to be a bit eccentric, superficial and somewhat of a loner as he goes through the motions of working at a job that he is able to perform with average competence yet with little interest. But just because we know someone does not always mean we know of him, and that is the strata that Winkler plumbs in this unsettling tale.
Nathan works in the advertising department of a struggling Cape Town, South Africa newspaper. The underlying message --- a newspaper sells not news, but ads with articles sandwiched in between --- is a subtle one, and as the newspaper industry collapses, so does its ability to sell commercials. Nathan may be an odd case, but he understands this, at one point saying the obvious out loud and eventually paying the price for it. The focus of MY NAME IS NATHAN LUCIUS is not on Nathan’s employment, but on his relationships, such as they are. The first-person present narrative gives readers an unflinching, though not totally accurate, look at Nathan’s friends, none of whom have anything in common with the other. Nathan has a superficial relationship with Eric, a local tavern owner. There is also Mrs. Du Toit, the woman who lives in the apartment next door to him, who takes him in as somewhat of a carnal pet.
Then there is an older woman named Madge, who, in her own way, is even more eccentric than Nathan, with a fashion sense that almost begs description. Madge runs an antique store of dubious reputation, given that she knows next to nothing about antiques. Nathan, who has an obsessive interest in old photographs and a knowledge of other objects of antiquity, assists her in a regular, if hodgepodge, fashion. As Nathan’s story unfolds, we learn that Madge is terminally ill with cancer. She wants Nathan to end her suffering, and a part of the book is given over to their discussion as to how he will do this.
What results unleashes a somewhat unexpected, but not altogether surprising, chain of events, some of which the reader becomes immediately aware and others that are only revealed in retrospect. We also gain some insight into Nathan’s background. The guy is not right in the mind, but he most certainly has a reason. The result gives us a cautionary tale about the consequences of actions and how they radiate far into the future in deeply unfortunate ways.
MY NAME IS NATHAN LUCIUS is a fast read, though its unblinking narrative will occasionally give one pause. Nathan is unusual, but readers may find that in their heart of hearts they share one --- or more --- of his peculiarities. The twists and turns that Winkler provides make the novel addicting from its unusual beginning to its final sentence, which is a revelation all by itself. Be prepared.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
July 29, 2021
I was soo invested in Nathan's story but the second half of this book just didn't do it for me 😩
September 7, 2017
Thank you Edelweiss for my review copy of this book.
Nathan Lucuis is a bit of an odd fellow. He works at the local paper selling ads and spends a lot of his time drinking and not remembering much.
He lives in a flat by himself and doesn't seem to have a family other than the ones he creates by alternating pictures of old photos on his wall and assigning them roles in his 'family"
Life is muddling along for Nathan until one day his friend Madge, an older woman who owns an antique shop, asks him to kill her. Madge has cancer and she is stuck. She can't get better but she can't die.
Nathan managed to find some other odd friendships while contemplating Madge's request. His boss Sonia goes between inviting him to the bar and telling him he needs to do better at his job before he gets fired. His neighbor who he listens to masterbate through the wall seems to suddenly take a liking to Nathan also. His days alternate between these three women and Nathan's recollections of their time together.
Told in the very unique and unforgettablely odd voice of Nathan Lucuis this novel is captivating in it's exploration of the human psyche.
Nathan Lucuis is a bit of an odd fellow. He works at the local paper selling ads and spends a lot of his time drinking and not remembering much.
He lives in a flat by himself and doesn't seem to have a family other than the ones he creates by alternating pictures of old photos on his wall and assigning them roles in his 'family"
Life is muddling along for Nathan until one day his friend Madge, an older woman who owns an antique shop, asks him to kill her. Madge has cancer and she is stuck. She can't get better but she can't die.
Nathan managed to find some other odd friendships while contemplating Madge's request. His boss Sonia goes between inviting him to the bar and telling him he needs to do better at his job before he gets fired. His neighbor who he listens to masterbate through the wall seems to suddenly take a liking to Nathan also. His days alternate between these three women and Nathan's recollections of their time together.
Told in the very unique and unforgettablely odd voice of Nathan Lucuis this novel is captivating in it's exploration of the human psyche.
March 26, 2018
Spoilers!
This was interesting, but disturbing, because I felt like I was reading a true story.
The story starts in the middle of what seems to be Nathan's everyday, mundane, uneventful life. We quickly learn that Nathan is, to put it mildly, a little quirky. He likes to run, doesn't shower much, and sleeps with the light on. This is all kind of funny, at first.
Then, (spoiler alert!!) his friend Madge, who is painfully and slowly dying of cancer, asks Nathan to put her out of her misery. I thought this was going to be a drawn-out process, but no! It actually happens pretty quickly and without any fanfare. Madge, we hardly knew ye.
More spoilers!
All of a sudden, Nathan is fired from his job, and then he is in some kind of jail or facility. (At this point it feels like someone must have removed a large section from the middle of the book. Some events transpired between, but for a while the reader doesn't know what they are. It just feels like some important information wasn't included.) Early details on the place itself are vague, but then the rest of the story unfolds.
I was almost left feeling like I knew Nathan, and I felt so sorry for him, and I wanted to help him somehow, even though he had killed a few people. The system completely failed him, not to mention his victims. Maybe because whenever there is yet another school shooting, or a movie theater shooting, or a fill-in-the-blank shooting, I always wonder what was happening in the killer's mind, what they were thinking. Nathan doesn't remember any of the crimes he is accused of. That's no excuse, but it just brings up the mental health issue and how it is a factor in these kinds of crimes.
He ends up in a psychiatric facility (where he spent time before, and we don't get all the details, but he obviously NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN RELEASED) and this raises even more questions in my mind, i.e., what happened to psychiatric facilities/hospitals? Evidently they have been done away with so everyone can just go to jail instead, because God forbid someone be labeled "mentally ill"?
OK, in a nutshell, an interesting read, Nathan is fascinating to me, though terrible, tormented, and ill. He also suffered sexual abuse as a child from a family "friend". These memories were suppressed for years and though details are murky, it seems Nathan would have been better off had they not been brought to the surface by his therapist.
I have so many questions about him. Oh wait, he's fictional. I keep reminding myself. He feels so real to me.
Prepare to be disturbed, but still:
Recommended.
This was interesting, but disturbing, because I felt like I was reading a true story.
The story starts in the middle of what seems to be Nathan's everyday, mundane, uneventful life. We quickly learn that Nathan is, to put it mildly, a little quirky. He likes to run, doesn't shower much, and sleeps with the light on. This is all kind of funny, at first.
Then, (spoiler alert!!) his friend Madge, who is painfully and slowly dying of cancer, asks Nathan to put her out of her misery. I thought this was going to be a drawn-out process, but no! It actually happens pretty quickly and without any fanfare. Madge, we hardly knew ye.
More spoilers!
All of a sudden, Nathan is fired from his job, and then he is in some kind of jail or facility. (At this point it feels like someone must have removed a large section from the middle of the book. Some events transpired between, but for a while the reader doesn't know what they are. It just feels like some important information wasn't included.) Early details on the place itself are vague, but then the rest of the story unfolds.
I was almost left feeling like I knew Nathan, and I felt so sorry for him, and I wanted to help him somehow, even though he had killed a few people. The system completely failed him, not to mention his victims. Maybe because whenever there is yet another school shooting, or a movie theater shooting, or a fill-in-the-blank shooting, I always wonder what was happening in the killer's mind, what they were thinking. Nathan doesn't remember any of the crimes he is accused of. That's no excuse, but it just brings up the mental health issue and how it is a factor in these kinds of crimes.
He ends up in a psychiatric facility (where he spent time before, and we don't get all the details, but he obviously NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN RELEASED) and this raises even more questions in my mind, i.e., what happened to psychiatric facilities/hospitals? Evidently they have been done away with so everyone can just go to jail instead, because God forbid someone be labeled "mentally ill"?
OK, in a nutshell, an interesting read, Nathan is fascinating to me, though terrible, tormented, and ill. He also suffered sexual abuse as a child from a family "friend". These memories were suppressed for years and though details are murky, it seems Nathan would have been better off had they not been brought to the surface by his therapist.
I have so many questions about him. Oh wait, he's fictional. I keep reminding myself. He feels so real to me.
Prepare to be disturbed, but still:
Recommended.
March 2, 2018
Nathan Lucius is a 31-year-old ad-salesman at a newspaper in Cape Town. Right from the opening pages of the novel, it is apparent that there is something odd about him. Nathan, whose world the reader is drawn into through the first-person narrative, is peculiarly detached from those around him and he reveals nothing about his background, making it clear that he has become practised at forgetting things that are painful or difficult.
And it is clear something very traumatic may have happened in his past. How many other adults do you know who sleep with the light on? Or, who buys old photographs of anonymous people from an antique store to put up on his wall in a fake family tree?
"I'm happiest when each day is exactly like the one before," Nathan says on the first page. Why that is, is what "Wasted" is all about. If there is anything we have learned from pop psychology it is that you can run, but never hide, from your demons.
Part of what makes "Wasted" so brilliant is the chess game the author plays with the reader, the same chess game Nathan repeatedly plays with another character in the second half of the book. Even though the book is quite short (61,217 words as is stated on the cover; that's 187 pages), it is also a slow burn, that reveals its mystery not in one short burst but in a series of moves that go from check to checkmate.
The novel is an intriguing, disturbing doth sensitive examination of the psychology of trauma. PTSD is a mental illness that is contradictory in nature, where those who have it have opposing symptoms in equal measure: bouts of calm and of rage, times of complete lucidity and of memory failure.
"Wasted" may be a quick read but is anything but superficial. It uses simple, stripped-bare sentences that imbue emotional tension. A must-read.
And it is clear something very traumatic may have happened in his past. How many other adults do you know who sleep with the light on? Or, who buys old photographs of anonymous people from an antique store to put up on his wall in a fake family tree?
"I'm happiest when each day is exactly like the one before," Nathan says on the first page. Why that is, is what "Wasted" is all about. If there is anything we have learned from pop psychology it is that you can run, but never hide, from your demons.
Part of what makes "Wasted" so brilliant is the chess game the author plays with the reader, the same chess game Nathan repeatedly plays with another character in the second half of the book. Even though the book is quite short (61,217 words as is stated on the cover; that's 187 pages), it is also a slow burn, that reveals its mystery not in one short burst but in a series of moves that go from check to checkmate.
The novel is an intriguing, disturbing doth sensitive examination of the psychology of trauma. PTSD is a mental illness that is contradictory in nature, where those who have it have opposing symptoms in equal measure: bouts of calm and of rage, times of complete lucidity and of memory failure.
"Wasted" may be a quick read but is anything but superficial. It uses simple, stripped-bare sentences that imbue emotional tension. A must-read.
October 21, 2017
0.0
(I received this as an ARC in return for an honest review)
Unimaginative, violently deplorable, and lacking any sheer characterization makes this another footnote in the genre of Glorified Male Fantasy, which invents a soulless avatar with which to wax painfully about the human condition and how no one and nothing will ever matter.
The 'thrills' are dull and plodding, and seem to be an avenue in which to channel a spectacular misogyny only found in this brand of Glorified Male Fantasy: a 'mystery' in which the main character is a sociopathic misogynist who murders nearly every woman he interacts with, but is narratively framed as being simultaneously innocent and guilty via intermittent blackouts.
A telling passage is one early on in the book: "I don't hate women. --- I only hate what they could do to me." This is followed by repeated instances of objectification and a subtle dehumanizanation. Women are described as bodies, first and foremost, with their weak, little female minds second. The main character's boss is framed as a bitch for attempting to do her job, and instead of paying attention to her words, the reader is instead onslaught by descriptions of her nipples through her shirt, watched impassively by a man out-of-touch with humanity.
Morally complex characters are interesting, and we need them in fiction, but what this is a sham. It is a hollow shell of a selfish, entitled man's viewpoint as he sees the world and everyone in it as less than dust, and is framed as being right.
TL;DR
A book that talks about jacking off so much I can only assume that's all the author did while writing.
(I received this as an ARC in return for an honest review)
Unimaginative, violently deplorable, and lacking any sheer characterization makes this another footnote in the genre of Glorified Male Fantasy, which invents a soulless avatar with which to wax painfully about the human condition and how no one and nothing will ever matter.
The 'thrills' are dull and plodding, and seem to be an avenue in which to channel a spectacular misogyny only found in this brand of Glorified Male Fantasy: a 'mystery' in which the main character is a sociopathic misogynist who murders nearly every woman he interacts with, but is narratively framed as being simultaneously innocent and guilty via intermittent blackouts.
A telling passage is one early on in the book: "I don't hate women. --- I only hate what they could do to me." This is followed by repeated instances of objectification and a subtle dehumanizanation. Women are described as bodies, first and foremost, with their weak, little female minds second. The main character's boss is framed as a bitch for attempting to do her job, and instead of paying attention to her words, the reader is instead onslaught by descriptions of her nipples through her shirt, watched impassively by a man out-of-touch with humanity.
Morally complex characters are interesting, and we need them in fiction, but what this is a sham. It is a hollow shell of a selfish, entitled man's viewpoint as he sees the world and everyone in it as less than dust, and is framed as being right.
TL;DR
A book that talks about jacking off so much I can only assume that's all the author did while writing.
January 6, 2018
Nathan, our narrator is an unusual character. He sleeps with the light on. He collects old photos and displays them as his own family. His passion is running. He has reoccurring dreams of the scent of pine and darkness. He is good at forgetting. He loves having days that are uneventful, predictable, all the same. So when a friend asks him to kill her, it is not exactly what he had hoped for that day. But Madge is dying of cancer and is suffering. He really hates to see her suffering, but…
This is an unusual and well-written psychological mystery. The author kept me guessing, reading and wondering. Since it is written in the first person, the reader learns about only that which Nathan knows, and the reader learns more as he does. There is a lot of tension in this book, and it works!
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
This is an unusual and well-written psychological mystery. The author kept me guessing, reading and wondering. Since it is written in the first person, the reader learns about only that which Nathan knows, and the reader learns more as he does. There is a lot of tension in this book, and it works!
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
January 15, 2018
I got this book from the thriller/mystery section and this is not your usual thriller/mystery book. It's definitely quirky. It's a written in a jerky first person POV and actually quite easy to read. I gamely followed along until the second part where it bizarrely changed continuity and I found it difficult to follow. It lost my interest there. I tried to follow, then skimmed and then skipped to the end where pretty much everything was explained. Overall, I would consider this a 2 star experience.
I got this as a free ARC.
Edit: I read another review which said that the second part was riveting. I tried reading that part again but I'm just not a big fan of this type of writing. I would not have given this book more than 3 stars anyway since I did not like the front part that much either.
I got this as a free ARC.
Edit: I read another review which said that the second part was riveting. I tried reading that part again but I'm just not a big fan of this type of writing. I would not have given this book more than 3 stars anyway since I did not like the front part that much either.
Read
January 28, 2020~I buy old photographs of people I don't know. I give them names and arrange them into a family tree on my wall. This means I can have have a new family whenever I want.~
~I understand why cancer is a crab. It's got claws, and every day it tears more pieces out of me. Just little bits. Just enough to increase the pain and the humiliation. Not quite enough to finish me off.~
~It takes me past midnight to build my new family. The first step is to edit out the ones that don't fit your story. Then you have to figure out the connections between the rest.~
~What can you tell me about the smell of pine needles.~
~What I think is that we're all insane...In varying degrees. We're all a little madder than the one sitting next to us. All of us somewhere on the spectrum of bonkers.~
~You can't know right from wrong if you don't remember anything.~
August 16, 2020
Not a novel about assisted suicide, but the tedious narration of a serial killer raped as a boy.
The cataloging and advertising for this novel is deceptive. Winkler’s work is not about assisted suicide, but trauma from a boy’s rape, which contributed to a young man becoming a serial killer.
The assisted suicide angle of the novel is finished one-third into the book. Nathan strangles Madge, who suffers from cancer and who calls herself Catholic (like Joe Biden calls himself Catholic, which means, a fake Catholic).
Much more important is Nathan’s sexual abuse, which affected his entire life. Being raped by his father’s friend skewers his relationship with his parents, other women, and his mental health. (He is, after all, a serial killer of three women.)
Stylistically, the dominance of simple-structured sentences may match Nathan’s simple life of sex, drinking, and loafing around; however, they make the reading tedious at several points.
If you’re a reader who likes controversial issues in fiction, is this novel worth the time? Yes, but not because it has a character who doesn’t understand that euthanasia is not medical care (it’s killing). Read it to see how a male suffers from sexual abuse.
The cataloging and advertising for this novel is deceptive. Winkler’s work is not about assisted suicide, but trauma from a boy’s rape, which contributed to a young man becoming a serial killer.
The assisted suicide angle of the novel is finished one-third into the book. Nathan strangles Madge, who suffers from cancer and who calls herself Catholic (like Joe Biden calls himself Catholic, which means, a fake Catholic).
Much more important is Nathan’s sexual abuse, which affected his entire life. Being raped by his father’s friend skewers his relationship with his parents, other women, and his mental health. (He is, after all, a serial killer of three women.)
Stylistically, the dominance of simple-structured sentences may match Nathan’s simple life of sex, drinking, and loafing around; however, they make the reading tedious at several points.
If you’re a reader who likes controversial issues in fiction, is this novel worth the time? Yes, but not because it has a character who doesn’t understand that euthanasia is not medical care (it’s killing). Read it to see how a male suffers from sexual abuse.
June 9, 2018
I went into this novel having no preconceived notions or expectations. All in all, I enjoyed it. It's an interesting premise and certainly a unique first person account from a narrator I won't soon forget.
My only gripe was the writing style. While I understand the choppiness of the sentences was a representation of the mindset of the narrator, it still made getting through the narrative difficult.
Even though I found the style grating, I labored on because I wanted to see it to the end. In the end, I was not disappointed, and the last sentence, although a bit on the dark side, left me with a smile.
My only gripe was the writing style. While I understand the choppiness of the sentences was a representation of the mindset of the narrator, it still made getting through the narrative difficult.
Even though I found the style grating, I labored on because I wanted to see it to the end. In the end, I was not disappointed, and the last sentence, although a bit on the dark side, left me with a smile.
March 25, 2019
Ah.
Un personnage antipathique auquel je me suis accrochée rapidement et que j’aurais excusé à chaque fois.
Un personnage cru, à la limite de la vulgarité par rapport au corps de la femme et à la sexualité.
Il m’a fait pensé à Joe Golberg (You-Caroline Kepnes) mais en plus soft.
La première partie est plus linéaire dans le temps et on le suit à travers son travail, ses amitiés et des amours.
La deuxième partie est très différente et je me suis demandée où ça s’en allait. J’ai eu un relent qui m’a fait penser à un personnage pris dans un asile, si je ne m’abuse dans le livre 172 heures sur la lune.
La finale s’étirait en longueur, mais les révélations ont été coup de poing.
Un personnage antipathique auquel je me suis accrochée rapidement et que j’aurais excusé à chaque fois.
Un personnage cru, à la limite de la vulgarité par rapport au corps de la femme et à la sexualité.
Il m’a fait pensé à Joe Golberg (You-Caroline Kepnes) mais en plus soft.
La première partie est plus linéaire dans le temps et on le suit à travers son travail, ses amitiés et des amours.
La deuxième partie est très différente et je me suis demandée où ça s’en allait. J’ai eu un relent qui m’a fait penser à un personnage pris dans un asile, si je ne m’abuse dans le livre 172 heures sur la lune.
La finale s’étirait en longueur, mais les révélations ont été coup de poing.
August 26, 2022
This is a wonderful book! Crisp, sparing, clean prose with a grand story to tell. Imagine if Ernest Hemingway had written One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Absolutely marvelous book. I wish I could read it again immediately.
I do have one complaint, and it has nothing to do with the author or the novel - it's the cover. It's utterly miserable, dull, tedious, and it does the book an enormous disservice. Sigh.
I do have one complaint, and it has nothing to do with the author or the novel - it's the cover. It's utterly miserable, dull, tedious, and it does the book an enormous disservice. Sigh.
December 10, 2017
I picked up an ARC of this book because the back cover sounded intriguing. About halfway though I was perplexed because it seemed to be going nowhere but still had over a hundred pages left. Then suddenly, BAM. Something happened partway through that I was not expecting. The second half was riveting and I couldn't put it down after that. Well done!
January 22, 2018
I’m terrible at writing reviews but this was an ARC so I feel a bit obligated. I just picked it out of the pile at random, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was...interesting. I felt like the first half and the second half were two separate Nathans. That was the point, I guess, but even still it threw me. Odd, but worth the read. Definitely picks up after the first little while.
February 21, 2022
Definitely didn’t see the second half of the book coming! Kind of terrifying because there are people in the world struggling with MH issues cause by trauma and if there are no resources/caring people to help support them through it can create monsters. I loved the writing style and surprisingly Nathan’s character, even with all his strange perversions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2018
This bitch would've killed me in a hot second because I would 100% have been friends with this lame jackass and I don't even know why.
July 7, 2019
My first Mark Winkler book. I was instantly hooked.
June 6, 2020
Tersely sparsely written noir. Twisty thinky ok.
July 17, 2021
Really enjoyed the style of writing. Especially enjoyed the ending.
August 18, 2021
Way too weird for me. He was molested as a child and that is why he murders women?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2022
Well written with an insight on the effects of trauma at a young age and the resulting mental health issues which presented later in life.
August 8, 2023
Part mystery, part crime story, part thriller. The story takes an abrupt turn in the middle, (almost too abrupt for me) that creates an interesting, and thought provoking reflection.
July 14, 2015
On the very first page, the reader is plunged into the strangeness that is Nathan Lucius, the main protagonist of this brilliantly conceived novel. Nine bullet points list the characteristics that Nathan regards as representing who he is. They are both obscure and illuminating. Each chapter’s title is a phrase from the opening sentence of that chapter; some of these titles can be misleading without context; this almost mirrors the fragmented mind of Nathan.
The first person perspective means that only Nathan’s thoughts, opinions and narration of the facts is presented. Furthermore, the novel is written using short sentences and is almost entirely in the present tense. This staccato style conveys immediacy as if the action is unfolding as you read. The tone is matter-of-fact so even when something startling happens, there is a sense that Nathan is detached emotionally.Who he is now, at the age of 31, has no context. He narrates his life almost as if he were born at this age.
I love the internal commentary on various things from the lack of news to his opinion on his next door neighbor, Adele du Toit, and his dislike for Dino, journo and boyfriend to his boss, Sonia. It is through this internal commentary that it becomes clear that Nathan is cynical, demotivated, almost nihilistic and decidedly odd. Sonia has to tell him to shower because of the smell, “of booze and feet and bum”; this after three days of not showering. While she lectures him he is distracted by her long, angry nipples (imagine nipples being angry) which are giving him a hard-on. Nathan often gets hard-ons in the most unlikely circumstances. He thinks to himself that her nipples are like “cocktail viennas” and wonders “if they’ll tear holes in Sonia’s T-shirt.“
Another thing Nathan has is a “library of faces” that he adopts at appropriate moments. “Or maybe it’s a wardrobe. Or a closet. Whatever you call that place where you keep your faces.” On the one hand, as a reader, you nod knowingly because we all have masks but on the other hand, you realise that it is not usually such a conscious, deliberate act as seems to be the case with Nathan. There are hints that he is in a precarious position in the workplace where his job is selling ad space for a newspaper.
Nathan is also friendly with an elderly woman who owns a pseudo-antique shop. She has cancer and will be dead soon. He buys old family photograph albums from her and arranges them into a family tree on the wall in his flat. This way he says he can have a new family whenever he wishes. He says nothing of his actual family. He is a loner and never allows anyone into his flat.
Sometimes the action leaps from the previous evening when he leaves Eric’s, the drinking hole where he often drinks with colleagues, to his awakening the next day. These gaps in the narrative might equate to gaps in his consciousness or is he simply leaving things out? This makes him a distinctly unreliable narrator as we have no other perspective that divulges information. It adds to the mystery that is Nathan, a man who seems to have no past and is not that interested in his future. He does not have a car because “cars are for people who want to go somewhere”.
One day Madge asks him to euthanize her, to murder her because her life is a living death, she is in pain and constant struggle. This throws him into turmoil because he really likes her. At the same time he is having wild, drunken sex with the older woman next door “doing things that can’t be legal”. He does not like it when Mrs du Toit (he still thinks of her this way despite having sex with her) wants to find out more about him. He explains,
“Imagine standing in a big bucket. Every time you tell somebody something about yourself you’re pouring a spadeful of concrete into the bucket. Soon enough it sets. You can’t move.”
He wants to forget as much as possible. Yet he finds it hard to forget, much as he tries.Just as he thinks he is mastering forgetting, memories creep in and catch him off-guard. This is one of the few allusions to his past. He is in a quandary about Madge, his drunken pill-popping episodes with Mrs du Toit make him late for work so Sonia is furious with him and there are blanks in his memory. Everything escalates and comes to an end until there is a blank.
I cannot explain one more thing. You have to read it and find out for yourself. The discovery of the outcome is like watching a scene in a movie where the elements are familiar but together they do not make sense; time is thrown out of kilter but one by one as the elements come into sharp relief, understanding dawns.
Wasted is brilliantly conceived and written. Nathan Lucius with his idiosyncrasies is a masterful work of the imagination; you may not like him, he may disturb you but you will never forget him. When you discover what has made him who he is, you will be jarred and jolted. You will then want to read the book again.
The first person perspective means that only Nathan’s thoughts, opinions and narration of the facts is presented. Furthermore, the novel is written using short sentences and is almost entirely in the present tense. This staccato style conveys immediacy as if the action is unfolding as you read. The tone is matter-of-fact so even when something startling happens, there is a sense that Nathan is detached emotionally.Who he is now, at the age of 31, has no context. He narrates his life almost as if he were born at this age.
I love the internal commentary on various things from the lack of news to his opinion on his next door neighbor, Adele du Toit, and his dislike for Dino, journo and boyfriend to his boss, Sonia. It is through this internal commentary that it becomes clear that Nathan is cynical, demotivated, almost nihilistic and decidedly odd. Sonia has to tell him to shower because of the smell, “of booze and feet and bum”; this after three days of not showering. While she lectures him he is distracted by her long, angry nipples (imagine nipples being angry) which are giving him a hard-on. Nathan often gets hard-ons in the most unlikely circumstances. He thinks to himself that her nipples are like “cocktail viennas” and wonders “if they’ll tear holes in Sonia’s T-shirt.“
Another thing Nathan has is a “library of faces” that he adopts at appropriate moments. “Or maybe it’s a wardrobe. Or a closet. Whatever you call that place where you keep your faces.” On the one hand, as a reader, you nod knowingly because we all have masks but on the other hand, you realise that it is not usually such a conscious, deliberate act as seems to be the case with Nathan. There are hints that he is in a precarious position in the workplace where his job is selling ad space for a newspaper.
Nathan is also friendly with an elderly woman who owns a pseudo-antique shop. She has cancer and will be dead soon. He buys old family photograph albums from her and arranges them into a family tree on the wall in his flat. This way he says he can have a new family whenever he wishes. He says nothing of his actual family. He is a loner and never allows anyone into his flat.
Sometimes the action leaps from the previous evening when he leaves Eric’s, the drinking hole where he often drinks with colleagues, to his awakening the next day. These gaps in the narrative might equate to gaps in his consciousness or is he simply leaving things out? This makes him a distinctly unreliable narrator as we have no other perspective that divulges information. It adds to the mystery that is Nathan, a man who seems to have no past and is not that interested in his future. He does not have a car because “cars are for people who want to go somewhere”.
One day Madge asks him to euthanize her, to murder her because her life is a living death, she is in pain and constant struggle. This throws him into turmoil because he really likes her. At the same time he is having wild, drunken sex with the older woman next door “doing things that can’t be legal”. He does not like it when Mrs du Toit (he still thinks of her this way despite having sex with her) wants to find out more about him. He explains,
“Imagine standing in a big bucket. Every time you tell somebody something about yourself you’re pouring a spadeful of concrete into the bucket. Soon enough it sets. You can’t move.”
He wants to forget as much as possible. Yet he finds it hard to forget, much as he tries.Just as he thinks he is mastering forgetting, memories creep in and catch him off-guard. This is one of the few allusions to his past. He is in a quandary about Madge, his drunken pill-popping episodes with Mrs du Toit make him late for work so Sonia is furious with him and there are blanks in his memory. Everything escalates and comes to an end until there is a blank.
I cannot explain one more thing. You have to read it and find out for yourself. The discovery of the outcome is like watching a scene in a movie where the elements are familiar but together they do not make sense; time is thrown out of kilter but one by one as the elements come into sharp relief, understanding dawns.
Wasted is brilliantly conceived and written. Nathan Lucius with his idiosyncrasies is a masterful work of the imagination; you may not like him, he may disturb you but you will never forget him. When you discover what has made him who he is, you will be jarred and jolted. You will then want to read the book again.
November 9, 2018
First things first: I recommend this book.
Now I'll try to write something without giving away anything.
I had no expectations, no prior information about this book whatsoever. So, when the early tinges of black humour gave way to more intricate human relationships, I was totally caught by surprise. The story unfolded naturally, though I had no way to predict where it was going. I'm glad I didn't. You will be too.
I have now bought a previous novel by Mark Winkler,
a) because a book this good can't be a one-off; and
b) I'd like to find out if the staccato narration is the author's style or if he wrote in the way Nathan Lucius would express himself, which was both fitting and convincing.
Now I'll try to write something without giving away anything.
I had no expectations, no prior information about this book whatsoever. So, when the early tinges of black humour gave way to more intricate human relationships, I was totally caught by surprise. The story unfolded naturally, though I had no way to predict where it was going. I'm glad I didn't. You will be too.
I have now bought a previous novel by Mark Winkler,
a) because a book this good can't be a one-off; and
b) I'd like to find out if the staccato narration is the author's style or if he wrote in the way Nathan Lucius would express himself, which was both fitting and convincing.
August 25, 2016
My name is Nathan Lucius. I sleep with the light on." are the only words on the back cover blurb of this book. These are also the opening words of the novel.
At last, a book promoted without spoilers. Long reviews (a little ironic, as the book is a mere 61217 words according to the cover), but no spoilers. Great.
What else do you need to know about Nathan Lucius? He is a damaged soul. He is different. Yet Mark Winkler obviously loves him, and so did I.
Read my full review here.
At last, a book promoted without spoilers. Long reviews (a little ironic, as the book is a mere 61217 words according to the cover), but no spoilers. Great.
What else do you need to know about Nathan Lucius? He is a damaged soul. He is different. Yet Mark Winkler obviously loves him, and so did I.
Read my full review here.
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