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Mem
Mem is a rare novel, a small book carrying very big ideas, the kind of story that stays with you long after you've finished reading it.Set in the glittering art deco world of a century ago, Mem makes one slight alteration to history: a scientist in Montreal discovers a method allowing people to have their memories extracted from their minds, whole and complete. The Mems exist as mirror-images of their source-zombie-like creatures destined to experience that singular memory over and over, until they expire in the cavernous Vault where they are kept.And then there is Dolores Extract #1, the first Mem capable of creating her own memories. An ageless beauty shrouded in mystery, she is allowed to live on her own, and create her own existence, until one day she is summoned back to the Vault. What happens next is a gorgeously rendered, heart-breaking novel in the vein of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go.Debut novelist Bethany Morrow has created an allegory for our own time, exploring profound questions of ownership and how they relate to identity, memory, and history, all in the shadows of Montreal's now forgotten slave trade.
1 pages, MP3 CD
First published May 22, 2018
161 people are currently reading
8458 people want to read
About the author
Bethany C. Morrow
16 books1,439 followersBethany C Morrow is a national bestselling author.
Her young adult novels include A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, and the Little Women remix, So Many Beginnings, and she is editor/contributor to the young adult anthology Take The Mic, which won the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award.
Her adult novels include Mem, and the social horror, Cherish Farrah. Her upcoming release, The Body, is a churchianity horror.
Honored as SLJ Gold Selections, a Locus, Fiyah, and Audie finalist for Best YA Novel, and an Indies Introduce and Indie next pick, her work has been featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA TODAY's list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.
Her young adult novels include A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, and the Little Women remix, So Many Beginnings, and she is editor/contributor to the young adult anthology Take The Mic, which won the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award.
Her adult novels include Mem, and the social horror, Cherish Farrah. Her upcoming release, The Body, is a churchianity horror.
Honored as SLJ Gold Selections, a Locus, Fiyah, and Audie finalist for Best YA Novel, and an Indies Introduce and Indie next pick, her work has been featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA TODAY's list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 588 reviews
March 8, 2019
You are never going to read another novella like this, and that is okay.
With an incredibly weird conceptand a fantastic exploration of character, this novella makes for such an interesting read.
In a world where memories - primarily traumatic memories - can be extracted and turned into their own people, what should their rights be? When most of the Mems become nothing but the trauma they’ve experienced, why is our lead different? What makes her so?
[This novella is one of the most philosophical I’ve ever read, maybe.]
The thing I liked about this, specifically, is that MEM doesn’t try to force an easy answer to the questions it raises. Because Bethany Morrow knows there isn’t one to all of these questions. Is it better to remove trauma or live with it? How can we judge those who made one choice or another in their struggle to remove trauma? How can we know that people who seem to be acting on memory alone are truly not their own people?
And perhaps it seems like an odd message, but our pain, our fear, our hurt, our ability to deal with the above - they make us who we are. We don’t need to be grateful for our pain, nor should we be, but learning to cope with it is part of what makes us human. This is reflected through the protagonist, a Memory herself, and through almost every side character.
I will say I was not a fan of the romance - there’s a bit of a power dynamic between them I wasn’t a fan of. But I think Bethany Morrow handles it quite well, to the point where it’s challenged multiple times, which made me feel a bit better. And let’s be real: it was so interesting. On the whole, this is a compelling, interesting story about people, with all our flaws, and asks us to question our future.
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In a world where memories - primarily traumatic memories - can be extracted and turned into their own people, what should their rights be? When most of the Mems become nothing but the trauma they’ve experienced, why is our lead different? What makes her so?
[This novella is one of the most philosophical I’ve ever read, maybe.]
The thing I liked about this, specifically, is that MEM doesn’t try to force an easy answer to the questions it raises. Because Bethany Morrow knows there isn’t one to all of these questions. Is it better to remove trauma or live with it? How can we judge those who made one choice or another in their struggle to remove trauma? How can we know that people who seem to be acting on memory alone are truly not their own people?
And perhaps it seems like an odd message, but our pain, our fear, our hurt, our ability to deal with the above - they make us who we are. We don’t need to be grateful for our pain, nor should we be, but learning to cope with it is part of what makes us human. This is reflected through the protagonist, a Memory herself, and through almost every side character.
I will say I was not a fan of the romance - there’s a bit of a power dynamic between them I wasn’t a fan of. But I think Bethany Morrow handles it quite well, to the point where it’s challenged multiple times, which made me feel a bit better. And let’s be real: it was so interesting. On the whole, this is a compelling, interesting story about people, with all our flaws, and asks us to question our future.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube
June 26, 2022
I absolutely adored the first half of this book and was excited when reading it. It felt like everything I wanted from this genre was there
Unfortunately I was pretty disappointed by the second half.. for me it just don’t meet it’s full potential, leaving me kind of confused. I wasn’t sure if I had missed something or if the second half really was that flat..
Unfortunately I was pretty disappointed by the second half.. for me it just don’t meet it’s full potential, leaving me kind of confused. I wasn’t sure if I had missed something or if the second half really was that flat..
June 14, 2018
A solid novella about a world in which people can extract their memories and turn them into people. These people, called Mems, get locked away in the secluded Vault to relive that singular experience until they wither and pass away. This story follows Dolores Extract #1, the first Mem who can create memories of her own. While Dolores Extract #1 has a few allies in the facility that creates Mems, she later learns that she risks getting reprinted, which entails losing all of her autonomy, her ideas, and herself as a person. We follow her on her journey to negotiate how much she can control, when her life has always been in the hands of somebody else.
I enjoyed MEM as a slim tale that poses interesting philosophical questions: how do we address issues of power, ownership, and control in our relationships with others? How far can self-determination advance us when an imbalance in privilege and resources exists from the start? Bethany Morrow creates a realistic protagonist with Dolores Extract #1, who struggles to advocate for herself in a confusing world with the cards stacked against her survival. Morrow ends the novella on a note of empowerment, such that Dolores Extract #1 – who renames herself Elsie – advocates for herself with relative success.
Overall, I would recommend this one to those intrigued by the synopsis, those who enjoy science fiction, and those who do not mind a shorter story. I only give it three stars because I feel that I did not develop an emotional connection to any of the characters, likely because of the length of the story. While I found the plot and the characters’ dilemmas and relationships interesting on an intellectual level I did not feel my heart move. Still, I look forward to reading Bethany Morrow’s future work – I think her next project involves YA centering two female black teens, woo – and would be curious to read how others react to MEM.
I enjoyed MEM as a slim tale that poses interesting philosophical questions: how do we address issues of power, ownership, and control in our relationships with others? How far can self-determination advance us when an imbalance in privilege and resources exists from the start? Bethany Morrow creates a realistic protagonist with Dolores Extract #1, who struggles to advocate for herself in a confusing world with the cards stacked against her survival. Morrow ends the novella on a note of empowerment, such that Dolores Extract #1 – who renames herself Elsie – advocates for herself with relative success.
Overall, I would recommend this one to those intrigued by the synopsis, those who enjoy science fiction, and those who do not mind a shorter story. I only give it three stars because I feel that I did not develop an emotional connection to any of the characters, likely because of the length of the story. While I found the plot and the characters’ dilemmas and relationships interesting on an intellectual level I did not feel my heart move. Still, I look forward to reading Bethany Morrow’s future work – I think her next project involves YA centering two female black teens, woo – and would be curious to read how others react to MEM.
April 19, 2018
Ridiculously, unfathomably good.
For fans of thinky, tense, character-driven, grounded scifi concerned with the nature of humanity, along the lines of NEVER LET ME GO or EX MACHINA.
In short, this is the exact kind of story I'm constantly searching for, and Morrow nails it.
I'll post a more complete review soon, but for now, PLEASE get this one on your radar.
For fans of thinky, tense, character-driven, grounded scifi concerned with the nature of humanity, along the lines of NEVER LET ME GO or EX MACHINA.
In short, this is the exact kind of story I'm constantly searching for, and Morrow nails it.
I'll post a more complete review soon, but for now, PLEASE get this one on your radar.
June 21, 2018
An interesting and wholly original story, set in a world where the Professor has discovered a way to extract memories from their Sources as wholly separate - if incomplete - beings. Elsie, our protagonist is the one exception to the hundreds of extracted memories and isn't merely a captured moment of time; instead, she's a being with thoughts and memories and opinions of her own. But in this world, memories belong to their owners, and Elsie has just been called back to her Vault...
Examining the limits and definitions of personhood, this is a thoughtful novella, that doesn't make the mistake of trying to answer every question it brings up. Instead, we as the readers are simply presented with scenarios and allowed the luxury of our own choices. It's not a fast-paced book, despite it's short length, but it's one I'm sure will be sticking in my brain for much longer than it took to read it.
Examining the limits and definitions of personhood, this is a thoughtful novella, that doesn't make the mistake of trying to answer every question it brings up. Instead, we as the readers are simply presented with scenarios and allowed the luxury of our own choices. It's not a fast-paced book, despite it's short length, but it's one I'm sure will be sticking in my brain for much longer than it took to read it.
February 28, 2020
Fascinating contemplation in story form about the winding road our memories take us on -- as well as how memories become elastic within groups, society, history, hope and dreams, and on and on. Audiobook performer Soneel Nankani does a beautiful job.
December 9, 2018
Whilst ‘Mem’ is a very well written novel(la), it didn’t quite meet my expectations. The synopsis lured me in - set in 1920s Montreal; the elite are able to have their unpleasant memories extracted into cloned versions of themselves. Delores Extract No. 1 (aka Elsie) is the first and only ‘Mem’ capable of creating her own memories. Due to her unique state she is allowed to live somewhat independently, until (20 years later) she is suddenly recalled back to the ‘Vault’ that houses the other mems.
I incorrectly assumed that this 📚 would be a psychological thriller with the ‘mems’ becoming autonomous beings, revolting (a la #Westworld), breaking out of the vault and causing chaos. Had the plot aligned with my expectations I would have loved Mem; instead it was a really slow paced examination of Elsie’s autonomy and the realisation that she wasn’t (unlike the other mem’s) a possession, with a whiff of a love story added for good measure. I found it hard to follow in parts - particularly when discussions/scenes centred on Elise and her ‘source’ Delores - I’d start off thinking that Elise was the focus/narrator only to realise it was actually Delores (and vice versa), leaving me pretty confused 🤷🏾♀️😩.
Plot disappointment aside, Morrow writes beautifully - so whilst I didn’t throughly enjoy this 📚 I will look out for her future projects 🙌🏾.
I incorrectly assumed that this 📚 would be a psychological thriller with the ‘mems’ becoming autonomous beings, revolting (a la #Westworld), breaking out of the vault and causing chaos. Had the plot aligned with my expectations I would have loved Mem; instead it was a really slow paced examination of Elsie’s autonomy and the realisation that she wasn’t (unlike the other mem’s) a possession, with a whiff of a love story added for good measure. I found it hard to follow in parts - particularly when discussions/scenes centred on Elise and her ‘source’ Delores - I’d start off thinking that Elise was the focus/narrator only to realise it was actually Delores (and vice versa), leaving me pretty confused 🤷🏾♀️😩.
Plot disappointment aside, Morrow writes beautifully - so whilst I didn’t throughly enjoy this 📚 I will look out for her future projects 🙌🏾.
November 14, 2018
Maybe 5 stars, maybe a little less but because it’s original and unwinds at a perfect pace it’s worth all the stars. The language sometimes took me off guard - not a complaint just a note that I needed to reread some sentences. Perhaps it was a feeling caused by finding words to describe being a memory.
February 12, 2020
Head over heels for this book. You know that feeling when you’re reading a book and you can’t quiet the internal screaming from how much you’re enjoying it? That was me the entire time I was reading MEM by Bethany C. Morrow. Wowowow I loved this book.
Morrow seamlessly blends speculative and historical fiction in this novel, which reimagines 1920’s Montreal with the addition of a fascinating technology that allows people’s memories to be extracted so they no longer experience the associated pain. This process creates a Mem, a sort of clone that isn’t self aware and exists only to experience the source memory over and over until it expires (dies.) Our protagonist Elsie is the world’s first self aware Mem; not only is she able to think and feel and form new memories of her own, but she recalls the complete memories of her source prior to extraction. The entire book is a gorgeous musing on what it means to be human, and on the wonders and pains of memory.
Coming in under 200 pages, Morrow packs so much into this brilliant novel. I was spellbound by Elsie’s story, and longed to linger with the slow unfolding of increasingly major revelations about her differences and the deep questions she grapples against, yet I was caught up in its tightly paced conflict and breathlessly turning pages. There are some turns to the story that are generally not-my-favorite (TM) but this book had me so enthralled I can find no flaw in it.
A glorious work of speculative fiction, this book would easily find a home in hearts of SF lovers, as well as literary types who enjoy books like Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go where the speculative elements intentionally push the reader into the big questions of what makes a human.
Morrow seamlessly blends speculative and historical fiction in this novel, which reimagines 1920’s Montreal with the addition of a fascinating technology that allows people’s memories to be extracted so they no longer experience the associated pain. This process creates a Mem, a sort of clone that isn’t self aware and exists only to experience the source memory over and over until it expires (dies.) Our protagonist Elsie is the world’s first self aware Mem; not only is she able to think and feel and form new memories of her own, but she recalls the complete memories of her source prior to extraction. The entire book is a gorgeous musing on what it means to be human, and on the wonders and pains of memory.
Coming in under 200 pages, Morrow packs so much into this brilliant novel. I was spellbound by Elsie’s story, and longed to linger with the slow unfolding of increasingly major revelations about her differences and the deep questions she grapples against, yet I was caught up in its tightly paced conflict and breathlessly turning pages. There are some turns to the story that are generally not-my-favorite (TM) but this book had me so enthralled I can find no flaw in it.
A glorious work of speculative fiction, this book would easily find a home in hearts of SF lovers, as well as literary types who enjoy books like Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go where the speculative elements intentionally push the reader into the big questions of what makes a human.
November 7, 2021
3.5 stars
I enjoy stories that center on the inner lives of constructed lifeforms. I think this is an interesting take on the idea. Unlike others, it's not set in the future, instead we are in 1920s Montreal. It's a quiet slice of life, looking at the lives of women who were, at the time, legally considered property of their fathers and husbands - whether they were conceived naturally, or artificially.
Morrow on Writing Mem and Identity:
"So it started for me, honestly, just thinking about cloning as a way to actually manage memory. At first it was about sharing memory, then it was about excluding memory. Then you start following Elsie around. She is very sure and convicted about a lot of things, even when she doesn’t know whether she’s allowed to be. She’s coming to understand her — like you said, her agency — but I think a lot of people mistake it for her coming to know about herself. I don’t think she ever didn’t know about herself. I think she lacked the language, because it’s being threatened and being questioned so often.
In that way, I do think about what it is to be a black woman. Like, I’m not confused about my identity whatsoever. i’m confused about why everyone has such a strong opinion when they couldn’t possibly know. i’m confused about why everyone else’s opinions carry more weight than mine about my own identity. I’m confused about those things, i’m not confused about who I am. i’m confused about why everyone else is talking."
Full Interview: https://www.brazosbookstore.com/artic...
photographer: unable to source
I enjoy stories that center on the inner lives of constructed lifeforms. I think this is an interesting take on the idea. Unlike others, it's not set in the future, instead we are in 1920s Montreal. It's a quiet slice of life, looking at the lives of women who were, at the time, legally considered property of their fathers and husbands - whether they were conceived naturally, or artificially.
Morrow on Writing Mem and Identity:
"So it started for me, honestly, just thinking about cloning as a way to actually manage memory. At first it was about sharing memory, then it was about excluding memory. Then you start following Elsie around. She is very sure and convicted about a lot of things, even when she doesn’t know whether she’s allowed to be. She’s coming to understand her — like you said, her agency — but I think a lot of people mistake it for her coming to know about herself. I don’t think she ever didn’t know about herself. I think she lacked the language, because it’s being threatened and being questioned so often.
In that way, I do think about what it is to be a black woman. Like, I’m not confused about my identity whatsoever. i’m confused about why everyone has such a strong opinion when they couldn’t possibly know. i’m confused about why everyone else’s opinions carry more weight than mine about my own identity. I’m confused about those things, i’m not confused about who I am. i’m confused about why everyone else is talking."
Full Interview: https://www.brazosbookstore.com/artic...
photographer: unable to source
February 26, 2020
4.5 stars
MEM is a short, subtle, sophisticated novel about a literally personified memory extract through whom Morrow allows the reader to re-examine what it is to be human in isolation and existing in complex societies in which our well-being is often predicated on the oppression of others.
Morrow's determined focus on exploring Dolores's extract's interiority, as she names herself Elsie, develops her own opinions and ideals through the kind of careful observation that we discard in the business of everyday life created a memorable reading experience. What others found too elusive and remote worked on me as a stimulant, pushing my imagination down exciting byways.
In less than 200 pages Morrow broached capitalism, patriarchal societies and the various myopias they engender in everything from legal systems to scientific study to daily interactions, the implications of industrial development, disabilities, how we process trauma, and more besides depending on what you bring to your reading. None of this made the story feel stuffed but lent it weight in a narrative that remained light and flexible.
I can't wait for her 2020 release.
Bookstagram | Twitter
MEM is a short, subtle, sophisticated novel about a literally personified memory extract through whom Morrow allows the reader to re-examine what it is to be human in isolation and existing in complex societies in which our well-being is often predicated on the oppression of others.
Morrow's determined focus on exploring Dolores's extract's interiority, as she names herself Elsie, develops her own opinions and ideals through the kind of careful observation that we discard in the business of everyday life created a memorable reading experience. What others found too elusive and remote worked on me as a stimulant, pushing my imagination down exciting byways.
In less than 200 pages Morrow broached capitalism, patriarchal societies and the various myopias they engender in everything from legal systems to scientific study to daily interactions, the implications of industrial development, disabilities, how we process trauma, and more besides depending on what you bring to your reading. None of this made the story feel stuffed but lent it weight in a narrative that remained light and flexible.
I can't wait for her 2020 release.
Bookstagram | Twitter
February 8, 2019
This book is a real achievement, and I’m glad I read it on vacation so that I could slow down and appreciate it. The premise is a stunner and Morrow makes the most of it—there’s such richness and complexity here. In an alternate 1920s era Montreal, Dolores Extract #1 is a Mem—a memory removed from a person and stored in the Vault. Most Mems aren’t sentient and can’t form new memories of their own; they’re husks doomed to relive the memory they hold in perpetuity until they expire. Dolores—or as she has renamed herself, Elsie—is different. She remembers her Source’s life before she was extracted, and she can make new memories of her own. Because of this difference, she is allowed to live outside the Vault and pursue something of a life for herself, until the day she is summoned back to the Vault. This is so creative, so beautifully written, if you’re a fan of thoughtful sci-fi you really should check it out. And as if it wasn’t already fabulous enough, it’s also a devastatingly good love story. Masterfully done.
June 20, 2018
This novella packs a lot into a slim volume. Much in the same vein of “Never Let Me Go” it explores the question of what makes a person. Additionally, though, this book explores memory, how it shapes is, how it helps prepare us for life ahead and what we become without it. I liked the writing style and the early 20th century setting.
May 21, 2019
"Thank god that book is over" said me, 15 minutes ago, finishing this book.
Concept = amazing, unique, 5 stars
Execution, writing, characters = ugh, I can't even.
I was so confused and exhausted trying to wrap my head around this world that was built. Why is it 1920? Does it matter? Is that cool or trying too hard? What is a mem?! Is it an embodiment? Is it a shimmery orb? Does it look & feel like a real human? Why did I just read that sentence 20 times to understand what is going?
I love this concept, I really do. The writing & execution just didn't meld together right for me to love this book.
Concept = amazing, unique, 5 stars
Execution, writing, characters = ugh, I can't even.
I was so confused and exhausted trying to wrap my head around this world that was built. Why is it 1920? Does it matter? Is that cool or trying too hard? What is a mem?! Is it an embodiment? Is it a shimmery orb? Does it look & feel like a real human? Why did I just read that sentence 20 times to understand what is going?
I love this concept, I really do. The writing & execution just didn't meld together right for me to love this book.
June 16, 2018
3.5 stars
See me discuss this book in my June wrap up: https://youtu.be/z-mkTQwXlQE?t=4m35s
See me discuss this book in my June wrap up: https://youtu.be/z-mkTQwXlQE?t=4m35s
June 4, 2018
I am a memory. Now I suppose I’ll live like one.
With that opening sentence begins one of the best stories I’ve read.
MEM is a historical speculative fiction novella that presents an interesting world–what if you could extract memories and moments and maintain them as keepsakes of sorts? Pieces of yourself, who look like you, created for a specific reason. At first glance the concept reminded me a lot of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which was why I was drawn to this little book.
We meet Elsie, who is the first of a woman named Dolores. However, unlike other MEMs, Elsie is able of creating new memories, so she is fully equipped to live a life as her own self, rather than someone else’s shell. Scientists cannot explain why she is different, and she is content enough with living on her own as a scientific mystery, until her Source asks her to go back to the Vault–the facility where MEMs are stored–so she can be reprinted.
What follows is a story that is short, but that packs the perfect amount of philosophy that such a plot needs to sustain itself, and that never leaves any holes. Usually when I read short stories or novellas I feel like I could do with a little more; I find it hard to believe that it’s possible to properly develop fully dimensional characters and an engaging plot in 150, 200 pages. But here comes this author proving me completely wrong, because I thought the length of this story never worked to its disadvantage.
If you’re a fan of the book/movie Never Let Me Go, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. I was completely immersed. The author was so, so good at making me feel–everything. Not once was the story trying to force emotions out of me, it just went along with Elsie’s musings and she was such an interesting, dynamic person, I couldn’t help but feel like she was roping me in. By the time we were done, I knew her, and by knowing her I felt like her story affected me in a way that hasn’t happened to me in a while.
It’s a book you might read in one sitting, although that proved to be a bit difficult for me. Not because of anything that I found distasteful in the story, but because it constantly prompted me to think. It brings up questions about what is consciousness, exactly, and to what extent does our memory serve us, and every now and again I had to slow down to properly digest this.
And also I simply did not want it to end. Finishing it was a bittersweet experience.
I won’t be surprised if this ends up making it to my favorites of all time shelf. I need to sit with it for a little more time. For now, however–I can honestly say I absolutely love it.
November 24, 2018
This was a super fun read. About a “mem”, an embodied memory withdrawn from a woman’s mind to forget a traumatic event, the particular extraction seems more human than the rest. Having had a chance to love freely in 1920’s Montreal, she’s called back tot he vault to be confined and reprinted by her original. This book felt like a 1920’s film, Morrow really captured that. The book was glossy, and thoughtful, and enjoyable. I appreciated that Morrow included an author’s note at the end explaining why there was no racism in this #speculativefiction read, because I agree that it is so so nice to imagine a world without racism for your protagonist, but also grapple with the ethics of erasing a reality from a real time and place. Check this one out!
February 10, 2022
On second read (for book club), I loved this story even more. The main character ruminates on the transitoriness of life, which follows up well the first book club pick of The Wisdom of Insecurity. Themes of personhood and othering are also present, for a Mem who is treated as less than a person. The MC's inner life is beautiful and moving, as is the story as a whole.
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The best speculative fiction I’ve read in ages. The story was full of life and beautiful descriptions, and the ending truly surprised me. All around, an amazing tale.
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The best speculative fiction I’ve read in ages. The story was full of life and beautiful descriptions, and the ending truly surprised me. All around, an amazing tale.
January 2, 2018
I could not put this book down. Think Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind + Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with a female MC/creation. It is inventive, heart-breaking, full of big ideas about what it means to be human and whether we can own or belong to another person. 💔
January 11, 2019
I read this for my local bookclub and, aside from some stilted language, I really enjoyed it. Excited to see what she does next!
May 12, 2022
I didn't quite know what to expect from Mem by Bethany C. Morrow, but that was a fascinating character study. I need to read more of Morrow's books in the future. I don't get to read a whole lot of historical set science fiction, and this being set in the art deco period really hit the right notes for me. Also, I listened to the audiobook and the production was pretty fantastic. I need to read more from Morrow in the future.
August 16, 2018
I know I was really not in the right head space to read this but I was already a good chunk into it and knew if I returned it to the library I would likely never take it out again. So we both have to deal with the fact that I likely didn't give this interesting speculative concept the attention it deserves.
The concept of the Mems, extracted memories that create a new person that harbors and lives that memory in a Zombie-like state, is interesting. Especially when our main girl is not a typical Mem but has a larger set of memories and from her extraction on can operate as her own person from here on out. But I didn't like the book. I thought the world building was confusing as was the storytelling which could be due to the distracted mind set I read this in. The 20's setting of Montréal had disappointingly little to do with the story, it was meant to be alternate history but we don't see how this affects our known history at all.
But mostly it boiled down to my dislike for the writing. Marrow uses a very detached voice to tell this tale, and especially in the dialogues it sounded artificial and forced. If that was only the Mem side I could see that as a choice but even the regular humans did never sound like real people but as voices to present ideas.
I love the themes this story tries to explore, it is an interesting version of the artificial intelligence idea we often see in Science Fiction, filled here with a debate around identity and, naturally, the place of memories in that. But it was all a bit underdeveloped. Additionally there is a lot of 'tell' in this book, very little unfolds naturally from the plot which makes it again kind of forced.
But like I said, I was very distracted with my thoughts while I read this which is another reason why it took me a week to get through 180 pages but overall "Mem" and me didn't find path towards each other. It is a bit too much concept and bit too little story for my taste.
2.5*
The concept of the Mems, extracted memories that create a new person that harbors and lives that memory in a Zombie-like state, is interesting. Especially when our main girl is not a typical Mem but has a larger set of memories and from her extraction on can operate as her own person from here on out. But I didn't like the book. I thought the world building was confusing as was the storytelling which could be due to the distracted mind set I read this in. The 20's setting of Montréal had disappointingly little to do with the story, it was meant to be alternate history but we don't see how this affects our known history at all.
But mostly it boiled down to my dislike for the writing. Marrow uses a very detached voice to tell this tale, and especially in the dialogues it sounded artificial and forced. If that was only the Mem side I could see that as a choice but even the regular humans did never sound like real people but as voices to present ideas.
I love the themes this story tries to explore, it is an interesting version of the artificial intelligence idea we often see in Science Fiction, filled here with a debate around identity and, naturally, the place of memories in that. But it was all a bit underdeveloped. Additionally there is a lot of 'tell' in this book, very little unfolds naturally from the plot which makes it again kind of forced.
But like I said, I was very distracted with my thoughts while I read this which is another reason why it took me a week to get through 180 pages but overall "Mem" and me didn't find path towards each other. It is a bit too much concept and bit too little story for my taste.
2.5*
November 19, 2018
Overall average rating: 5/5
World-building: 5/5
Although the story took place in a fictional Montreal in the 1920s. In this particular society, people averted pain and suffering by "extracting" painful memories. And these memories, once extracted, resembled the person they were removed from and stored away in a facility called the Vault. The world-building was gradual, unfolding slowly in bits and pieces of details that Morrow peppered throughout the book. I kind of preferred it that way because it allowed me to really immerse myself in the story.
Characters: 5/5
This was definitely a character-driven book centered mainly around Elsie and her desire to find a sense of self and a place of belonging in the world. Morrow wrote her characters with such depth, complexities, and intricacies that it was hard not to get drawn in by their sincere humanness. Also, I always appreciate stories in which I can sympathize for the characters I find detestable.
Plot: 5/5
The premise of this book was an interesting one, and reminded me vaguely of Lois Lowry's The Giver. At the heart of the story were themes that I think many people could relate to: pain, trauma, regret, what ifs. Because the story was more character driven, the plot took some time to build and gain momentum. Nevertheless, it was very evocative and thought-provoking.
Writing style: 5/5
The book was very poetically written. I really enjoyed Morrow's vivid and descriptive imagery and poignant metaphors.
Entertainment: 5/5
I absolutely loved this book. The characters and beautifully written prose were highlights for me. It ended on a fairly hopeful note though there were a couple of tragic things that happen. But a bittersweet ending was perfectly appropriate for a book like this.
World-building: 5/5
Although the story took place in a fictional Montreal in the 1920s. In this particular society, people averted pain and suffering by "extracting" painful memories. And these memories, once extracted, resembled the person they were removed from and stored away in a facility called the Vault. The world-building was gradual, unfolding slowly in bits and pieces of details that Morrow peppered throughout the book. I kind of preferred it that way because it allowed me to really immerse myself in the story.
Characters: 5/5
This was definitely a character-driven book centered mainly around Elsie and her desire to find a sense of self and a place of belonging in the world. Morrow wrote her characters with such depth, complexities, and intricacies that it was hard not to get drawn in by their sincere humanness. Also, I always appreciate stories in which I can sympathize for the characters I find detestable.
Plot: 5/5
The premise of this book was an interesting one, and reminded me vaguely of Lois Lowry's The Giver. At the heart of the story were themes that I think many people could relate to: pain, trauma, regret, what ifs. Because the story was more character driven, the plot took some time to build and gain momentum. Nevertheless, it was very evocative and thought-provoking.
Writing style: 5/5
The book was very poetically written. I really enjoyed Morrow's vivid and descriptive imagery and poignant metaphors.
Entertainment: 5/5
I absolutely loved this book. The characters and beautifully written prose were highlights for me. It ended on a fairly hopeful note though there were a couple of tragic things that happen. But a bittersweet ending was perfectly appropriate for a book like this.
September 13, 2019
I loved this, the writing was so smooth, the characters intriguing, the story thought provoking and the romance sweet.
June 13, 2021
It was an intruging premise but didn't captivate me as much as I've wanted to. It was okay to listen to but not more then that
May 20, 2020
what a feat. what a strange, lovely, sad, cerebral book.
May 29, 2018
A contemplative speculative novel about 'memory extraction' in the early 20th century Montreal. In turns, I found this novel about how the rich and wealthy rid themselves of disturbing memories by having them removed into replicas called 'Mems' an intriguing concept, a thought piece. The evocative setting of Montreal at the turn of the last century, an island in the middle of technological revolution gone slightly awry helped make the novel strange and wonderful-- as did the main character Dolores/Elsie a 'Mem,' who is the one Mem more than her memory.
I do wish that there were more commentary on race and class (this author even addresses the lack of it in an end note -- it's clearly not the novel she wanted to write). But Morrow has written a very slim novel filled with some big ideas of how personal memory shapes us, even makes us strong, and certainly human. I hope in the future that she may explore historical memory, which seems so lacking in today's political body-- at least in the United States.
Kudos to Bethany Morrow!
--Caroline
I do wish that there were more commentary on race and class (this author even addresses the lack of it in an end note -- it's clearly not the novel she wanted to write). But Morrow has written a very slim novel filled with some big ideas of how personal memory shapes us, even makes us strong, and certainly human. I hope in the future that she may explore historical memory, which seems so lacking in today's political body-- at least in the United States.
Kudos to Bethany Morrow!
--Caroline
June 18, 2020
Review to come
Read
September 26, 2018After witnessing a gruesome car accident, nineteen-year-old Dolores undergoes an experimental procedure to have the memory of it surgically removed. The process of extracting the memory creates a "Mem": a physical duplicate of the person who experienced that memory. Mems are living, breathing beings who, though not completely sentient, are trapped within the extracted memory, reliving that memory for a limited period of time before expiration.
Except when Dolores extracts her memory, what's created is something unlike any of the Mems who came after: Dolores's Mem is completely sentient, an autonomous being who is basically a duplicate of Dolores broken off from the moment of extraction. This Mem becomes a darling of both science and society. She's able to live alone and start building something akin to a life; she dubs herself Elsie after a character in the film The Toll of the Sea (I wasn't familiar before the book, but it stars Anna May Wong and was a Madame Butterfly iteration).
And the story starts in 1925, when Elsie receives a summons from the research facility that originated her. She's being recalled.
Mem is a meditative novella about memory and loss. It's about loved ones and what they do to shelter each other, and how no one knows whether they're doing the right thing. Its set in 1920s Montreal, and Morrow's world-building is pretty wonderful (and gosh do I enjoy science fiction set in the past! especially non-steampunk!). Given the time period, I was a little surprised that , but I think the choice of time period was well-matched with the theme of women's autonomy, cascading consequences of wealth, and what destruction science was to wrought.
I had quibbles about things like mechanics (the inability of memory to be cut-and-dried extractable is certainly worked through and worked over in the text, but I still twinged about it) and whether the ending made character sense, but I really liked this on the emotional level and on the thematic level.
Except when Dolores extracts her memory, what's created is something unlike any of the Mems who came after: Dolores's Mem is completely sentient, an autonomous being who is basically a duplicate of Dolores broken off from the moment of extraction. This Mem becomes a darling of both science and society. She's able to live alone and start building something akin to a life; she dubs herself Elsie after a character in the film The Toll of the Sea (I wasn't familiar before the book, but it stars Anna May Wong and was a Madame Butterfly iteration).
And the story starts in 1925, when Elsie receives a summons from the research facility that originated her. She's being recalled.
Mem is a meditative novella about memory and loss. It's about loved ones and what they do to shelter each other, and how no one knows whether they're doing the right thing. Its set in 1920s Montreal, and Morrow's world-building is pretty wonderful (and gosh do I enjoy science fiction set in the past! especially non-steampunk!). Given the time period, I was a little surprised that , but I think the choice of time period was well-matched with the theme of women's autonomy, cascading consequences of wealth, and what destruction science was to wrought.
I had quibbles about things like mechanics (the inability of memory to be cut-and-dried extractable is certainly worked through and worked over in the text, but I still twinged about it) and whether the ending made character sense, but I really liked this on the emotional level and on the thematic level.
September 2, 2023
I enjoyed it. I read another review on GR which mentioned that if you read the blurb and like the concept, then you will most likely enjoy the story. I think that's close, but I hadn't decided whether I liked the concept until I had a read a fair chunk of the story.
I think the extraction of memories is easy enough to swallow but it was the fact that in this fantasy those memories are inserted into flesh and blood bodies that I struggled to go along with. Necessary to the story but it seemed like something that would never find a use in reality.
Anyway, I was able to go along with the notion and I do think that if you can accept the concept then you will find the story worthwhile.
I think the extraction of memories is easy enough to swallow but it was the fact that in this fantasy those memories are inserted into flesh and blood bodies that I struggled to go along with. Necessary to the story but it seemed like something that would never find a use in reality.
Anyway, I was able to go along with the notion and I do think that if you can accept the concept then you will find the story worthwhile.
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