Electric

by Chad Taylor, Anouk Neuhoff (Translator)

Samuel Usher est récupérateur de données informatiques. Se remettant difficilement d’un grave accident et du départ de sa petite amie, il noie son mal de vivre dans l’alcool et abuse des substances prohibées. Quand il rencontre Jules et Candy, deux mathématiciens chacun en quête d’une formule révolutionnaire et aussi accros que lui aux plaisirs artificiels, il se lance à corps perdu dans cette nouvelle amitié un peu singulière. Mais Jules meurt à la suite d’une violente agression en laissant à Sam un message sibyllin composé d’une étrange suite de chiffres et des mots mystérieux « de toute façon la liberté au revoir ». Dans un Auckland caniculaire complètement désorganisé par une panne d’électricité gigantesque, Sam, encore sous le choc et désespéré par la fuite de Candy, va tenter d’élucider l’énigme. Au fil de ses recherches, il se trouvera confronté aux individus les plus bizarres, aux lieux les plus incongrus et aux situations les plus psychédéliques.

Comme dans Shirker, son précédent roman, le Néo-Zélandais Chad Taylor nous raconte une histoire policière que son talent transfigure en une sorte de quête métaphysique.

238 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Chad Taylor is the author of the novels Blue Hotel, Departure Lounge, Electric, Shirker, Heaven, Pack of Lies and The Church of John Coltrane. He was awarded the Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship and the Auckland University Literary Fellowship. Heaven was made as a feature film and his novels and stories are in translation. He wrote the movie Realiti which was selected for Fantastic Fest. Blue Hotel was a finalist for Best Novel in the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Awards.

Reviews

[Leah L Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very interesting and different story.
The characters were shrouded in mystery and you truly felt like you were Sam, uncovering things as it progressed.
However, through that I felt a little distant to the plot. It didn't feel like it was going anywhere in particular until the very end, and I was often left confused and having to go back over certain pages to drill it into my head what had occurred.
A great read regardless!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taylor's narrative voice is seductive, pared-down, modern. This is dark, dark noir where the sense of impending catastrophe comes from the narrator's every move. Also, kids, don't do drugs.