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4.0 out of 5 stars
The World of the Abstract Writ Large, Aug 14 2009
This is a novel that will cause even the most skeptical of us to pause and consider who we really are in the realm of time. Here are ten reasons why this book is a must read for all who like psychological thrillers with a twist:
a. It offers a complex journey through the human mind over time and through space;
b. It generates a certain sense of angst and suspense as the reader follows the adventures of Eric Sanderson as he attempts to recover his real self that has been stolen by some primordial force during a period of amnesia. The big question here is what is the reality or truth behind language as it helps to define who we are in an ever changing world;
c. It attempts to combine the physical world of Eric with some conceptual framework from the past that would allow us to see how we have 'evolved' through the progression of language. Lots of interesting clues and codes in this story for Eric to consider in his hunt for his true self;
d. The journey through underground Manchester is both exrtraordinary and bone-chilling;
e. Though the metaphysical realm of the good doctor comes across as a little cheesy, it still carries enough of a cerebral ring to it to cause the reader to think about his origins;
f. Lots of references to the world of the past, especially the ancient teachings of Zen that espouse the discipline of self-containment and preservation;
g. A good flow to the story as Eric lurches from one crisis to another in his search to recover his memory;
h. Characters are well developed in terms of their multi-dimensions;
i. The story is consistent in respect to what the author wants to portray: a world where reality and fantasy combine to create an almost unreal nightmarish sphere;
j. There is a certain power in this story that could cause the reader to do some reality checking himself.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A damn good read, May 3 2009
I have to admit that I had my doubts about the book. It takes a little while for the story to take off, but when it does - WOW. I haven't read a book with this many twists and turns in a long time. Just when I thought I had a handle on un-space and the strange world of conceptual loops and dictohpones, the author throws in a curve ball that takes me completely by surprise. If you enjoy multiple plotlines, vivid imagrey and complex characters, then this book is for you. The Raw Shark Texts is an amazing little gem of genius. As critic Mark Haddon described the Raw Shark Texts as "the bastard love child of the Matrix, Jaws and the Da Vinci Code. Very Entertaining." He's right. Buy the book.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun, fresh, and absolutely entertaining., May 10 2008
Steven Hall delivers an endlessly intriguing story using a well-weighted mixture of narrative, images, puzzles, letters, and what appear to be poems. He draws readers in with a truly unique mystery revolving around "purely conceptual sharks," the loss of memory and the recreation of the self, and an underground (literally) group known only as the Un-Space Exploration Committee.
The beauty in a book all about concepts and ideas versus facts and the physical realm is that we never really know which side of the coin were being pulled through, which universe we're currently stuck in. And in the end it doesn't matter which is traditionally "true," the concept or the fact, because the two are not mutually exclusive. The result is an interesting psychological adventure tale that, although marginally flawed by romance clichés, brings something new to the table. Touching on the experimental at times, this novel reads like a movie, reminiscent of David Lynch films or Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club. Complete with mystery, adventure, action, romance, and very witty dialog, I would be surprised if Raw Shark Texts was never made into a film. In the right hands, it would make as excellent a film as it is a novel in the hands of the very talented Steven Hall.
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