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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
fast-paced
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The reviews are a mixed bag but I truly enjoyed this Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, meets crooked cooperation, contemporary sci-fi!
The story is told through 5 converging storylines about a clinic that has the ability to delete memories. All optics hell breaks loose when those who have received memory deletions receive letters that they have the chance to get them back. So begs the question, if you went through those lengths to get it erased, would you want it back?
Thumbs up: I loved ESOTSM growing up because I believe what we think is our "soul," is our memory. I really enjoyed all of the POVs and the stories had me guessing until the end. I did also like that there was the discussion of the movie in the novel, I thought that was a fun forth wall break. Additionally, Noors neighbours? YIKES.
Thumbs down: I can see why people wouldn't like this: 5 POVs with multiple characters within each storyline is a lot. There isn't a ton of action either, if you're looking for a violent thriller - this isn't it. It delivers a lot of the conflict philosophically and emotionally. Finally, Noor and Louise's final interaction was a bit puzzling considering all that had played out...
Was it a nail biter? For me? Absolutely! I think this provoked some thoughtful questions and would definitely pick up another novel by Harkin in a heartbeat.
The story is told through 5 converging storylines about a clinic that has the ability to delete memories. All optics hell breaks loose when those who have received memory deletions receive letters that they have the chance to get them back. So begs the question, if you went through those lengths to get it erased, would you want it back?
Thumbs up: I loved ESOTSM growing up because I believe what we think is our "soul," is our memory. I really enjoyed all of the POVs and the stories had me guessing until the end. I did also like that there was the discussion of the movie in the novel, I thought that was a fun forth wall break. Additionally, Noors neighbours? YIKES.
Thumbs down: I can see why people wouldn't like this: 5 POVs with multiple characters within each storyline is a lot. There isn't a ton of action either, if you're looking for a violent thriller - this isn't it. It delivers a lot of the conflict philosophically and emotionally. Finally, Noor and Louise's final interaction was a bit puzzling considering all that had played out...
Was it a nail biter? For me? Absolutely! I think this provoked some thoughtful questions and would definitely pick up another novel by Harkin in a heartbeat.
The very best book I have read this year, thus far. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind mixed with Memento and even a bit of Vanilla Sky. Raises all the glorious questions regarding the removal of memories and “wiping out” that which you’d like to forget. Would doing so be harmful in other ways? Is it better to heal naturally from trauma or delete it from having happened? This is a deep, suspenseful page turner that kept me riveted until the last word. HIGHLY recommend to anyone who has interest in this topic or those movies listed above.
This one gives a lot to think on. I enjoyed it. Sometimes the character storylines were a bit hard to follow. Some characters didn’t get enough of the spotlight for my taste. But yeah, it was fun to read. Great concept. Interesting and smart.
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Basically a Black Mirror episode, if the episode had superfluous, difficult-to-distinguish characters, needed to be edited down to a short story, ended with a blurry message , and was less about how humans can use technology to create existential horror and more about how they can use it to make some people feel vaguely uneasy.
Compared to some books I've read this year, the writing style was competent and clear. The character's decisions for the most part made sense (unlike Riley Sager's Survive the Night), the actions were fairly straight-forward and possible to follow (unlike Hank Phillipi Ryan's Her Perfect Life), and the pacing, while slow as molasses, was consistent throughout the novel (unlike Kimberly McCreight's Friends Like These). Unfortunately, however, this book never rose above the level of competent to be compelling or memorable. There were a lot of characters and they weren't particularly sharp or distinct to me. They all had a similar voice and were profoundly lonely people struggling with anxiety, depression, paranoia, social ineptitude, self-doubt, emotional unavailability, personal stagnation, or some morose combination of the above, and the inside of their heads were exhausting and unpleasant places to be. About halfway through I started feeling like I was slogging through a muted gray sludge. More like "Get to the Ending," amirite?
I was frustrated with Finn in particular (when I could remember which emotionally closed-off white UK man having a marriage-threatening midlife crisis was William and which was Finn) for doing that British thing where he Simply Can't Talk About It even when his wife begs him to share what has been bothering him. Literal quote from pages 273-4:
"What is it, Finn?" she says. She doesn't sound tired anymore. She sounds desperate. "What do you mean? I'd tell you anything. What do you think I haven't told you? Whatever it is. Ask me. I'll tell you. Please."
But he can't answer.
"Please," she says again.
But he can't ask.
Finn's plotline in particular invites comparisons to the Black Mirror episode
About a third of the way in I realized this story wasn't going to pick up any time soon, but I kept reading because I wanted to know what the big secret memories were that all these characters had gotten deleted, hoping for something juicy. Imagine my disappointment when most of these memories were instead incredibly lame. For instance, Mei's wiped memory was Oscar, in turn,
Another quote from the book actually sums up my feelings quite well: "Nobody has ever been able to put their finger on what's wrong...because the wrongness comes not from a nameable thing, but an absence of any nameable things, a swirling of not a lot , circling a core of nothing at all" (p. 240).
And this quote as well: "A happy ending is an answer. It doesn't even have to be a happy answer. Just something that allows the book to be closed, so that everyone can move on with their lives" (p. 330).
Spoiler
Was this a commentary on big tech corporations in general, or just on one individual evil girlboss who went beyond what the corporation intended to pad her own pockets?Compared to some books I've read this year, the writing style was competent and clear. The character's decisions for the most part made sense (unlike Riley Sager's Survive the Night), the actions were fairly straight-forward and possible to follow (unlike Hank Phillipi Ryan's Her Perfect Life), and the pacing, while slow as molasses, was consistent throughout the novel (unlike Kimberly McCreight's Friends Like These). Unfortunately, however, this book never rose above the level of competent to be compelling or memorable. There were a lot of characters and they weren't particularly sharp or distinct to me. They all had a similar voice and were profoundly lonely people struggling with anxiety, depression, paranoia, social ineptitude, self-doubt, emotional unavailability, personal stagnation, or some morose combination of the above, and the inside of their heads were exhausting and unpleasant places to be. About halfway through I started feeling like I was slogging through a muted gray sludge. More like "Get to the Ending," amirite?
I was frustrated with Finn in particular (when I could remember which emotionally closed-off white UK man having a marriage-threatening midlife crisis was William and which was Finn) for doing that British thing where he Simply Can't Talk About It even when his wife begs him to share what has been bothering him. Literal quote from pages 273-4:
"What is it, Finn?" she says. She doesn't sound tired anymore. She sounds desperate. "What do you mean? I'd tell you anything. What do you think I haven't told you? Whatever it is. Ask me. I'll tell you. Please."
But he can't answer.
"Please," she says again.
But he can't ask.
Finn's plotline in particular invites comparisons to the Black Mirror episode
Spoiler
"The Entire History of You;" both feature a husband becoming increasingly paranoid that their wives have cheated on them with another man. The tense, tight, focused drama that was the Black Mirror episode so effectively created an ever-building sense of dread that culminated in inevitable violence. In Finn's story, on the other hand, it's less a growing sense of something sinister and more an endless slog of angst, self-sabotage, insecurity, and driving himself and his wife miserable instead of just HAVING A CONVERSATION. Worst of all, in Finn and Mirande's final chapter, they have literally jumped immediately from Finn's internal swamp of angst to everything being worked out and reconciled between them. How did this happen? Did they finally talk about everything? Did they go to therapy? How and why did they fix their deteriorating marriage off-screen? And why did we have to listen to Finn go ON AND ON about his non-problems only for them to disappear with no explanation?About a third of the way in I realized this story wasn't going to pick up any time soon, but I kept reading because I wanted to know what the big secret memories were that all these characters had gotten deleted, hoping for something juicy. Imagine my disappointment when most of these memories were instead incredibly lame. For instance, Mei's wiped memory was
Spoiler
just her going to holiday on Amsterdam with some crappy girlfriends and ditching them to knowingly make herself the one-time side chick of a random older guy who was married-but-not-really-married-techically-on-a-break-separated-figuring-it-out-with-the-ex (girl, why?). And when she gets the memory back, her "happy ending" is moving to the Netherlands for this loser!Spoiler
had this creepy teeth necklace that made him wonder if he had been some kind of gangster or serial killer. Nope, turns out that both his parents were dentists and his weird mom made a gold necklace out of his baby teeth (or milk teeth, apparently. UK, why?).Another quote from the book actually sums up my feelings quite well: "Nobody has ever been able to put their finger on what's wrong...because the wrongness comes not from a nameable thing, but an absence of any nameable things, a swirling of not a lot , circling a core of nothing at all" (p. 240).
And this quote as well: "A happy ending is an answer. It doesn't even have to be a happy answer. Just something that allows the book to be closed, so that everyone can move on with their lives" (p. 330).
Tell Me An Ending
By Jo Harkin
‘Across the world, thousands of people are shocked to receive an email telling them that they once chose to have a traumatic memory removed. Now they are being given the chance to get that memory back.
An exploration of secrets, grief, identity and belonging - of the stories we tell ourselves, and come to rely on, Tell Me An Ending is a sharp, dark and devastating novel about the power and danger of memory.’
Erm, that sounds awesome right!? Well guys, I’m pleased to report that it delivered and then some..
Tell me an ending is a speculative fiction novel - we follow four main characters and are given an insight into each of their thought process as they learn that they have been affected by Nepenthe and now have to decide whether they want to know what it is they chose to hide or to continue living in ignorance.
I have been totally wowed by this debut novel - it reads like a literary thriller, has a fascinating sci-fi edge and is so clever, that it will leave you questioning your own relationship with your memories. I can see this story staying in mind for a long while after I’ve closed it’s pages.
I am massively excited to have read this book so soon after it’s release and I now cannot wait to shout about it to everyone I know - a truly fantastic book that, given it’s size, I sped through.. breathlessly turning pages to discover the secrets with almost as much curiosity as our discombobulated cast of characters.
By Jo Harkin
‘Across the world, thousands of people are shocked to receive an email telling them that they once chose to have a traumatic memory removed. Now they are being given the chance to get that memory back.
An exploration of secrets, grief, identity and belonging - of the stories we tell ourselves, and come to rely on, Tell Me An Ending is a sharp, dark and devastating novel about the power and danger of memory.’
Erm, that sounds awesome right!? Well guys, I’m pleased to report that it delivered and then some..
Tell me an ending is a speculative fiction novel - we follow four main characters and are given an insight into each of their thought process as they learn that they have been affected by Nepenthe and now have to decide whether they want to know what it is they chose to hide or to continue living in ignorance.
I have been totally wowed by this debut novel - it reads like a literary thriller, has a fascinating sci-fi edge and is so clever, that it will leave you questioning your own relationship with your memories. I can see this story staying in mind for a long while after I’ve closed it’s pages.
I am massively excited to have read this book so soon after it’s release and I now cannot wait to shout about it to everyone I know - a truly fantastic book that, given it’s size, I sped through.. breathlessly turning pages to discover the secrets with almost as much curiosity as our discombobulated cast of characters.
This book is told kind of like a short story collection except it rotates back to each person in parts. It follows 4 people who find out they've had their memories erased, and a woman who works for Nepenthe and thinks she's uncovered some serious corruption. It's happy, sad, hopeful, and very thought provoking. It asks a lot of questions about what makes us who we are, and how important our memories truly are.