Scan barcode
A review by tjr
The Grays by Whitley Strieber
2.0
It was a good read, if not strange, and I thought it was going to be more of his non-fiction stuff, like his Communion was claimed to be. Instead the novel was pure fiction, although fiction that is supposedly ‘based’ on fact. Strieber explains that the foundation of the novel is based on survivors’ tales of UFO abductions; these supposedly true tales are interwoven in the fiction of The Grays, and the result is supposed fact-based fiction.
I would like to quote directly from it, but the book itself somehow ended up going through the wash cycle. The result of this was many little grey tidbits everywhere in the machine. Oh, the irony.
The novel was indeed different from Communion, which is a non-fiction book supposedly based on the author’s own experience. The Grays is based on the real life experiences of American citizens; indeed, it’s like Strieber has taken the median, or the essence, of all UFO abductee experiences and culminated them in the novel. This small fact in itself puts Strieber’s book in a realm of its own: not totally fictional, not totally non-fictional either. Nor, for that matter, is the book totally metaphysical or metafictional.
So, what do I make of it? Well, regardless of its supposed base in reality, The Grays is a pretty fantastical tale: it’s fast paced, full of mystery and deceit, and definitely a page turner. These facts alone also discredit much of the so-called truth in the matter. How can there be reality, along with Hollywood-esque chase scenes, murders, etcetera?
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the novel. It was a good pastime. The Grays is a popcorn-novel, pure and simple. However, it was a lot of fun to read, so I got my money’s worth out of its grey little pages.
I think the controversy surrounding the author goes a long way in the marketing and selling of his novels; in reality, I think his persona is as much a fabrication as the tales he himself writes.
Read it if you need some good entertainment.
I would like to quote directly from it, but the book itself somehow ended up going through the wash cycle. The result of this was many little grey tidbits everywhere in the machine. Oh, the irony.
The novel was indeed different from Communion, which is a non-fiction book supposedly based on the author’s own experience. The Grays is based on the real life experiences of American citizens; indeed, it’s like Strieber has taken the median, or the essence, of all UFO abductee experiences and culminated them in the novel. This small fact in itself puts Strieber’s book in a realm of its own: not totally fictional, not totally non-fictional either. Nor, for that matter, is the book totally metaphysical or metafictional.
So, what do I make of it? Well, regardless of its supposed base in reality, The Grays is a pretty fantastical tale: it’s fast paced, full of mystery and deceit, and definitely a page turner. These facts alone also discredit much of the so-called truth in the matter. How can there be reality, along with Hollywood-esque chase scenes, murders, etcetera?
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the novel. It was a good pastime. The Grays is a popcorn-novel, pure and simple. However, it was a lot of fun to read, so I got my money’s worth out of its grey little pages.
I think the controversy surrounding the author goes a long way in the marketing and selling of his novels; in reality, I think his persona is as much a fabrication as the tales he himself writes.
Read it if you need some good entertainment.