The Raw Shark Texts

Hardcover, 448 pages

English language

Published April 10, 2007 by Canongate U.S..

ISBN:
978-1-84195-911-5
Copied ISBN!
OCLC Number:
94193868

View on OpenLibrary

(27 reviews)

When Eric Sanderson wakes from a lengthy unconsciousness, he has no memory. A letter from "The First Eric Sanderson" directs him to psychologist Dr. Randle, who tells Eric he is afflicted with a "dissociative condition." Eric learns about his former life -- specifically a glorious romance with girlfriend Clio Aames, who drowned three years earlier -- and is soon on the run from the Ludovician, a "species of purely conceptual fish" that "feeds on human memories and the intrinsic sense of self."

9 editions

Hyvin mukaansatempaava seikkailu, joka vähän väljähtyy loppua kohti

Eric havahtuu muistinsa menettäneenä, saa psykiatriltaan tietää että hänen tyttöystävänsä kuoli onnettomuudessa muutamaa vuotta aiemmin ja — kun käy ilmi, että asia onkin paljon monimutkaisempi kuin miltä aluksi näytti — lähtee selvittämään omaa menneisyyttään ja tyttöystävänsä kohtaloa menneisyyden itseltään saamiensa kirjeiden avulla. Käsitemaailmaan sukeltava ja todellisuuden rajoja rikkova selviytymistaistelu muuttuu aina vain vetävämmäksi, mutta menettää hiukan vetoaan lopussa, kun kaiken pitäisi ehkä muuttua entistäkin eeppisemmäksi. Ja helkkari soikoon, onko cisheteropäähenkilöiden aina pakko ruveta panemaan joka kirjassa?

Mutta joo, jotenkin hyvin samankaltainen tarina kuin Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläisen Sielut kulkevat sateessa, vaikka tunnelma onkin todella erilainen.

None

One of the most surreal urban fantasy books I have ever read.

In its surrealism it reminded me a little bit of [b:The Satanic Verses|12781|The Satanic Verses|Salman Rushdie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1281988101l/12781.SX50.jpg|1434467], except that I found I sympathised more with the characters in [b:The Raw Shark Texts|144800|The Raw Shark Texts|Steven Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405099268l/144800.SX50.jpg|938197], so I was able to finish it. It also reminded me a little of Jean Genet's play [b:The Balcony|163767|The Man on the Balcony (Martin Beck, #3)|Maj Sjöwall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320419982l/163767.SY75.jpg|158098], in its surrealism, if little else.

Eric Sanderson, traumatised by the drowning of his girlfriend Clio on the Greek island of Naxos, loses his memory, but finds a whole lot of instructions from his previous self, including the instruction to go to a psychotherapist. The rest of the instructions concern how to protect him from a conceptual shark, the Ludivician, by surrounding himself with words. He sets out on an …

None

I read this at Skyros in probably 2008 -
and I think my response was,
Actually mate
Nobody fucking cares
that's right
Nobody gives a rat's ass
pecially, asspecially me,
nobody gives a shit
about this attempt at lit
erature, erasure would be better
why don't you crawl into
a happy hour
because nobody
oh oh body
nobody gives
a damn.
Like the simian memory of a chimp
in the jungles of text
your protag is a simp
obsessed with sex
and I don't
no I don't
I absolutely don't
give a hoot.
That's moot.
no no no no no no no
Mamma Mia Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia would at least be entertaining
so
just
no

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Subjects

  • Literary
  • Fiction / Literary
  • General
  • American Novel And Short Story
  • Fiction
  • Fiction - General