The Man Without a Shadow: A Novel | 
so-so8-16-23: My 79th finished book of 2023! This took me way too long to finish. It was just so repetitive. Eli Hoopes is an amnesiac who in 1965 contracted encephalitis and loses everything he learns within 70 seconds of learning it. Anything before 1965 he can remember. This means he always thinks he‘s 37. Margot Sharpe is the neuroscientist who meets Eli at the beginning of his illness and experiments on him for years. ⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣7️⃣9️⃣
pickThe life of the neuroscientist who studies (and loves) a man who cannot produce new memories.
It‘s like a fugue, if Bach were a 21st century author. The words repeat because the man can‘t remember that happened between the 1960s and 90 seconds ago. The main characters are together 90% of the book and must introduce themselves to each other over 100 times.
But the magic is in the few times something changes.
pickThe life of the neuroscientist who studies (and loves) a man who cannot produce new memories.
It‘s like a fugue, if Bach were a 21st century author. The words repeat because the man can‘t remember that happened between the 1960s and 90 seconds ago. The main characters are together 90% of the book and must introduce themselves to each other over 100 times.
But the magic is in the few times something changes.
I love #JoyceCarolOates -- I'm in awe of her talent, and her productivity. How she ranges in theme and genre always amazes me.
The wait times at my library's digital site are ridiculous. I've waited for this one since April 9th. It's not even a popular book! It became available yesterday, and I read a bit of chapter one, but I found I'm just not interested in it anymore. I only get 10 holds, so I feel like it was such a waste! #ugh
I saw and met one of my literary heroes tonight- Joyce Carol Oates. I love her books and her writing. She was great! James Lasdun opened for her too as a surprise. I am now happy as I have met John Irving, Margret Atwood, and now JCO (and many others)
pickAs always, the author writes a brilliant study of human character. I was never quite sure whether I liked the characters, felt sympathy for them, or downright despised them. She left me hanging in finding out things you might never get closure on in real life. Brilliant writer scores again.
