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Forgetting
On the streets of present-day Manchester, an amnesiac young woman begins to receive memories belonging to a nameless young boy. Compelled to discover more about him, she visits his now-deserted hometown and makes a horrifying discovery. Haunted by visions of a monstrous beast born from the boy's childhood memories, she sets off on a desperate search for him through the neon-soaked streets of Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
121 pages, Paperback
Published August 10, 2017
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Samuel Astbury
4Ìýbooks13ÌýfollowersSamuel Astbury is a writer and chronic malingerer from Manchester, England. He has written some books. He is also on YouTube, where he goes by the handle "Retro Muel," and enjoys talking about distinctly lowbrow pop culture.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 31, 2018
This was quite a strange and confusing read - but it still deserves its stars.
The book was different in a way I hadn't read before. Even towards the end, I wasn't sure and I had to re-read the last few chapters to understand.
But - it was a very interesting and different take on the 'forgetting'
I absolutely loved the word building. My - The author has a sense of beautiful vocabulary that he places wherever he wants and I swoon for that.
The story in itself - was like I said - Different.
I think I would look at what other books the author has put out and go searching for that 'different' type of genre - even if it was only to enjoy the absolutely delightful word building.
The book was different in a way I hadn't read before. Even towards the end, I wasn't sure and I had to re-read the last few chapters to understand.
But - it was a very interesting and different take on the 'forgetting'
I absolutely loved the word building. My - The author has a sense of beautiful vocabulary that he places wherever he wants and I swoon for that.
The story in itself - was like I said - Different.
I think I would look at what other books the author has put out and go searching for that 'different' type of genre - even if it was only to enjoy the absolutely delightful word building.
November 18, 2017
A young woman is “born� in a Manchester car park. She has no idea who she is. But she has credit cards and ID in her pockets and knows that her name is Elizabeth.
She establishes herself in a flat, gets a job � but is haunted by memories that link her identity to that of a boy in a town outside the city. She goes in search of him. It is a quest that will take her to a strangely deserted Cheshire dormitory town, where she sees something deeply disturbing; then to Hong Kong; and thence to the megalopolis of Shenzen, where she must confront a strange horror that has followed her from England. What is that horror? What does it mean? Is it a part of her, or of the boy she seeks?
Don’t expect easy answers � this is Samuel Astbury so you’re going to have to find your own. But it’ll be worth the read.
Forgetting is Astbury's third book. He’s a master of dystopian mystery. His second book, War Blanket, was an absorbing thriller set in a near future that was both familiar and yet radically changed by climate change (making it part of what’s apparently a growing genre called Cli-Fi). However, Forgetting contains several references to Astbury’s first book, Cloud Storage, the story of a British backpacker’s frenetic journey through an Asia of drugs, nightclubs, neon and alienation, ending with a tech-related, ice-white iNightmare from which the main character struggles to escape. It was obviously written, and edited, in a hurry. But it was so vibrant and well-imagined that it was one of my reads of 2014. Forgetting is clearly intended to be related in some way, but Astbury never says how. Probably there is another book ahead that will explain � to the extent that Astbury ever explains anything.
It doesn’t matter. Forgetting can stand alone. Elizabeth’s “birth� in Manchester, her journey to Hong Kong and her long walk into China, are very well described; Astbury’s a very visual writer and every page is a pleasure. The environments through which Elizabeth passes are beautifully done. As she walks through Manchester in the night: “budget brand cigarette ends and splashes of pearlescent oil. Hoodied wraiths with mottled, oily skin huddled together in disused off-licence doorways. Decaying terraced houses and late-eighties smoked glass office blocks.� In Hong Kong: �...glass and concrete monoliths forming a supercondensed, vertical city. Live octopus and dangling red meats neighboured a fleet of glistening 65in OLED television sets. Hard-smoking grandmothers fired globules of phlegm at the pristine pavement outside a flagship branch of Versace. ...I gorged on every image.� I did, too.
Moreover, while Astbury never tells us exactly what’s going on, he scatters enough clues for the reader to build their own theories. Thus Elizabeth wonders whether she is dreaming of the boy, or whether she is stuck in his dream. Now and again the nature of reality itself is called into question. As Elizabeth walks through the countryside beyond Hong Kong: “The roar of insects near-deafening. Cicadas, crickets, grasshoppers and katydids. As I listened more closely, I noticed that the cacophony was in fact a single looping sample. Some obscure, low-bandwidth proprietary format, I thought to myself. It was more than adequate though. It was fit for purpose. It sustained my disbelief.� This is a theme with Astbury, in Cloud Storage and to some extent War Blanket as well; what is technology? Does it subvert reality and identity?
I really liked this, as I did Astbury’s previous two books. I don’t know where he’s going with the Cloud Storage theme. I’m not sure I care. I’m enjoying the ride.
She establishes herself in a flat, gets a job � but is haunted by memories that link her identity to that of a boy in a town outside the city. She goes in search of him. It is a quest that will take her to a strangely deserted Cheshire dormitory town, where she sees something deeply disturbing; then to Hong Kong; and thence to the megalopolis of Shenzen, where she must confront a strange horror that has followed her from England. What is that horror? What does it mean? Is it a part of her, or of the boy she seeks?
Don’t expect easy answers � this is Samuel Astbury so you’re going to have to find your own. But it’ll be worth the read.
Forgetting is Astbury's third book. He’s a master of dystopian mystery. His second book, War Blanket, was an absorbing thriller set in a near future that was both familiar and yet radically changed by climate change (making it part of what’s apparently a growing genre called Cli-Fi). However, Forgetting contains several references to Astbury’s first book, Cloud Storage, the story of a British backpacker’s frenetic journey through an Asia of drugs, nightclubs, neon and alienation, ending with a tech-related, ice-white iNightmare from which the main character struggles to escape. It was obviously written, and edited, in a hurry. But it was so vibrant and well-imagined that it was one of my reads of 2014. Forgetting is clearly intended to be related in some way, but Astbury never says how. Probably there is another book ahead that will explain � to the extent that Astbury ever explains anything.
It doesn’t matter. Forgetting can stand alone. Elizabeth’s “birth� in Manchester, her journey to Hong Kong and her long walk into China, are very well described; Astbury’s a very visual writer and every page is a pleasure. The environments through which Elizabeth passes are beautifully done. As she walks through Manchester in the night: “budget brand cigarette ends and splashes of pearlescent oil. Hoodied wraiths with mottled, oily skin huddled together in disused off-licence doorways. Decaying terraced houses and late-eighties smoked glass office blocks.� In Hong Kong: �...glass and concrete monoliths forming a supercondensed, vertical city. Live octopus and dangling red meats neighboured a fleet of glistening 65in OLED television sets. Hard-smoking grandmothers fired globules of phlegm at the pristine pavement outside a flagship branch of Versace. ...I gorged on every image.� I did, too.
Moreover, while Astbury never tells us exactly what’s going on, he scatters enough clues for the reader to build their own theories. Thus Elizabeth wonders whether she is dreaming of the boy, or whether she is stuck in his dream. Now and again the nature of reality itself is called into question. As Elizabeth walks through the countryside beyond Hong Kong: “The roar of insects near-deafening. Cicadas, crickets, grasshoppers and katydids. As I listened more closely, I noticed that the cacophony was in fact a single looping sample. Some obscure, low-bandwidth proprietary format, I thought to myself. It was more than adequate though. It was fit for purpose. It sustained my disbelief.� This is a theme with Astbury, in Cloud Storage and to some extent War Blanket as well; what is technology? Does it subvert reality and identity?
I really liked this, as I did Astbury’s previous two books. I don’t know where he’s going with the Cloud Storage theme. I’m not sure I care. I’m enjoying the ride.
September 3, 2017
The Forgetting was oddly confusing but in a very good way. Immersed in a world part fantasy, part sci-fi, the concept that propels the story has the reader engrossed in a world that pulls at the senses while it develops an unsettling uncertainly that leaves the reader perplexed at times.
The prose was a bit erratic but with the short staccato sentences Astbury has created a definitive writing style engaging the reader to read at a quick, frantic pace and thus mimicking the tension surrounding the unknown past of the protagonist, Elizabeth. This tension also connects the reader to her anxiety at not knowing who she is, not remembering her past, and the strange memories that surface, that she reveals to not be her own.
The book is well crafted, yet oddly disarming at the same time. Astbury’s distinct voice results in an intoxicating desire to continue reading, through the confusion, and anxiousness and submit to the world and emotions that his words create. The strangeness of this book, the characters, storyline, the ending, all lend to its eerie and unnerving atmosphere. Originality does not seem to be lacking in Astbury’s writing nor does his ability to veer outside of the literary norms. A writer who will have an undeniably unique following.
I can’t say I have ever read anything like this or been affected by something in such a way, leaving me indecisive if I liked what I was reading or I was undoubtedly captivated. Either way I find Astbury’s writing style to be creative, unique, and fascinating, an experience that I am glad to have had and quite frankly would like to have again. I will be checking out his other books in search for the same intoxicating literary high!
The prose was a bit erratic but with the short staccato sentences Astbury has created a definitive writing style engaging the reader to read at a quick, frantic pace and thus mimicking the tension surrounding the unknown past of the protagonist, Elizabeth. This tension also connects the reader to her anxiety at not knowing who she is, not remembering her past, and the strange memories that surface, that she reveals to not be her own.
The book is well crafted, yet oddly disarming at the same time. Astbury’s distinct voice results in an intoxicating desire to continue reading, through the confusion, and anxiousness and submit to the world and emotions that his words create. The strangeness of this book, the characters, storyline, the ending, all lend to its eerie and unnerving atmosphere. Originality does not seem to be lacking in Astbury’s writing nor does his ability to veer outside of the literary norms. A writer who will have an undeniably unique following.
I can’t say I have ever read anything like this or been affected by something in such a way, leaving me indecisive if I liked what I was reading or I was undoubtedly captivated. Either way I find Astbury’s writing style to be creative, unique, and fascinating, an experience that I am glad to have had and quite frankly would like to have again. I will be checking out his other books in search for the same intoxicating literary high!
November 13, 2017
What a strangely interesting story. I felt as if I was swept up and gazing in wonder at a Picasso masterpiece in front of me. Vibrant colors, vivid descriptions, the feeling of disjointed togetherness. There's a beautiful mess in Elizabeth's mind, scattered in visions and memories that conjure the familiar while also contrasting to what she knows as reality.
A tale of suspense, a journey of dark realization, and fast-paced action, Forgetting will hold your attention until the end. There's something shocking and brutal in this story but there's also a deep sense of purpose that drives Elizabeth's need to seek the truth. When she meets Mule her path is forever altered.
Astbury has a talent for spinning a tale filled with nervous anxiety as you experience the craziness of life with Elizabeth. Heart pounding moments of adrenaline lead the reader further in even as Elizabeth delves deeper into her own experiences and the confusing chaos of her mind. Once she embarks on her discovery the plot moves quickly and twists and turns in ways that leave the reader clinging to desperation and a foggy stupor of doubt.
What's reality? What's fantasy? Does it matter?
You'll have to read to find out.
A tale of suspense, a journey of dark realization, and fast-paced action, Forgetting will hold your attention until the end. There's something shocking and brutal in this story but there's also a deep sense of purpose that drives Elizabeth's need to seek the truth. When she meets Mule her path is forever altered.
Astbury has a talent for spinning a tale filled with nervous anxiety as you experience the craziness of life with Elizabeth. Heart pounding moments of adrenaline lead the reader further in even as Elizabeth delves deeper into her own experiences and the confusing chaos of her mind. Once she embarks on her discovery the plot moves quickly and twists and turns in ways that leave the reader clinging to desperation and a foggy stupor of doubt.
What's reality? What's fantasy? Does it matter?
You'll have to read to find out.
September 1, 2017
This is a story that is hard to define, therefore I won’t try to box it into any one genre. It has hints of many, and tones of others. I can safely say I’ve never read anything like this. It is told from the perspective of a woman starting at a moment of self-realization with no past recollections, perhaps after something traumatic. We don’t know, at that point all we know is this is the start of her current state of awareness.
The narrative voice is so unique. Barreling forward with a pacing that makes this impossible to passively read. Yet while you are demanded to actively participate, there is a disconnect from the main character, Elizabeth, as she navigates toward the only thing that seems to mean something to her, a boy who she feels a strange draw to.
As you read the sights and sounds assault her, and you, in a barrage of descriptions that allow you to witness the world as Elizabeth sees it, which isn’t romantic, or nostalgic. In addition to the harsh perspective, there is a presence that presents a danger, one I won’t delve deeply into as to not ruin your own interpretations. You should have those. This is a thoughtful piece of work. One that will challenge your own ideas, if you allow it to.
I recommend it to readers who are looking for something different, deeper, engaging.
The narrative voice is so unique. Barreling forward with a pacing that makes this impossible to passively read. Yet while you are demanded to actively participate, there is a disconnect from the main character, Elizabeth, as she navigates toward the only thing that seems to mean something to her, a boy who she feels a strange draw to.
As you read the sights and sounds assault her, and you, in a barrage of descriptions that allow you to witness the world as Elizabeth sees it, which isn’t romantic, or nostalgic. In addition to the harsh perspective, there is a presence that presents a danger, one I won’t delve deeply into as to not ruin your own interpretations. You should have those. This is a thoughtful piece of work. One that will challenge your own ideas, if you allow it to.
I recommend it to readers who are looking for something different, deeper, engaging.
November 2, 2018
This is a very unique read. A young woman wakes up in a car park in the rain with no memory of who she is, but she has ID and a bank account full of funds.
Living on the margins, she makes a life for herself that is comfortable on the surface, but disconnected beneath. Memories begin to surface, but they do not appear to be her own. They are the memories of a young boy.
She tracks him down to a deserted town in Cheshire, where she encounters a terrifying humanoid creature, blind yet hate-filled, malicious and dangerous: the beast. She escapes him and explores an eerily familiar home and bedroom, also oddly deserted. Clues and her own intuition lead her to follow the boy, to whom she feels this mysterious connection, to Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong she retraces the boy’s footsteps and then begins a wonderfully described long journey or quest, on foot, into China. There she finds the boy grown, now known as Mule, and together they confront and attempt to resolve the vengeful enigma of the beast.
This is the bare outline of the plot, but it does not convey what makes this book extraordinary. The story is kind of paranormal, but is informed by a quizzical philosophical question. If you are a person with dark thoughts � a person who doesn’t fit in, who has moments of such hatred and disgust you want to tear things apart � and yet are at the same time a person who is alive to sudden beauty, who has questions and doubts about your place in the world, and is full of compassion and the capacity for care and friendship � is it possible that those different facets of a person can split and achieve a physical reality of their own? A Jekyll and Hyde type hypothesis/dilemma.
And beyond that the novel explores other slightly weird and out there, unusual perspectives, philosophies and themes, as we see through the eyes of our disconnected protagonist. There is the psychosis of ordinary consumerism, looking in from the outside and seeing how people’s lives are so constrained, how what little money they have is spent on things they don’t need; a refreshing (and painfully true) perspective on the enormous and widening gap between rich and poor, the English working class invisible on the forgotten outskirts of northern towns, and the dismal, murderous and largely unwritten history of exploitation during industrialization; and the contemporary absorption of technology into human perception � odd images that leave our protagonist (and us) questioning perceived reality, Matrix-style but with its own twist. Hong Kong is the ideal venue for this of course, as it strives for the hyper-meld of consumerism and technology.
Above and beyond this highly imaginative story, is a literary quality of writing that brings an otherwise odd tale into intense and vivid life. It is startlingly poetic. You could read this story for the beauty of the images alone.
For more of brin's reviews go to:
Living on the margins, she makes a life for herself that is comfortable on the surface, but disconnected beneath. Memories begin to surface, but they do not appear to be her own. They are the memories of a young boy.
She tracks him down to a deserted town in Cheshire, where she encounters a terrifying humanoid creature, blind yet hate-filled, malicious and dangerous: the beast. She escapes him and explores an eerily familiar home and bedroom, also oddly deserted. Clues and her own intuition lead her to follow the boy, to whom she feels this mysterious connection, to Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong she retraces the boy’s footsteps and then begins a wonderfully described long journey or quest, on foot, into China. There she finds the boy grown, now known as Mule, and together they confront and attempt to resolve the vengeful enigma of the beast.
This is the bare outline of the plot, but it does not convey what makes this book extraordinary. The story is kind of paranormal, but is informed by a quizzical philosophical question. If you are a person with dark thoughts � a person who doesn’t fit in, who has moments of such hatred and disgust you want to tear things apart � and yet are at the same time a person who is alive to sudden beauty, who has questions and doubts about your place in the world, and is full of compassion and the capacity for care and friendship � is it possible that those different facets of a person can split and achieve a physical reality of their own? A Jekyll and Hyde type hypothesis/dilemma.
And beyond that the novel explores other slightly weird and out there, unusual perspectives, philosophies and themes, as we see through the eyes of our disconnected protagonist. There is the psychosis of ordinary consumerism, looking in from the outside and seeing how people’s lives are so constrained, how what little money they have is spent on things they don’t need; a refreshing (and painfully true) perspective on the enormous and widening gap between rich and poor, the English working class invisible on the forgotten outskirts of northern towns, and the dismal, murderous and largely unwritten history of exploitation during industrialization; and the contemporary absorption of technology into human perception � odd images that leave our protagonist (and us) questioning perceived reality, Matrix-style but with its own twist. Hong Kong is the ideal venue for this of course, as it strives for the hyper-meld of consumerism and technology.
Above and beyond this highly imaginative story, is a literary quality of writing that brings an otherwise odd tale into intense and vivid life. It is startlingly poetic. You could read this story for the beauty of the images alone.
For more of brin's reviews go to:
November 25, 2018
I was offered a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 13/20 - 3 out of 5 stars.
Find out why here:
Find out why here:
June 5, 2019
Forgetting
This is a surreal trip through the modern world. The main character, Elizabeth wanders through the world seeing things without emotion searching for something. She sees things as if for the first time, see them for what they are. She keeps searching, careening through the world, as though spiraling down towards hell, no purgatory.
A nicely written narrative of life without attachments, safe but not happy. Darkness with just a little light. Afraid of remembering, yet compelled to remember.
This is a surreal trip through the modern world. The main character, Elizabeth wanders through the world seeing things without emotion searching for something. She sees things as if for the first time, see them for what they are. She keeps searching, careening through the world, as though spiraling down towards hell, no purgatory.
A nicely written narrative of life without attachments, safe but not happy. Darkness with just a little light. Afraid of remembering, yet compelled to remember.
July 19, 2019
A potentially interesting psychological mystery that gets lost in description.
In Forgetting, Mr. Astbury takes us through what should have been a psychologically charged mystery-thriller. The story begins with Elizabeth waking up in a car park with no memory of her past or who she is, thus setting the tone for the story. From there, we embark on a journey to find out who she is and what happened. Unfortunately, the pace of the narrative - long descriptive passages of everything - diffuses the natural tension inherent to the story and makes it quite tedious. I easily skimmed through most of the descriptions and kept to the main plot without missing anything.
Mr. Astbury is clearly a talented author with a strong and unique voice. However, in Forgetting, he fails to maintain the reader's attention to what really matters: Elizabeth's struggle to discover who she is and why she feels this urge to find the boy in her dreams. Everything feels very dream-like throughout the narrative and when we finally reach the climax, the resolution is rushed and lukewarm.
My overall assessment of The Eclipse Dancer is:
Cover: ★★★★
Concept: ★★�
Execution: ★★
Grammar: ★★�
Is the story original? Yes. There are many layers to this story which make it quite unique.
Are the characters well developed? Not really. Despite the fact that most of the book is about Elizabeth, we don't really get to know her. This may be due to the fact that she's lost and doesn't know herself, but the revelations about her are not personal or draw us in at any point. We're not included in her struggle and, therefore, never really care for her. Mule, however, is a complex and multifaceted character. In the end, I'm not convinced that Elizabeth found closure. The ending felt rushed.
Does the story move at a good pace and keep you wanting more? Unfortunately, no. As I mentioned above, there is too much description of almost everything done in long lists of half sentences. It didn't work for me.
Is the manuscript well edited? Yes, but it needs another round of proofreading. There are a handful of missing and misused words. However, what really didn't work for me was the style. From the first page, I found the descriptive passages in a staccato manor to be jarring, especially because many of them are incomplete phrases.
Any recommendations? This is a potentially thrilling story that can touch the reader on many levels. I suggest another round of editing to cut down on the description and add more tension to the main arc by building on Elizabeth's character. We need to really feel her and feel for her.
Do you recommend this book? Yes. This is a mind challenging story. Mr. Astbury is a talented writer with a story to tell.
In Forgetting, Mr. Astbury takes us through what should have been a psychologically charged mystery-thriller. The story begins with Elizabeth waking up in a car park with no memory of her past or who she is, thus setting the tone for the story. From there, we embark on a journey to find out who she is and what happened. Unfortunately, the pace of the narrative - long descriptive passages of everything - diffuses the natural tension inherent to the story and makes it quite tedious. I easily skimmed through most of the descriptions and kept to the main plot without missing anything.
Mr. Astbury is clearly a talented author with a strong and unique voice. However, in Forgetting, he fails to maintain the reader's attention to what really matters: Elizabeth's struggle to discover who she is and why she feels this urge to find the boy in her dreams. Everything feels very dream-like throughout the narrative and when we finally reach the climax, the resolution is rushed and lukewarm.
My overall assessment of The Eclipse Dancer is:
Cover: ★★★★
Concept: ★★�
Execution: ★★
Grammar: ★★�
Is the story original? Yes. There are many layers to this story which make it quite unique.
Are the characters well developed? Not really. Despite the fact that most of the book is about Elizabeth, we don't really get to know her. This may be due to the fact that she's lost and doesn't know herself, but the revelations about her are not personal or draw us in at any point. We're not included in her struggle and, therefore, never really care for her. Mule, however, is a complex and multifaceted character. In the end, I'm not convinced that Elizabeth found closure. The ending felt rushed.
Does the story move at a good pace and keep you wanting more? Unfortunately, no. As I mentioned above, there is too much description of almost everything done in long lists of half sentences. It didn't work for me.
Is the manuscript well edited? Yes, but it needs another round of proofreading. There are a handful of missing and misused words. However, what really didn't work for me was the style. From the first page, I found the descriptive passages in a staccato manor to be jarring, especially because many of them are incomplete phrases.
Any recommendations? This is a potentially thrilling story that can touch the reader on many levels. I suggest another round of editing to cut down on the description and add more tension to the main arc by building on Elizabeth's character. We need to really feel her and feel for her.
Do you recommend this book? Yes. This is a mind challenging story. Mr. Astbury is a talented writer with a story to tell.
December 28, 2018
A Mile Deep and an Centimeter Wide
Forgetting, by Samuel Astbury, seems to be about a young woman named Elizabeth who wakes up in a car park with amnesia. Or is it? When she tries to build some normalcy, she is suffused by someone else’s memories. Trying to discover the source of these memories sends her down a rabbit hole where reality and dream appear to blur. She journeys halfway around the world on a quest for answers.
The story is a beautifully written display of man’s alienation from himself and the loneliness of the modern, consumer, urban landscape. It felt like one part fantasy story, two parts travel log, and ten parts philosophical treatise. The author has a true gift for description, though, using short, clipped phrases to paint a lush picture of the (mostly unpleasant) world Elizabeth encounters. I liked the rhythm, but I kept asking myself, “Why do I need a detailed description of every street?�
Things move forward on the un-realness Elizabeth feels, but we lose that propellant early on. At one point, I forgot Elizabeth was a woman because I was given so little to flesh her out as a character. I got that the things she is seeing were somewhat descriptions of her. If her incompleteness was the author’s whole point, it was so over the top that I never quite related to Elizabeth.
The dialog is emotionless. Was that also intentional? Elizabeth never raises her voice or gets angry, which seems strange. She doesn’t demand help from authorities, or force a psychiatrist to help her. When she finally reaches the one person who can give her answers, she just silently hangs out with him. What? Forgetting seems to aspire to be thrilling, but can’t break into a run. There is a pair of what could have been exciting moments in the middle third of the book, but one goes nowhere and the other ends up being merely a point of information.
The end came abruptly. I didn’t see that Elizabeth found resolution or became a whole person. Worse, I didn’t care. That centimeter width of fantasy story ¬� little more than a short story, really � just wasn’t enough for me. It didn’t answer many of the questions I had.
Forgetting, by Samuel Astbury, seems to be about a young woman named Elizabeth who wakes up in a car park with amnesia. Or is it? When she tries to build some normalcy, she is suffused by someone else’s memories. Trying to discover the source of these memories sends her down a rabbit hole where reality and dream appear to blur. She journeys halfway around the world on a quest for answers.
The story is a beautifully written display of man’s alienation from himself and the loneliness of the modern, consumer, urban landscape. It felt like one part fantasy story, two parts travel log, and ten parts philosophical treatise. The author has a true gift for description, though, using short, clipped phrases to paint a lush picture of the (mostly unpleasant) world Elizabeth encounters. I liked the rhythm, but I kept asking myself, “Why do I need a detailed description of every street?�
Things move forward on the un-realness Elizabeth feels, but we lose that propellant early on. At one point, I forgot Elizabeth was a woman because I was given so little to flesh her out as a character. I got that the things she is seeing were somewhat descriptions of her. If her incompleteness was the author’s whole point, it was so over the top that I never quite related to Elizabeth.
The dialog is emotionless. Was that also intentional? Elizabeth never raises her voice or gets angry, which seems strange. She doesn’t demand help from authorities, or force a psychiatrist to help her. When she finally reaches the one person who can give her answers, she just silently hangs out with him. What? Forgetting seems to aspire to be thrilling, but can’t break into a run. There is a pair of what could have been exciting moments in the middle third of the book, but one goes nowhere and the other ends up being merely a point of information.
The end came abruptly. I didn’t see that Elizabeth found resolution or became a whole person. Worse, I didn’t care. That centimeter width of fantasy story ¬� little more than a short story, really � just wasn’t enough for me. It didn’t answer many of the questions I had.
September 6, 2017
Forgetting, by Samuel Astbury, is a creative novel that falls into multiple genres: science fiction, fantasy and suspense. Its fast-paced, short prose and unique voice make it an intense read that, while at times perplexing, will also keep readers engaged.
The first moments of the novel set the plot in motion, when the protagonist, a woman who is yet unnamed, wakes in car park. She has no memory of what has happened, why she is there, or even who she is. She does, however, have a very good sense of self-preservation, and the following chapters introduce us to the confusing world (both foreign and familiar, exotic cityscape and tilled field) that she has awoken to.
Readers of contemporary fiction, particularly science fiction and suspense, are likely to enjoy this novel. Though not clearly set in a particular time, the prose feels like a mix of present day and future. The world Astbury paints shifts between a colorful metropolis and a barren landscape, perhaps mirroring the protagonist's (whom we later learn is named Elizabeth) mind.
As the novel progresses, Elizabeth has moments where her memories slip into her consciousness, forming small yet descriptive flashbacks. These moments, signified throughout the novel by "Memory #1, #2, etc" - occur at different times throughout the chapters, briefly stopping the motion of the plot. Even so, this novel moves at a break-neck pace and readers will either find themselves glued to the page or gasping for air. If you are looking for a novel that will feel a bit like a falling down the rabbit hole, Forgetting may be your next good read.
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
The first moments of the novel set the plot in motion, when the protagonist, a woman who is yet unnamed, wakes in car park. She has no memory of what has happened, why she is there, or even who she is. She does, however, have a very good sense of self-preservation, and the following chapters introduce us to the confusing world (both foreign and familiar, exotic cityscape and tilled field) that she has awoken to.
Readers of contemporary fiction, particularly science fiction and suspense, are likely to enjoy this novel. Though not clearly set in a particular time, the prose feels like a mix of present day and future. The world Astbury paints shifts between a colorful metropolis and a barren landscape, perhaps mirroring the protagonist's (whom we later learn is named Elizabeth) mind.
As the novel progresses, Elizabeth has moments where her memories slip into her consciousness, forming small yet descriptive flashbacks. These moments, signified throughout the novel by "Memory #1, #2, etc" - occur at different times throughout the chapters, briefly stopping the motion of the plot. Even so, this novel moves at a break-neck pace and readers will either find themselves glued to the page or gasping for air. If you are looking for a novel that will feel a bit like a falling down the rabbit hole, Forgetting may be your next good read.
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2019
Starts strong and ends nearly as strong.
I think this is one of the better reads I've had of late and I think I'm better for having not read the blurb, maybe go in cold.
Anywho, the writer has a good range and turn of phrase. The sentences are as long as they need to be. Not every author acts the same way. In other books, sometimes a sentence becomes a paragraph and is bursting with words, there's no more room and not enough being said at the same time � in short it's tragic. However, with 'Forgetting' everything moves along nicely and with the right amount of description. Some parts of the plot are explained and others are left for you to ponder and think about � you won't be spoon fed. Which is great because I brought my own spoon and I know how to eat all by myself.
In fact, it might just be the case that this book is at its best when things are left unsaid, when loose ends are let lie because as we come towards the end, it lost me a little. I read on, I was happy to take the trip but I was less sure of our destination. I thought maybe we should have gotten off somewhere else with someone else and maybe without the closure that comes with the final pages. I think the book has me altogether charmed and nearly always on side for the first two-thirds approximately and then I start to find myself not as keen, maybe the mysteries were better than the reveals.
All the same, a solid effort, with plenty of good writing, only a few minor typos and an ending that will satisfied many even if I'm less sure about it.
I think this is one of the better reads I've had of late and I think I'm better for having not read the blurb, maybe go in cold.
Anywho, the writer has a good range and turn of phrase. The sentences are as long as they need to be. Not every author acts the same way. In other books, sometimes a sentence becomes a paragraph and is bursting with words, there's no more room and not enough being said at the same time � in short it's tragic. However, with 'Forgetting' everything moves along nicely and with the right amount of description. Some parts of the plot are explained and others are left for you to ponder and think about � you won't be spoon fed. Which is great because I brought my own spoon and I know how to eat all by myself.
In fact, it might just be the case that this book is at its best when things are left unsaid, when loose ends are let lie because as we come towards the end, it lost me a little. I read on, I was happy to take the trip but I was less sure of our destination. I thought maybe we should have gotten off somewhere else with someone else and maybe without the closure that comes with the final pages. I think the book has me altogether charmed and nearly always on side for the first two-thirds approximately and then I start to find myself not as keen, maybe the mysteries were better than the reveals.
All the same, a solid effort, with plenty of good writing, only a few minor typos and an ending that will satisfied many even if I'm less sure about it.
June 21, 2019
This is a surreal trip through the modern world. The main character, Elizabeth wanders through the world seeing things without emotion searching for something. She sees things as if for the first time, see them for what they are. She keeps searching, careening through the world, as though spiraling down towards hell, no purgatory.
A nicely written narrative of life without attachments, safe but not happy. Darkness with just a little light. Afraid of remembering, yet compelled to remember.
A nicely written narrative of life without attachments, safe but not happy. Darkness with just a little light. Afraid of remembering, yet compelled to remember.
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