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Book Review
Dec. 5th, 2013 12:27 pmAndrew's Brain
by E.L. Doctorow
This book was kind of strange yet intriguing. It is told in first-person, by the title character, as if he is talking to (or occasionally writing to) another, unnamed, person, who seems to be some sort of therapist. Andrew, a cognitive psychologist, narrates the major events of his adult life, often adding ruminations about the nature of consciousness and the relationship between the brain and the mind. His life seems to be marked by a string of disasters - the tragic deaths of his first daughter and second wife, various accidents, and a weird series of events in Washington DC.
Doctorow is a good writer and kept me reading even though I didn't really know what to make of this book. First of all, I did not like Andrew. He seemed like a jerk - he had a very irritating mixture of arrogance, entitlement, and self-centeredness. He was also a classic unreliable narrator. Everything in the book is told from his point of view, and with himself firmly in the center as the only subjective presence. As his story progresses, events become increasingly less believable - the timeline gets a little shaky and events are less plausible. It was an interesting read, even if I'm not sure what to make of it in the end.
by E.L. Doctorow
This book was kind of strange yet intriguing. It is told in first-person, by the title character, as if he is talking to (or occasionally writing to) another, unnamed, person, who seems to be some sort of therapist. Andrew, a cognitive psychologist, narrates the major events of his adult life, often adding ruminations about the nature of consciousness and the relationship between the brain and the mind. His life seems to be marked by a string of disasters - the tragic deaths of his first daughter and second wife, various accidents, and a weird series of events in Washington DC.
Doctorow is a good writer and kept me reading even though I didn't really know what to make of this book. First of all, I did not like Andrew. He seemed like a jerk - he had a very irritating mixture of arrogance, entitlement, and self-centeredness. He was also a classic unreliable narrator. Everything in the book is told from his point of view, and with himself firmly in the center as the only subjective presence. As his story progresses, events become increasingly less believable - the timeline gets a little shaky and events are less plausible. It was an interesting read, even if I'm not sure what to make of it in the end.
