After every death Harry August is reborn, back in the 1920's on the floor of a railway station bathroom, with all the knowledge of his previous lives.
'As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. ‘I nearly missed you, Doctor August,’ she says. ‘I need to send a message.’
When Harry is told by a fellow 'kalachakra' (person who is constantly reborn) that the world is destined to end, he realises that he and others like him must act to stop it. The story of Harry's lives holds the fate of humankind.
Claire North (Or should I say Catherine Webb) bravely takes on existential questions, belief systems, science and history to produce a very sympathetic and very sensitive story.
I did, at times, struggle with the flow of this book as it can be quite heavy with technical information. I also feel that anyone who didn't have a little knowledge of post-WWII Germany may have trouble with context while reading parts of 'Harry August'.
Overall I found it to be an enjoyable read, and a really interesting concept. It got my brain working at times, which is good! I just couldn't quite gel with the story, though the idea intrigued me enough to keep reading
No comments:
Post a Comment