- I did it. You're really here. An astronaut. Jesus..- Who's that?
-You probably have a headache. From the chloroform.
- What? Where am I? Where is this place? Who the fuck are you?
- You don't recognize me?
- What? No. What is this?
- That? It's a chain. It's attached to that post. Don't pull on it.
- Holy shit. Holy shit.
- I said don't pull on it. And I have to tell you right away how sorry I am that you're here under these circumstances.
Description:
Can't remember the last time I read a book in one day, practically in one sitting. But such is the compelling nature of this uniquely quirky book of kidnapping and conversations by Dave Eggers, Your Fathers, Where Are They? And The Prophets, Do They Live Forever?
In an unusual style, Your Fathers is written completely in conversations between a kidnapper and the people he is detaining. There is no wasting of words of description, scene-setting, explanations, or judgments. All we know are the words of one man (the kidnapper, Thomas), and the responses from the people temporarily under his control. He has no malice towards these people, no intent to do them any harm whatsoever. He just has some questions about life and his own thoughts that he feels these people can clarify for him.
As he talks with his first abductee, an astronaut whom he knew from college, Thomas gently reassures his captive, then begins calmly, sometimes ramblingly to create a dialogue about their relationship, their current situations and goals, the bigger picture of the world, and the actions of people. Such personal verbal explorations soon lead to other questions beyond the experience of the abductee, so Thomas pops out to kidnap another person who might provide more answers.
The abductees are kept in separate buildings in a deserted military base, chained to a pole, but otherwise completely comfortable, safe, and unharmed. Thomas repeatedly apologizes for the kidnappings and restriction, but what else can he do? He explains to them that they would not have taken the time to converse with him under other circumstances, so he has brought them to this deserted military base and unfortunately had to restrain them so they could calmly talk about his life and the questions he has.
Each page, each sentence forces you to keep reading, not because of any eminent danger looming ahead, but rather to read the newest twists and turns stemming from the dialogue between kidnapper and detainees, and watch as a history is revealed. Thomas is seemingly a sane, reasonable, "moral" man (as he continually reassures them), but his detainees are simply not certain where all these questions will lead. Each person brings some related history with Thomas and not all of it is positive.
I won't give away any more than this, but please take my highest recommendation to read this simple story of a man seeking answers about his life and the possibilities of his future. It is a fantastically thoughtful and gripping tale, skillfully told, and challenging to preconceived notions about a man capable of kidnapping another person as well as the characters he talks with.
In an unusual style, Your Fathers is written completely in conversations between a kidnapper and the people he is detaining. There is no wasting of words of description, scene-setting, explanations, or judgments. All we know are the words of one man (the kidnapper, Thomas), and the responses from the people temporarily under his control. He has no malice towards these people, no intent to do them any harm whatsoever. He just has some questions about life and his own thoughts that he feels these people can clarify for him.
As he talks with his first abductee, an astronaut whom he knew from college, Thomas gently reassures his captive, then begins calmly, sometimes ramblingly to create a dialogue about their relationship, their current situations and goals, the bigger picture of the world, and the actions of people. Such personal verbal explorations soon lead to other questions beyond the experience of the abductee, so Thomas pops out to kidnap another person who might provide more answers.
The abductees are kept in separate buildings in a deserted military base, chained to a pole, but otherwise completely comfortable, safe, and unharmed. Thomas repeatedly apologizes for the kidnappings and restriction, but what else can he do? He explains to them that they would not have taken the time to converse with him under other circumstances, so he has brought them to this deserted military base and unfortunately had to restrain them so they could calmly talk about his life and the questions he has.
Each page, each sentence forces you to keep reading, not because of any eminent danger looming ahead, but rather to read the newest twists and turns stemming from the dialogue between kidnapper and detainees, and watch as a history is revealed. Thomas is seemingly a sane, reasonable, "moral" man (as he continually reassures them), but his detainees are simply not certain where all these questions will lead. Each person brings some related history with Thomas and not all of it is positive.
I won't give away any more than this, but please take my highest recommendation to read this simple story of a man seeking answers about his life and the possibilities of his future. It is a fantastically thoughtful and gripping tale, skillfully told, and challenging to preconceived notions about a man capable of kidnapping another person as well as the characters he talks with.
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Fowles, John. The Collector
A story of the kidnapping of a woman by a gentle man who wants to convince his victim that she can love him once she gets to know him. The second half of the book is the same story told by the woman, providing a completely different take on the incident, her feelings for the man, and her wishes for the outcome. Riveting.
Adler-Olsen, Jussi. The Keeper of Lost Causes
The first book in the Swedish Department Q novels with a broken homicide detective assigned to cold cases in his department of one. I hesitate to recommend this as it depicts another, more threatening kidnapping of a woman placed in an inescapable room. The washed-up detective assigned to this case is such a strong character that I loved the book, despite and not because of the shocking imprisoning of the woman. It is compelling, unnerving, and intelligent - just not a story for everyone.
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