The concept is very thought provoking in two ways: a worldwide virus eliminates the entire human population except for one person, Laura Byrd and there is another world that we remain in until everybody who remembers us has passed on. The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier is one of the best books that I have read all year. There are two settings, Antarctica, where the lone survivor of "The Blinks" virus is struggling to stay alive from the elements and the potential of catching the virus, and "The City", were the dead remain until those who remember them have passed on.
Think about this concept for a second. Just think about all the people that you have interacted with over the past year. And I'm not just talking about your friends and family, but also your mailman, the guy/girl your run into when your picking up your coffee, the lady at the register of your local grocery store, the bum at your local subway stop, etc. Now that's a lot of people. It make you put things in perspective of what impact you have made on others life.
There are many subplots, and at times, you wish that they would go into a little more detail relating to some of the stories. But for the most part, they give you the hope of second chances in a second "life". You also learn how certain people came to be part of Laura's life, whether it is through their narrative or hers.
2 comments:
This book, and its premise, continue to haunt me, as well. I agree that it was rather brief, and I would have liked for the author to explore its themes, and the inter-relations of the characters, in a bit more detail. However, I wonder if the grim beauty of the prose and premise would have been as effective had this novel been any lengthier. Had he written more, would we still be as enthralled with the premise as all of the readers still seem to be? Anyway, I agree that it was a great read in 2006, so much so that I will be rereading it again soon.
Let me borrow it!
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