Review by semily -- The Stealer of Memories

[semily]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Stealer of Memories" by Mois Benarroch.]

---

2 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

The Stealer of Memories by Mois Benarroch deals with what constitutes a memory and the confusing relationship between one’s memories and reality. The narrator of the book has the ability to steal the memories of others and throughout the book relives both his own past memories and times he has recalled the events of others’ lives. This trait appears to have made him a reflective if somewhat perplexing person. Much of the book is almost philosophical in nature, tackling themes such as ethnic identity and feelings of isolation connected with emigration, sexuality, morality, and religion.

Much of the book reflects a person’s thought processes. Short, abrupt sentences and many rhetorical questions are applied at times to invoke a feeling of enquiry which mirrors how the narrator is rationalising his own thinking. This helps to create a heightened sense of pace, particularly during periods where he rethinks and relives past memories of both himself and others. I think that this increased tension and makes the reader want to find out more about who he is meeting, what happened in the past, and the consequences of his interactions with others for example.

It feels very intimate due to the writing style so that you feel as though you are with the writer as he undergoes this process. The issue with this however, is that it also feels confusing. There is a somewhat unreliable narrator. The perspective of the narrator often appears to change to another character, which works well in helping the author to explain their memories in close personal detail.

However, my main issue with this book is the translation. It is awkward at times and made it confusing to coherently follow the story. It made me question whether certain choices were made on purpose or whether they were accidents. For example, the way in which the narrator delved into certain memories, then went off on tangents about unrelated incidents, before returning to the original memory. The book was written in first person which ordinarily I have no issue with, but due to some awkwardly expressed sections, it became difficult to understand who was narrating at times and whether it had changed to another character or remained the lead narrator.

I think had the translation been smoother and the grammar more clear, I could have enjoyed this book much more. The story was intriguing and I liked the way it developed the narrator and told us more about his background in short, sharp chapters which only lasted a few pages. This technique echoed the abruptness of the narrator which I found interesting. I think it took quite a long time to get to the main plot of the book and instead veered more into describing the experiences of living other people’s memories, which was unique concept that again felt more philosophical than science fiction. For this reason I think people looking for that quality in a book would enjoy this book. I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. This is based on the potential it has had the translation been clearer, and the unique literary devices it employed.

******
The Stealer of Memories
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes

Like semily's review? Post a comment saying so!