Review by reviews_by_yana -- The Stealer of Memories

[reviews_by_yana]

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

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2 out of 4 stars

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The Stealer of Memories is labeled as a science fiction/fantasy novel that takes place mostly in the mind of the author, Mois Benarroch. The mental settings of the book range from a quaint cafe the narrator frequents when writing, to a Nazi concentration camp. Benarroch starts the book off with visual imagery involving a downhill bicycle ride that comes to a tragic halt… then the story shifts. The reader is introduced to the ever-fleeting mind of the narrator and taken along on a journey of the dynamic memories of not only Benarroch, but of everyone around him. This theme provides the book with its title and has thus been called an autobiography of not only Benarroch, but of everyone.

This book rests upon a psychological theme in which Benarroch questions and answers why he thinks the way he does and how his thoughts and memories affect his writing process, actions and overall worldview. The author placed anecdotes and perspectives of different individuals with different conflicts throughout the book. Although these did contribute good visual imagery to set each scene, I found myself a bit confused about how each anecdote actually contributed to the overall big picture. On top of that, character names were barely mentioned which made it quite difficult to track who was narrating while the perspectives seemed to constantly switch. Thus, it was difficult to connect with each individual in the book along the reading journey. This, in turn, led to a weakened story line.

This version of the book is a translation from the original and was done rather poorly. I found it difficult to differentiate between different tenses and points of view, and I struggled to derive the author’s meaning and significance in many places throughout the book. The author also seems to get stuck on a number arbitrary ideas, lending to this story’s sense of repetition.

The author did a good job in being open and honest about his past and using real life events, tragedies, and landmarks. Besides these concrete ideas, the author does dive into some abstract themes that did cause me to think more deeply and differently and reflect on my own life and worldview. He dissects a number of different topics such as psychological repression, fetishes, and the nature of memories. The book ends in a heartfelt manner with great visual imagery to paint a vivid picture of the past, but I would have liked to experience that fulfillment throughout the whole reading journey.

I would rate this book with 2 out of 4 stars. This particular translation made the book difficult to read through its entirety. I also did not feel as if the genre of the book could accurately be placed under science fiction/fantasy which was a bit of an unexpected disappointment. This book appeared to read more like a wordy autobiography in my opinion and, as such, would appeal mostly to individuals who are looking to read the autobiographical genre with a touch of history. Reader beware for those who are actually interested in a science fiction/fantasy novel, because this book doesn’t quite fit the bill.

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The Stealer of Memories
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