Review by Anki_Real_Reviews -- My Author Is Dead

[Anki_Real_Reviews]

[Following is a volunteer review of "My Author Is Dead" by Michel Bruneau.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

I feel honored to have picked up My Author Is Dead by Michel Bruneau. Although the story is set in an imaginary place and describes imaginary people, the problems they face and the create on their own are as relatable as day and night. Adam lives in a village that divides its people into many categories; the main categories are Kafkaists, who are considered to be lowest of the low, and Authorians, who enjoy being at the top of the food chain. Adam belongs to an Authorian family but falls in love with June, who is a Kafkaist. The rules of the village are very strict about such things. Adam does not see any logic in these baseless rules and therefore rebels against them. His mom is a typical authorian woman -- a fanatic, to be frank. She takes the rules and traditions very seriously and does not tolerate any deviation -- not even from her son. One thing leads to another, and Adam's rebellion ways combined with Authorians' fanatic ways create a mess that seems impossible to be cleaned up.

The author's writing is spectacular -- to say the least. He grabbed my attention right from the first chapter. The selection of words is so perfect that I could not only understand but also really feel the characters' emotions. Adam is portrayed as a guy who disdains the illogical norms set by his society. He has memorized dictionary to its entirety and uses big words. These words irritate his grandfather, who is a man of limited vocabulary. Their conversations are adorable. He is the only one who understands Adam: the main reason for this understanding is his own dislike towards unnecessary complications created by Authorians.There is one girl whose description is so powerful that it gave me goosebumps: Cassandra. She is a girl who cannot mind her own business. She stalks and bullies whoever she can. She is a super annoying fanatic. Adam's disgust for Cassandra is described so vividly that it's contagious. I found myself disgusted with her.

The characters are defined to the perfection. As a reader, I connected with each one of them and felt as if I knew them personally. The credit goes to the flawless writing of the author. Surprisingly, my favorite is not the protagonist. It's not that I saw any flaw in his character; the character of grandfather seemed more powerful to me. He guided our lost protagonist and voiced his opinion to the top of his lungs. He was saying things that I was feeling, and it felt good to read those emotions through a character. In a land full of fanatics, only he could get away saying these things -- thanks to his "senile" state of mind.

The purpose of the author, I imagine, is beyond telling just a great story. According to me, the real purpose has been pointing out the flaws in our prejudiced ways. We, as a society, have set illogical notions of superiority and inferiority based on one's caste, color, language, among other things. Is our creator really so bleak that he is defining our superiority (or inferiority) with the help of color, gender, and such attributes? The logic with which the author points out the stupidity of the village applies to the real world, as well.

The development of the story is very smooth and the pace is just right. There are many twists throughout the read that would keep a reader on the edge of the seat. This story is a perfect blend of humor, romance, and social issues. Although the overall plot could be defined as serious, the storytelling is never serious. Adam's thoughts and dialogues are filled with humorous sarcasm. If you are anything like me, someone who is always on the lookout for the books that impart wisdom or point out a social issue in a humorous manner, then this book is definitely for you. I am gladly rating this book 4 out of 4 stars. Needless to say, I love My Author Is Dead.

******
My Author Is Dead
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

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

[Alice Heritage]

Hi, I was very impressed with this book too! I loved Grandpa's disagreement with the mother about his "epilogue", and the dictionary entries were perfection.

[Jeremie Mondejar]

My presumptions about this book got corrected. Nice review, I enjoy reading your lovely review. Keep it up.

[Kelyn]

I read this book as well and totally agree with you that Adam's Grampa was the stronger character of the two. I didn't really think ALL the characters were well-rounded though. June herself came across as quite stereotypical for example, at least to me. Still, it was a very enjoyable read. Thanks for the review!!