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Before I Go to Sleep
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Before I Go To Sleep - May 2013
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Leigh
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May 01, 2013 08:14PM
My second book for this month. Congrats on another winner Andrea.
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Andrea, I hope it's OK with you that I post this so soon. Now is convenient for me; my work computer is taking long to access the correct network. I won't summarize the book. I'll just give some opinions on it.
At first, this book sometimes seems slow and repetitious because of Christine’s same routine every day. But it’s also more and more mysterious with each new memory.
This book has too many questions, some of which are never fully answered:
Why does Ben keep most information from Christine? Does he think he’s helping her, or is there some devious reason?
And why, when Christine asks about a new memory, does he seem hesitant to answer? Does he tell her the truth? What is he hiding and why?
And is this Doctor Nash really who he says he is? Is he really involved for the reasons he states?
I have first-hand knowledge about head injuries and comas. Here is what I know: There are several different types of amnesia and a few different possible causes, brain trauma being just one of them. Brain trauma is the cause Ben claims to Christine. But is he being honest?
Christine retains memory for a day, only to lose it all overnight while she’s sleeping. Is something other than or in addition to brain trauma the cause? What else is going on?
As for this book's implausibility, when this is referring to Christine’s amnesia, that is probably easier for me to believe because I, too, had amnesia as a result of a severe head injury and still occasionally regain memories I didn’t know I had forgotten, even after 34 years. For a short time, I couldn’t even retain day-to-day memories. So I know Watson wasn’t completely making this up, just stretching the truth.
Although the amnesia described in BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP isn’t implausible, I did catch things that are. For example, at the suggestion of Doctor Nash, Christine keeps a journal. Every day she describes that day, so she knows what happened in the days before. BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is her journal. How does she have the time to both write it (in longhand) and then reread it every day along with anything else she does that day?
BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP forces the reader to become tense with suspicion. It is this aspect that I think must be the reason the book is such a bestseller and garners so much praise. But it has lots of problems.
I just started a book on habits and it starts with a man who contracts encephalitis and looses his short term memory but his ingrained long term habits still allow him to function. So these two books will dovetail nicely together for me. Weird coincidence.
I've read "Before I go to Sleep" a few months ago, for the book group I go to. Very tense, quite chilling. Definitely worth reading.I suppose the character might be a quick reader. But you are right that the reader has to suspend a certain amount of belief.
Mel wrote: "I've read "Before I go to Sleep" a few months ago, for the book group I go to. Very tense, quite chilling. Definitely worth reading.I suppose the character might be a quick reader. But you are rig..."
I gave this book four stars after I read it last year, and I don't know why. I had quite a few problems with it. (See above.) I think I'll change that rating.
Sorry guys, I haven't really registered that it was the first of the month!!!
I am soooo excited to read this! So....here goes!'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me ...' Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love—all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story. Welcome to Christine's life.
So, in your opinion, is this a book that lingers in your mind and sticks with you for awhile? If so, why?
Christine doesn’t feel a strong sense of love for her husband, but wonders if that is normal after so many years of marriage. Do you think it’s inevitable that a marriage changes in this way?
How do you think it would feel to be in Christine's situation?
Do you think women reaching the age of fifty tend to feel the same as Christine, as if they've missed something in life or wish things would have been differently?
How important do you think your memory is to you? How do you think you'd adjust to Christine's type of situation? Would you deal with it the same as her? If not, what would you do differently?
What do you think or how do you feel about Dr. Nash?
Why do you think Christine does some of the things she does?
Do you think it was right of Ben to keep things from Christine for her own benefit? If not, how do you think he should have reacted differently?
What did you think about the ending? Would you have changed anything about it? If so, what?
Andrea wrote: "So, in your opinion, is this a book that lingers in your mind and sticks with you for awhile? If so, why?..."It did but not for good reasons. I kept wondering about things that just didn't add up.
Andrea wrote: "I How do you think it would feel to be in Christine's situation?..."I know how it would feel. If you're surrounded by people who love you, you know you'll get through it just fine. Where was the rest of Christine's family? No one loved her except this one man? These were just two of the questions I had that were never adequately answered.
Andrea wrote: "What do you think or how do you feel about Dr. Nash?..."He was another question never adequately answered.
Andrea wrote: "Do you think it was right of Ben to keep things from Christine for her own benefit? If not, how do you think he should have reacted differently?..."There's an answer to that, but it would be a spoiler. Don't ask that until you've read the book. Ben is one questionable character who IS explained.
I loved this novel! I'm still kind of reeling from it.
Really enjoyed this book but ending frustrated me a bit. Will explain later in the month after people have finished.
Melissa wrote: "Really enjoyed this book but ending frustrated me a bit. Will explain later in the month after people have finished."The entire book is full of frustrating things.
Beth feel free to answer any question you like even if it has a spoiler in it just mark your spoilers.
Melissa, I look forward to hear what exactly frustrated you when you have time to discuss
Thank you Jenni! I'll have to remember my sign on name to B&N!
What are your first impressions after reading? Is it really possible to keep losing your memory every day? How could you remember daily habits such as showering, washing dishes, laundry, but not remember events? What do you think about the characters? I was always suspicious of Ben and Nash, and who wouldn't be? I liked Christine, I felt her fears and anxiety, but always wondered was this real, a dream, staged?
Do you like the storyline itself? Do you like the plot flow, plot twists? In the beginning, the daily journaling became monotonous, but by the middle of the book, it did pick up, and I couldn't put it down. I wondered if Christine didn’t have amnesia and was actually writing this as a book.
What are your final thoughts on the book? Was the ending satisfying and complete? I didn’t see the twist of events and look forward to this being made into a movie. I liked the ending, a little creepy, Twilight Zone-ish.
I'm happy to hear your perspective Kim!
Kim wrote: "How could you remember daily habits such as showering, washing dishes, laundry, but not remember events?..."This is possible. It's more than possible, as a matter of fact.
After someone has been in a coma as a result of a head injury, they have amnesia to some extent, which lasts longer the longer they have been in a coma. But they may still remember how to do some daily functions.
This book has many unlikely scenarios, but this isn't one of them.
Kim wrote: "Is it really possible to keep losing your memory every day?..."Yes but not in the way presented in this book.
Kim wrote: "What do you think about the characters? I was always suspicious of Ben and Nash..."Me, too, but also her son. Where the heck was he? This whole story wouldn't have happened if he had been around. Gees, if it was my mother, I would have been there every day.
Kim wrote: "In the beginning, the daily journaling became monotonous. I wondered if Christine didn’t have amnesia and was actually writing this as a book..."I wondered the same thing. After all, that would have made sense of all parts of the story that didn't make sense.
The journal writing WAS SO monotonous! Not only monotonous, though; it wasn't possible for her to reread everything every day AND have a life AND write about that life every day. There aren't enough hours in the day.
The story doesn't fell very plausible to me. I mean ok she has amnesia, but to forget everything over night? That just doesn't sound right.
Linda wrote: "The story doesn't fell very plausible to me. I mean ok she has amnesia, but to forget everything over night? That just doesn't sound right."No, you're right. But readers can just go with it and the author can get away with things like that when the other parts of the story have explanations. In this case, though, the story was full of questions, things that should have been explained but weren't. So I wasn't thrilled about this book.
After reading the comments here, and having read one third of it, I've decided to forgo this book. Hopefully the other BoTM are better.
Okay, I bought the book a month ago and its still on my bookshelf. I'll start reading it soon. There are a lot of different points of view from all the comments, which kinda add to the mystery of it. Right now I'm reading Nursing Home Ninjas. So far, its pretty good. Maybe for next months discussions
Luffy unless you just really aren't liking it I would try it for yourself! I have differing opinions from others all the time. I personally am still going to read this next to gather my own opinions. I have another group that just read it and they all liked it! I'm quite anxious to form my own opinions!
Thanks for considering my 'case', Super Mod and Bubbly Babe. Like it happened with movies before, I'm finding it hard to follow the very new books. I need to reevaluate my reading priorities, I think.
Jenni wrote: "Oh I just came across the fact while looking at the Dagger Award site and spotted the title there. I didn't know you were looking for the info, Luffy."Lol, my bad.
This book definitely kept me wanting to read on. I had a hard time putting in down. I did have it kind of figured out a couple of times but would rethink it and decide I was wrong. In the end I did have it kind of figured out but that didn't make it any less of an exciting ride. Excellent read.
I'm so excited that you liked it Theresa!! Finally...I knew someone out there would LOVE it!
I really did enjoy it and I found it very possible that someone could have this happen to them. I actually know of someone who lost their short term memory. They had a little notebook that they had to carry around to remind them to go to work and where that was, etc. It is not an easy life and I can see how this could happen. I also thought that it was well written. If it was you that recommended this for the group....let me say "Thank You". I am glad I read this one and I probably wouldn't have if not for this group.
It reminds me of the movie 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Berrymore!
You most certainly are welcome! I was fortunate enough to have won it on Goodreads so that's how I came across it!I get so much joy and pleasure from being able to share great books, especially when others love them!
Theresa wrote: "I really did enjoy it and I found it very possible that someone could have this happen to them. I actually know of someone who lost their short term memory. They had a little notebook that they ..."I was critical of this book the whole time I read it because I know firsthand about amnesia due to head injury. I even looked into amnesia because I know it's not all as I experienced it. But much of this book takes way too much poetic license.
Jenni wrote: "Sometimes the British like books that Americans dislike (and vise versa) and these writers have been from both sides of the pond. Patricia Highsmith, for example, is very well known for being disl..."That's really interesting; I didn't realize it. You liked it, and I didn't. So that could be due to our nationality?
I've heard people speak of "British humor," and I have noticed often in movies a British humor that I don't think is funny at all. So I suppose we could have different tastes in books as well.
I think one thing we need to remember with this is that it is a work of fiction. It isn't required to be factually correct!
Jenni wrote: "There have been two films I know made on this plot, both of which I love.Memento:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/
Fifty First Dates, starring, I think, Cameron Diaz."
This book reminded me of Memento as well. But it is different enough to be original. I figured out what was going on about 1/3 of the way through, but I wasn't confident about it until the reveal. Great first effort from a promising author.
Andrea wrote: "I think one thing we need to remember with this is that it is a work of fiction. It isn't required to be factually correct!"While that's true, unless fiction is written to be science fiction or fantasy, which this book is not, it had better get the facts straight, especially if the facts are readily available. Also, you can look at this story like a puzzle; all the pieces should fit, and here all of them don't.
Jenni wrote: "There have been two films I know made on this plot, both of which I love.Memento:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/
Fifty First Dates, starring, I think, Cameron Diaz."
I'm going to get those from Netflix. Thanks.
50 First Dates is really cute!
I just watched that on tv tonight!
Andrea wrote: "I just watched that on tv tonight!"I just watched 50 First Dates on tv this weekend, too. Goofy, but funny sometimes
I loved this read! It was so much more than I thought it was going to be. I gave it 5 stars. I thought hubby seemed to good to be true...
Cathie wrote: "I loved this read! It was so much more than I thought it was going to be. I gave it 5 stars. I thought hubby seemed to good to be true..."I'm glad you enjoyed this. I didn't, probably because I have firsthand experience to compare it with.
Oh no Beth, I'm sorry to find out about your experience.
Cathie wrote: "Oh no Beth, I'm sorry to find out about your experience."As I recall, after I read this book I looked up the author on the Internet. He WAS accurate about some aspects of a head injury and coma, but I believe he said that was accident. The book wasn't meant to be medically accurate. He did a little research on this condition, not a lot.
Jenni wrote: "I don't think the plot has to be entirely "accurate" in fiction as in non-fiction. The author has some freedom to take you into a world that is somewhat tweaked away from reality; in sci-fi, fanta..."I mostly agree with you. However, I would add that the fiction that is innacurate should be the type of fiction that is obviously not meant to be real, such as science fiction and fantasy. I think there are some types of fiction that really should try to be accurate.
In the case of this book, I understood it as a type NOT meant to be accurate, more science fiction. So all the many inaccuracies were fine with me.
For me, this book was fine but silly and certanly not what all its great reviews led me to expect.
I definitely would not label this in any was as Fan Fiction. And, imo, fiction is fiction for a reason; it is a story, not reality. We seem to want reality in our fiction and we relate every story as to whether the truth is in line with what we know as truth. I think the worst injustice ever done to fiction was when someone somewhere said this is very realistic and the term realistic fiction (which is an oxymoron) was born.
