837. Time's Arrow

Time's Arrow
Martin Amis
1991
Around 165 pages

I asked for a break from boring white guys, and the List granted me Martin Amis. Well, it could be worse. And the influence of one of my favorite writers, Primo Levi, is clear here, so that's a pretty good jumping off point.

It's the life of a German Holocaust doctor, but in reverse! So when you are torturing somebody in reverse, you are actually healing them from unimaginable pain. It's a fresh take, for sure, although Amis acknowledges the debt he owes to a certain paragraph in Slaughterhouse Five in the afterword.

How is this the second novel on the List starring a Holocaust "doctor"? Obviously, an upsetting read told in a very unconventional way. I wasn't a huge fan of the point of view here, but I understand that the structure of the story made narration difficult.

This is probably the best Martin Amis novel out there. If his father wasn't such a dick, he would be proud!

 

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

According to Amis's autobiography, the story is narrated by the soul of Odilo.

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