Book Review of Before I go to Sleep.

A book of two halves; a lengthy and repetitive diary and an action packed end that will leave you in suspense. You may have heard of the film adaptation starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth but the original novel is worth a read.

Christine Lucas is a forty-seven year old, married woman although she doesn’t know it. After an ‘accident’ left her with a permanent case of Amnesia, Christine is not only unable to recall old memories she is incapable of forming new ones meaning she quite literally lives in the moment. Every morning she wakes up believing herself to be a much younger woman, sleeping in a stranger’s bed next to an unfamiliar man who she later discovers she has in fact been married to for many years. This ordeal is mentioned or at least referenced several times during the course of the book and I feel reflects not only the unimaginable pain felt by her husband who has to repeatedly explain Christine’s entire life to her at the start of each day but also the lack of freedom Christine has.

S.J Watson is undoubtedly a talented writer and deals with the unfamiliar subject matter with sensitivity and brutal honesty which can be at times uncomfortable. You cannot help but feel extraordinary empathy and love for this character drawn out by the use of the 1^st person. Christine appears extremely vulnerable which makes us reluctant to trust any of the few secondary characters in her life of whom she is extremely dependent on. It really gives an insight into what it must be like for individuals suffering with any disability or disorder that takes away their independence, not just memory loss.

A favourite character of mine which I sort of wish was explored in more depth; is the mysterious Doctor Nash. His secret meetings with Christine make us wary of his motives, but he generally seems invested in encouraging her to make progress even if it may be for a more selfish gain. I had not heard of the actor (Mark Nash) who plays him in the film and on first glance he doesn’t fit my interpretation; I feel like he should be a young, fresh-faced, intriguing character who matches the gentle care he gives Christine. That said, I haven’t actually watched the film. (Although books are always better than films.)

The startling plot towards the end of the novel kept me up well past midnight and is terrifyingly gripping, without giving too much away your suspicions are confirmed in the last few pages but not in the way you expect it to. I would say however, that this is the most exciting part of the book and the chapters preceding it lack this flair; it really is just a slow starter that you really just have to preserve with to get to the juicy parts. Saying this though, I felt the ending was a tad predictable, almost as if the writer felt obliged to include a somewhat happy ending and it feels rushed and unfinished. I wonder if perhaps it may have been better to shorten the narrative and include the plot twist much earlier on in the book so that the aftermath could have been dealt with sufficiently instead but hey that’s just me.

Overall, I think it’s definitely worth a read and I’d recommend it to fans of most genres. If I’m trying to be very professional I’d give it a respectable 3.5 out of 5 stars.