/lit/ - Literature

>>16696237
Replay - Ken Grimwood (1987)
This winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (1988) completely exceeded any sort of expectations I had. I have a particular interest in books that involve time loops or living your life over again, but I'm usually rather disappointed by them. Does this say something about me? Yes, it does. Is it what you're thinking it is? Probably so. I don't believe I've ever read anything before where I've so strongly felt that it's something I would have wanted to have written myself and perhaps in some other life may have done so. He had been writing a sequel before his death in 2003 at age 59, but it was never completed, which feels like such a loss to me.
This is more a work of speculative fiction than it is of fantasy or science fiction, or as I've also seen be called, paranormal romance. I wouldn't classify it any of those and I may need a speculative fiction shelf.
A considerable portion is devoted to his relationships with women, though I don't know if describing it as "romance" would be particularly accurate considering the associated connotations. There are also religious musings from more than one faith, but how much they matter may be up to the reader as they seem to be more attempts at explanations for the unknowable rather than preaching. Other non-religious ideas for their circumstances are also considered. Spoiler regarding why any of this happens: Nothing is ever determined about why any of this happens and I don't think that matters. It serves its purpose and I think it would have detracted from my enjoyment as I don't think any given reason would have satisfied. Sometimes there's value in leaving matters unknown and unsolved in works of fiction.
The problem with feeling so personally strongly about anything is that it devalues the usefulness of whether someone else would enjoy it or not for the simple reason that they aren't you. I may be entirely wrong, but I think the primary determinant for how much most people would enjoy reading this depends on their personal life circumstances and beliefs.
Despite that disappointment may be inevitable I'll give his other works a try sometime, because hope persists, even without any reasonable expectation that it ought to.
Rating: 5/5

ITT: books lit tricked you into reading