Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Booket (2004), 304 pages
Description
Peter Sinclair is tormented by bereavement and failure. In an attempt to conjure some meaning from his life, he embarks on an autobiography, but he finds himself writing the story of another man in another, imagined, world, whose insidious attraction draws him even further in . . . THE AFFIRMATION is at once an original thriller and a haunting study of schizophrenia; it has a compulsive, dream-like quality.
User reviews
LibraryThing member luke.taylor
I threw this book on the floor in anger when I got tp the end. It played me for a fool!
But still, I enjoyed it. Even though Priest was messing with my head.
But still, I enjoyed it. Even though Priest was messing with my head.
LibraryThing member heradas
I genuinely can't decide if I liked this or not. I certainly enjoyed reading it, but doing so was somewhat like losing my mind. I also have a suspicion that Priest crafted the novel precisely to elicit this effect in the reader, which makes me respect it even more in an odd way. All in all, I'm
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very confused, but I still enjoyed it. The closest conclusion I can come to is that The Affirmation is a story about mental illness, or maybe alternate realities, or maybe self identity, or maybe something else entirely. I really don't know. Show Less
LibraryThing member antao
(Original Review, 1981-04-27)
“Living is not an art, but to write of life is. Life is a series of accidents and anticlimaxes, misremembered and misunderstood, with lessons only dimly learned. Life is disorganized, lacks shape, lacks story.”
In “The Affirmation” by Christopher Priest
A Priest
Is “The Affirmation” disturbing? Yes, indeed, but not in a visceral, in-your-face way. Rather, it's disturbing in how it changes as the plot progresses, slowly, almost imperceptibly, until it gradually dawns on the reader that this is no longer a narrative with even a pretense of objectivity, but instead a blow-by-blow description of the hideous unravelling of the mind of the narrator. That's not a spoiler, by the way. You will see signs of what's coming as you read the book, but that doesn't mean it isn't going to rattle you. It has been described as 'a book that is also its own sequel', which is the merest hint of the mental hoops it requires the reader to jump through. I believe I'm right in saying that Priest struggled to write in any meaningful way for a couple of years after completing this novel, and I'm not in the slightest surprised. I felt similarly poleaxed after just reading it. But that's not to say you shouldn't. Indeed, those with the opportunity of doing so for the first time, I envy you.
SF = Speculative Fiction.
“Living is not an art, but to write of life is. Life is a series of accidents and anticlimaxes, misremembered and misunderstood, with lessons only dimly learned. Life is disorganized, lacks shape, lacks story.”
In “The Affirmation” by Christopher Priest
A Priest
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book isn't just a (SF) book. It is the distilled essence of a philosophy, a memoir; a piece of someone's soul. Losing the book is losing that element. On a more mundane level, it is also a memory - I read a book when I was about 7 (a proto-choose-your-own-adventure thing) that I've fitfully searched for ever since and never found, and doing so would put me right back on my nan's sofa on a Saturday afternoon with the wrestling on. Priest was not someone I read for many years, but he was the "gateway drug" to a wider world of SF for me in my younger days, and I think - despite his success - he remains critically underrated as a genre writer because he writes SF, and even more so as an avantgarde writer because he writes the kind of SF no one else writes. Priest too often falls into the trap of "imagine this concept, but on Discworld" as the entire premise of a book (gimmicky stuff), but when he is able to really get his teeth into a concept he is exceptional.Is “The Affirmation” disturbing? Yes, indeed, but not in a visceral, in-your-face way. Rather, it's disturbing in how it changes as the plot progresses, slowly, almost imperceptibly, until it gradually dawns on the reader that this is no longer a narrative with even a pretense of objectivity, but instead a blow-by-blow description of the hideous unravelling of the mind of the narrator. That's not a spoiler, by the way. You will see signs of what's coming as you read the book, but that doesn't mean it isn't going to rattle you. It has been described as 'a book that is also its own sequel', which is the merest hint of the mental hoops it requires the reader to jump through. I believe I'm right in saying that Priest struggled to write in any meaningful way for a couple of years after completing this novel, and I'm not in the slightest surprised. I felt similarly poleaxed after just reading it. But that's not to say you shouldn't. Indeed, those with the opportunity of doing so for the first time, I envy you.
SF = Speculative Fiction.
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LibraryThing member HellCold
Just put down the book. A heavy caliber mind fuck. Hard to describe due to the weird nature of the story world, but I think a quote from the book would do it
"The islands defied interpretation, they could only be experienced."
Well, I'd write a detailed review later, but all I'm going to say is, wow.
Recommended for everyone who loves a good story. This is NOT sci-fi.
"The islands defied interpretation, they could only be experienced."
Well, I'd write a detailed review later, but all I'm going to say is, wow.
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A powerful achievement.Recommended for everyone who loves a good story. This is NOT sci-fi.
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LibraryThing member questbird
A neverending story about memory, identity and sanity. Introspective but very readable.
LibraryThing member malcrf
Excellent as ever. Like many other Christopher Priest novels The Affirmation is challenging, compelling and has an unusual and interesting premise.
LibraryThing member TheCrow2
A masterpiece abotwo linear lives and identities who constantly ‘writing’ and influencing each other. Besides not being boring for a second, the book is about such as important question as what is identity, consciousness, sanity and insanity and that what is reality after all.
LibraryThing member ashleytylerjohn
Much like the main character's muddled sense of reality, I often found myself enjoying this book, only to realise I was anticipating enjoying it rather than actually enjoying it, and the true pleasure of reading it never quite materialized. In fact, most of the time, my active feeling was one of
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
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annoyance. What was the author trying to do? It wasn't clear, it never became clear, and (annoyingly) it was never going to have become clear, which I wish I'd realised upon entry. I'm at ease with ambiguity and dreamlike settings (I loved Ishiguro's The Unconsoled for example) but this never cohered for me. Had he kept up a game of who-was-writing-who I think all would be well, but by the time we arrived at the "white pages" moment, he lots me entirely.(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
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Subjects
Awards
British Science Fiction Association Award (Shortlist — Novel — 1981)
Ditmar Award (Winner — 1982)
Language
Original language
Spanish
Original publication date
1981-05
ISBN
8445074431 / 9788445074435