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The Coma

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( 9,265 ratings, 555 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The Coma by Alex Garland, a man named Carl is recovering after a brutal assault that leaves him in a coma. As he navigates the surreal landscapes of his mind, Carl struggles to discern reality from illusion, attempting to reconnect the fractured pieces of his memories. This exploration delves into the complexities of consciousness and identity, creating a thought-provoking journey.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this tense and introspective novel if you appreciate psychological thrillers that delve into the blurred lines between consciousness and oblivion. Fans of thought-provoking narratives exploring the depths of the human mind and identity in a surreal landscape will find it captivating.

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From the internationally-renowned author of The Beach, a gripping mystery and stylistic tour de force.

The Coma by Alex Garland is a gripping mystery and stylistic tour de force from the internationally known author of The Beach.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From the internationally-known author of The Beach, comes a gripping mystery and stylistic tour de force that delves into the subconscious mind, with brilliantly disturbing results.

A young man is brutally assaulted in an underground train while protecting a young woman from a gang of thugs. Beaten unconscious, he lies for days in a hospital bed - but appears to make a full recovery. On discharge from hospital, Carl picks up the threads of his daily life, visiting friends, seeing his girlfriend - until he starts to notice strange leaps in his perception of time, distortions in his experience.

Is he truly reacting with the outside world, or might he be terribly mistaken? So begins a dark psychological drama that raises profound questions about the boundary between the real and the imagined.

This mysterious and unsettling tale is illustrated by 40 woodcuts created by the author's father, the eminent cartoonist Nicholas Garland.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Coma by Alex Garland is often described as a surreal and atmospheric narrative that plays with the reader's perceptions, drawing comparisons to the works of Poe and Kafka. The book is noted for its eerie and compelling blend of text and dark woodcut illustrations by Garland’s father, adding depth to its mysterious and dream-like quality. Both a psychological exploration and a visual experience, it has been praised for its chilling tone and imaginative narrative.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571223107

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 July 2005

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 114.0mm

Height: 180.0mm

Weight: 140g

Pages: 224

About the Author

Alex Garland is the author of the bestselling novels The Beach and The Tesseract. In 2003 he wrote the screenplay for Danny Boyle's hugely successful 28 Days Later.

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