Before I Go to Sleep

A Novel

By: S. J. Watson

Narrated by: Orlagh Cassidy

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

"As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me...."

Memories define us.

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?

Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight.

And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

©2011 S.J. Watson (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

It's good

it was a fun read.
but it did feel a bit slow at times especially during the final chapter.
but very interesting read.
also great performance.

Solid entry in the psychological thriller category

A solid entry in the psychological thriller genre. Told in the first person, from the perspective of the main character, the book opens with her waking up next to an older guy with a wedding ring. She is mortified that she has partied so hard that she has no memory of this. She sneaks into the bathroom and is shocked to see her reflection - that of an older woman, not her 20-year old self. And, she has a wedding ring on. Stifling a scream, she sinks to the floor and her husband walks in, calmly explaining to her that she has been in an accident that he is her husband, and that he loves her.

Thus begins an interesting exploration of memory. The main character has a combination of short term memory loss and long term memory loss, combined in a unique way. She wakes up every morning thinking she is anywhere from 10-20 years old. Everything she is told that day she can remember until she falls asleep again. The next morning, it starts all over again.

She wants to escape this infinite Groundhog Day life, and starts keeping a journal upon the suggestion of a neuropsychologist who is treating her (and writing a paper about her very rare and interesting condition). Every day he calls her to remind her to find the journal and read it. That's how she starts stringing her days together.

As the reader, we experience her distress, confusion and sorrow with her as she writes in her journal. It's an interesting premise and ends in a satisfying way. I highly recommend.

Keep you wondering

Would you listen to Before I Go to Sleep again? Why?

This book kept me wanting to hear more and more to see how everything unfolds. Good book.

Exciting read

I enjoyed this book so much, it was suspenseful and kept me wanting more. I usually listen to book while at work but I found myself listening at home because it was so engaging.

Long way to go for not a great ending

There is a lot of repetition and although I understand some is needed it became so tedious! And the ending was not very satisfactory.

Great Story

Very enjoyable, highly recommend it! The story was great. The reading was fine. It wasn't break neck speed, but it was fast paced enough to keep you guessing what the twist was going to be.

Could. not put down

excellence
a well written book. one of the best i have read in some time. the ending really shocks one to its core.

great!

I love stories with a great twist! unpredictable and funny! I loved listening top it.

3.5 stars?

I purchased this book because I saw it on a list of "41 most thrilling books you'll ever read" or something like that. Its a good, interesting story but not thrilling. the performance was just OK but it didn't detract from the story too much. Definitely worth a read just don't expect to be hanging on the edge of your seat.

Not Bad

The narrator was phenomenal for the story. The story line got kinda predictable half way through, but as a writer maybe it was just easier to figure out what was going on for me, nonetheless I still enjoyed the storyline a great deal. I am still a bit confused as to the time length and I don't want to give away any spoilers but from the time Ben originally leaves Chris till the time "Ben" comes back to get her from the hospital, in the story it seems a short while, but it's actually a span of over 20 years, yet the characters respond as if it's only been a few months to a feed years. Perhaps I missed something, but that disturbed me a bit. Other than that, a great ending. It doesn't leave you feeling robbed. It does drag on a bit in the middle but it give you enough suspense overall.