Purgatorium

By: J. H. Carnathan

Narrated by: GraceWright Productions, Tristan Wright, Sarah Grace Wright, Alastair Murden, Daniel Pierce

Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

When his watch resets to zero, his morning starts again.

A handsome, young urban professional awakens inside his cavernous high-rise apartment. He is an emotionless drone of a man content with his self-structured regiment and amazing wealth, and he is totally oblivious to his abnormal lifestyle. Every day lasts an hour with the time always ending right at 60 minutes, giving him only five minutes to stay at one specific time zone in his structured routine. He keeps reliving the same day over and over, barely able to remember anything from the day before and unable to maintain mental order as he stumbles through his strange existence.

One day, his routine is interrupted when seven strangers separately appear. Everything slams to a halt as they tell him that his physical body is in a coma and his consciousness is currently in a purgatory-like realm. As his body lies in a coma, his mind has been living a lavish lifestyle at a price: his sinful memories and his autonomy.

After finding out his life support is coming to an end in eight hours, he must now run a race to get his life back. He must rely on this group who seem to tender on truth and violence to get him to the finish line on time. He just needs to remember who he is and come to terms with what he has done if he’s ever going to decide if he is a soul survivor ready for a second chance at life or a lost soul bound by no redemption.

The clock is ticking, and if he is going to survive, he'll have to face his demons and outthink the clock that has constrained him for so long. For each minute that passes teeters the fine line between his life and death.

©2017 Jaymes Carnathan (P)2018 Jaymes Carnathan

Simply put it’s amazing

I just finished reading this book and my mind is blown. The heights of creativity by J. H. Carnathan for this story is beyond the stars. It’s original, well written, and well made. You can tell when you read it or listen to it that a lot of time and effort was put into it. The quality of the audiobook is top notch with great voice actors, sound effects, and music enhancing and bringing the story to life. I felt like I was watching a movie in my head as I listened to it. This work of art has it all: an original plot that full of twists, turns, and mystery that keep you hooked to every detail, action, romance, comedy...it’s all there! The way that this story brings everything together at the end is phenomenal and makes you want to listen to it again. I cannot wait till the next book comes out and hope the day comes when this is made into a movie. I definitely give this book a 10 out of 10!

Science fiction meets fantasy.

Purgatorium is a tale about a man whose life is turned upside down as he faces the final race of his life. Paralysed in a coma, his life flashes past him - the mistakes he's made and the inner demons he has to beat in order to successfully transition to redemption and be given a fresh chance at life again.

A very thoughtful story, where a man starts each day from scratch not remembering who he was the day before. Each day is a new adventure - the colourful characters he meets, the situations he finds himself in and the decisions he has to make to better his ways.

A kaleidoscopic puzzle on a man's journey as he seeks redemption to cleanse his soul. Entertaining, fast-paced and creative, this book will take your imagination on a fascinating journey.

A perfect read if you are on a similar path to finding personal redemption and meaning in your life.

Excellent Thought-Provoking Page-Turner

I have never read a book that made me want to immediately go back and start over and read it all again! All the rich symbolism, the complex realities of what makes up a life, thoughts on what death could be, and how someone can actually achieve redemption make for a totally enveloping literary experience. The surrealism and fast-paced whirl that is time in the Purgatorium mixes beautifully with the glimpses into everyday moments that make the main character who he is. As in real life, it is these moments; big and small, both heart-warming and heart-wrenching at different times, that cause you to reflect on your own life. What are you living for? Is anything in your self-made world worth dying for? Are you truly fulfilled and content, or are you just stuck in your ways? So many important things to think about, though the author is never overly preachy. This book was a thrill to read, and will have repercussions in my life far beyond that of my usual fiction/fantasy/sci-fi picks.

Sound Effects Make This Un-listenable...

I just couldn't finish this book and will return it. Production decided to include sound effects for the most inane things, which greatly distract from listening enjoyment. Watch alarm (many, many times)....check, screaming demons...check, Elevator doors...check, squeaky carousel...check, car engine...check, office equipment...check..., slamming books on table...check, lame piano music...check, etc, etc, etc. A well written book does not need sound effects. My own mind will "hear" what is written. Even worse, is reader reads the line, say..."Elevator doors slide open...", then he stops and waits for the sound effects (which are also too loud and not balanced/leveled with narrator), then reads again, then stops, waits for sound effects, etc. Storyline is hard to follow, as it is, so sound effects just made it worse.

As far as the storyline...very "Alice in Wonderland" meets "Willy Wonka" meets "Ground Hogs Day" if told by "Quentin Tarrentino". I'm not saying it's bad, necessarily, just a bit convoluted, scattered, and dreamlike. Again, I couldn't get through more than 5 chapters, because of the sound effects.

If you decide to listen to the Audible version, you'll have to pay attention. This is not a "read" you can listen to while doing chores or driving, etc.

I may buy the hard copy book and physically read this, as it may be good...who knows...