Memory

By: Donald E. Westlake

Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne

Hospitalized after a liaison with another man's wife ends in violence, Paul Cole has just one goal: to rebuild his shattered life. But with his memory damaged, the police hounding him, and no way to even get home, Paul's facing steep odds - and a bleak fate if he fails.

This final, never-before-published novel by three-time Edgar Award winner Donald E. Westlake is a noir masterpiece, a dark and painful portrait of a man's struggle against merciless forces that threaten to strip him of his very identity.

©2010 Donald E. Westlake (P)2010 BBC Audio

Critic reviews

"[T]his is no typical Westlake novel; in fact, in many ways it’s one of his most interesting books, simply because it’s so very different. For his fans, absolutely a must-read." ( Booklist)

Another Westlake master work

Reluctant to give anything away. Perhaps I’m more affected by this due to recent incidents with a long time friend, but if you’ve ever thought about your memory, you may feel as I do.

what an abrupt ending to an unsatisfying story.

this is a very unrewarding story, there is no payoff at the end. I love so many Westlake and Stark books but this one was very disappointing.

The accident of existence

Memory is a departure from the usual story-based novel, not only for Westlake, but for most writers. The central character, Paul Cole, has the kind of internalized perceptions found in the protagonists of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment or Camus' The Stranger. Their world is defined by a logic which conflicts with the expectations of others. Cole is driven, not by circumstances, but by their refusal to fit together in a way that will allow him to re-establish his forgotten way of life.
This is a very interesting and ambitious mode of story-telling, because Westlake lets the reader see ahead of his hapless protagonist and sense the outcome of Paul Cole's groping attempts at regaining his memory. The theme of the book stands as a kind of metaphor for the accidental nature of life. Events appear to be cyclical, but they are spiral, the circles never quite overlap.

Gripping and fascinating.

I love Westlake's writing and this was so different. I was hooked from the start!

Great!

I really loved It and the narrator is great!The story is fascinating and profound.