2012 Puddly Awards
 
 
Follow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Google+Follow us on TumblrSubscribe to RSS

Recently Viewed clear list

Guests | May 22, 2012

James Bernard Frost: IMG I'm a Writer... Now What Do I Do with My Life?

0 comments By James Bernard Frost

For everyone I know who is a writer, there was some awkward time in their lives when they had to learn to call themselves one. You'd make a few... Continue »
  1. $13.97 Sale Trade Paper add to wish list

    A Very Minor Prophet

    James Bernard Frost 9780983304982
spacer
Ships free on qualified orders.
$11.50
List price: $25.99
Used Hardcover
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Qty Store Section
1 Beaverton Mystery- A to Z

eBook editions

Before I Go to Sleep

by S. J. Watson

Before I Go to Sleep Cover

ISBN13: 9780062060556
ISBN10: 0062060554
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

Only 1 left in stock at $11.50!

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

"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.

Review:

"Memories — real, false, and a bit of both — are at the heart of British author Watson's haunting, twisted debut. Christine Lucas awakens each morning in London with no idea who she is or why she's in bed with a strange man, until he tells her that his name is Ben and they've been married for 22 years. Slowly, Christine learns that she has amnesia and is unable to remember her past or retain new memories: every night when she falls asleep, the slate is wiped clean. Dr. Nash, her therapist, has encouraged her to write in a journal that she keeps secret from Ben. Christine realizes how truly tangled — and dangerous — her life is after she sees the words 'don't trust Ben' written in her journal, whose contents reveal that the only person she can trust is herself. Watson handles what could have turned into a cheap narrative gimmick brilliantly, building to a chillingly unexpected climax. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review:

"An exceptional thriller. It left my nerves jangling for hours after I finished the last page." Anita Shreve

Review:

"A deft, perceptive exploration of a fascinating neurological condition, and a cracking good thriller." Lionel Shriver

Review:

"A deeply unsettling debut that asks the most terrifying question — what do you have left when you lose yourself?" Val McDermid

Review:

"A truly amazing debut. The central character, Christine, is beautifully drawn. It's hard to imagine a more compelling, believable and sympathetic portrayal of a damaged human being. I loved it from start to finish." Mo Hayder, international bestselling author of Birdman

Review:

"Quite simply the best debut novel I have ever read." Mo Hayder, international bestselling author of Birdman

Review:

"Combining the psychological screw-tightening of Patricia Highsmith with the high concept of Memento, S.J. Watson's Before I Go to Sleep is an amnesia thriller you won’t soon forget." Andrew Pyper, author of Lost Girls and The Guardians

Review:

"An exceptional thriller. It left my nerves jangling for hours after I finished the last page." Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Moonlight Mile

Review:

"The best debut novel I've ever read." Tess Gerritsen, bestselling author of the Rizzoli

Review:

“This mesmerizing, skillfully written debut novel works on multiple levels. It is both an affecting portrait of the profound impact of a debilitating illness and a pulse-pounding thriller whose outcome no one could predict.” Booklist (starred review)

Review:

“An intriguingly fresh look at the amnesia-focused psychological thriller....A captivating and highly suspenseful read, populated with believable characters who lead the reader through a taut, well-constructed plot.” Library Journal

Review:

“Brilliant in its pacing, profound in its central question, suspenseful on every page and satisfying in its thriller ending.” Anita Shreve

Review:

“Watson’s debut novel unwinds as a story that is both complicated and compellingly hypnotic....Watson’s pitch-perfect writing propels the story to a frenzied climax that will haunt readers long after they’ve closed the cover on this remarkable book.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Review:

“Memories — real, false, and a bit of both — are at the heart of Watson’s haunting, twisted debut....Watson handles what could have turned into a cheap narrative gimmick brilliantly, building to a chillingly unexpected climax.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Review:

“The summer’s single most suspenseful plot belongs to Before I Go to Sleep....pure page-turner.” New York Times

Synopsis:

S. J. Watson makes his powerful debut with this;compelling, fast-paced psychological thriller, reminiscent of Shutter Island and Memento, in which an amnesiac who, following a mysterious accident, cannot remember her past or form new memories desperately tries to uncover the truth about who she is, and who she can trust.
back to top

Video

About the Author

S. J. Watson was born and educated in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the National Health Service for a number of years. Before I Go to Sleep, his first novel, has been sold in thirty-one countries and has also been optioned for film by Ridley Scott.
back to top

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 15 comments:
techeditor, March 17, 2012 (view all comments by techeditor)
In BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP by S.J. Watson, Christine wakes up every morning with no memory of the days before, of who that man (her husband, Ben) in bed with her is, of who she is or how old she is. Every day her husband tells her who they are and what happened to cause this memory problem. He claims she was in an accident with a hit-and-run driver.

This book is about Christine regaining memories, little by little. She’s aided by a person who claims to be Doctor Nash. He calls her every morning to reintroduce himself. At first, it sometimes seems slow and repetitious because of Christine’s same routine every day. But it’s also more and more mysterious with each new memory.

Why does Ben keep most information from Christine? Does he think he’s helping her, or is there some devious reason? And why, when Christine asks about a new memory, does he seem hesitant to answer? Does he tell her the truth? What is he hiding and why?

And is this Doctor Nash really who he says he is? Is he really involved for the reasons he states?

Here is what I know: there are several different types of amnesia and a few different possible causes, brain trauma being just one of them. Brain trauma is the cause Ben claims to Christine. But is he being honest?

Christine retains memory for a day, only to lose it all overnight while she’s sleeping. Is something other than or in addition to brain trauma the cause? What else is going on?

Many other reader reviews of this book complain about its implausibility. If they are referring to Christine’s amnesia, that is probably easier for me to believe because I, too, had amnesia as a result of an accident and still occasionally regain memories I didn’t know I had forgotten, even after 34 years. For a short time, I couldn’t even retain day-to-day memories. So I know Watson wasn’t completely making this up, just stretching the truth.

Although the amnesia described in BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP isn’t implausible, I did catch things that are. For example, at the suggestion of Doctor Nash, Christine keeps a journal. Every day she describes that day, so she knows what happened in the days before. BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is her journal. How does she have the time to both write it (in longhand) and then reread it every day along with anything else she does that day?

But I just went along with it.

Then Christine starts remembering enough to be suspicious. And just as she goes back and forth suspecting Ben or her doctor or her old friend, then suspecting her memory instead of them, I, too, went back and forth with my own suspicions. It truly became a thriller.

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP forces the reader to become tense with suspicion. It is this aspect that I think must be the reason the book is such a bestseller and garners so much praise. I can tell you that this is what won me over and is the reason I rate it so highly
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
report this comment
amy alice, March 3, 2012 (view all comments by amy alice)
This is a well written story about someone who awakens each morning wondering who she is and what has happened to her. She and the reader are both wondering who this woman is, who she can trust, and what will be her fate. It is a book that "stays with you" and one I would recommend. It's an interesting read ~ scary, realistic, frightening, gripping, and an AMAZING book. The writing is real ~ and it will keep you on the edge until you get to the shocking ending that will answer your questions ~ and hers. It will MAKE you keep on reading and wondering, and it will change you.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
report this comment
Suzanne in Ashland , January 29, 2012 (view all comments by Suzanne in Ashland )
Whoa - I couldn't put this one down. Read it in two sittings. A real page turner. It's very intelligently written. The plot is intricate due to the nature of the story, i.e., the main character has no long or short term memory from one day to the next. She only retains what she learns in her waking hours, then goes to sleep and when she re-awakens, it's gone; she has to start over learning who she is, what's happened in her life in the last twenty years. I didn't find one "wait a minute" (error) in the way the author clearly laid out the twisted narrative. Great read, quick and fascinating. Keeps you guessing til the end as to who Chrissy can trust - or not!
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
View all 15 comments
back to top

Product Details

ISBN:
9780062060556
Author:
Watson, S. J.
Publisher:
Harper
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Edition Description:
Hardcover
Publication Date:
20110631
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
368
Dimensions:
9 x 6 x 1.17 in 18 oz
back to top

Other books you might like

  1. $9.99 Google eBooks add to wish list

    Tigerlily's Orchids: A Novel

    Ruth Rendell 9781439154380
  2. $11.99 Google eBooks add to wish list

    Killed at the Whim of a Hat

    Colin Cotterill 9781429970549
  3. $12.99 Google eBooks add to wish list

    Among the Missing

    Morag Joss 9780440423461
  4. $17.95 Used Hardcover add to wish list

    Misterioso

    Arne Dahl 9780375425356
  5. $17.50 Used Hardcover add to wish list

    The Inspector and Silence (Inspector Van Veeteren Mysteries)

    Hakan Nesser 9780375425233
  6. $12.94 Google eBooks add to wish list

    Bad Intentions

    Karin Fossum 9780547519425
back to top

Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z
Fiction and Poetry » Mystery » A to Z
Languages » Foreign Languages » Spanish » Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z
Languages » Foreign Languages » Spanish » Fiction and Poetry » Popular Fiction » Contemporary Thrillers

Before I Go to Sleep Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$11.50 In Stock
Product details 368 pages Harper - English 9780062060556 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Memories — real, false, and a bit of both — are at the heart of British author Watson's haunting, twisted debut. Christine Lucas awakens each morning in London with no idea who she is or why she's in bed with a strange man, until he tells her that his name is Ben and they've been married for 22 years. Slowly, Christine learns that she has amnesia and is unable to remember her past or retain new memories: every night when she falls asleep, the slate is wiped clean. Dr. Nash, her therapist, has encouraged her to write in a journal that she keeps secret from Ben. Christine realizes how truly tangled — and dangerous — her life is after she sees the words 'don't trust Ben' written in her journal, whose contents reveal that the only person she can trust is herself. Watson handles what could have turned into a cheap narrative gimmick brilliantly, building to a chillingly unexpected climax. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
"Review" by , "An exceptional thriller. It left my nerves jangling for hours after I finished the last page."
"Review" by , "A deft, perceptive exploration of a fascinating neurological condition, and a cracking good thriller."
"Review" by , "A deeply unsettling debut that asks the most terrifying question — what do you have left when you lose yourself?"
"Review" by , "A truly amazing debut. The central character, Christine, is beautifully drawn. It's hard to imagine a more compelling, believable and sympathetic portrayal of a damaged human being. I loved it from start to finish."
"Review" by , "Quite simply the best debut novel I have ever read."
"Review" by , "Combining the psychological screw-tightening of Patricia Highsmith with the high concept of Memento, S.J. Watson's Before I Go to Sleep is an amnesia thriller you won’t soon forget."
"Review" by , "An exceptional thriller. It left my nerves jangling for hours after I finished the last page."
"Review" by , "The best debut novel I've ever read."
"Review" by , “This mesmerizing, skillfully written debut novel works on multiple levels. It is both an affecting portrait of the profound impact of a debilitating illness and a pulse-pounding thriller whose outcome no one could predict.” (starred review)
"Review" by , “An intriguingly fresh look at the amnesia-focused psychological thriller....A captivating and highly suspenseful read, populated with believable characters who lead the reader through a taut, well-constructed plot.”
"Review" by , “Brilliant in its pacing, profound in its central question, suspenseful on every page and satisfying in its thriller ending.”
"Review" by , “Watson’s debut novel unwinds as a story that is both complicated and compellingly hypnotic....Watson’s pitch-perfect writing propels the story to a frenzied climax that will haunt readers long after they’ve closed the cover on this remarkable book.”
"Review" by , “Memories — real, false, and a bit of both — are at the heart of Watson’s haunting, twisted debut....Watson handles what could have turned into a cheap narrative gimmick brilliantly, building to a chillingly unexpected climax.” (starred review)
"Review" by , “The summer’s single most suspenseful plot belongs to Before I Go to Sleep....pure page-turner.”
"Synopsis" by , S. J. Watson makes his powerful debut with this;compelling, fast-paced psychological thriller, reminiscent of Shutter Island and Memento, in which an amnesiac who, following a mysterious accident, cannot remember her past or form new memories desperately tries to uncover the truth about who she is, and who she can trust.
spacer
spacer
  • back to top
Follow us on...



Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.