Martin Amis - Time's Arrow

Time's Arrow is a peculiar book from Martin Amis. This is the strange story of a 'person' who lives inside of a man. He can see out of the man's eyes, hear, feel physical sensation, and to some extent the emotions of his 'host.' The 'person' cannot act or in any way affect his environment in any way. The peculiar thing about this co-residency is that the 'person' experiences the host's life backwards.

Beginning with an old man in an old-age home being shocked with paddles, this character, with basic knowledge of the world already present, must learn to understand people talking backwards (he springs to life already knowing English).

Amis masterfully describes this character's life as it tries to make sense of things appearing whole out of a fire, eating, and using the bathroom. His descriptions of interactions with people is incredible: from making sense of a single conversation, to long term relationships with co-workers and lovers.

In particular, since the host is a doctor, we find a bizarre world where hospitals are places where the injuries are created, dead come to life, and babies disappear.

We clue in, to some extent, as to why this has happened, by the time the host character becomes a vigorous middle-aged man and his 'career' in Europe during world-war II is revealed.

Definitely the kind of book that deserves re-reading. Both entertaining and thought provoking.