About halfway through The Scar I set it aside to read a book by M. John Harrison I’d gotten from the library, Signs of Life. Harrison is an author China Miéville, the author of The Scar admires and is recommended by man of his fans.

My nature, being what it is, I picked up the one Harrison book the local library had in, and then, figuring I should read it and get it back instead of just sitting on it while I finished The Scar, I did just that.

Signs of Life is a very different book than the one I had set aside. It is told from the perspective of a man named Mick, nicknamed , in an odd coincidence, China. It spans about 2 decades from his early thirties to early fifties, most of which revolves around his relationship with a woman named Isobel.

There’s no well defined, overarching plot in the book, but it nevertheless draws you into Mick, and his friends and Isobel’s, world. Much of Mick and Isobel’s personalities and interactions reminds me of Rachel and me – Isobel of me and Mick of Rachel, although to a lesser extent in the Mick/Rachel case. Isobel at times seems almost an extreme version of me and my fumbling quest at meaning, self, connectoin and, at times, independence.

Needless to say the book has evoked some introspection on my part. Beyond that, I will definitely say it is very well written. Harrison’s portrayal of individuals, their hopes, fears, idiosyncracies, disfunctions and self-destructiveness is all to realistic and vivid. This is not a light book by any means. I suppose if you are amazing well adjusted, or in complete denial, this book will not resonate with you much, if at all, but if you are like most people, messed up inside about more than a couple things, it will.

Now, whether you like the book and its ending is another thing. Maybe it will resonate too much, disturb thing too much. Maybe it will be so far out of your experience you won’t connect with the characters. Maybe the ending will leave you unsatisfied (and I’m not going to say why, sorry, no spoilers).

All that said, I think I would recommend to most people to at least try reading it.

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