Mapping the interior: Book review




Book review


Title: Mapping the interior
Author: Stephen Graham Jones
Genre: Fiction/Horror

Mapping the interior is one of those kind of stories which explores the relationship between memory, trauma and loss of a loved one. 

We have our narrator named Junior who is on the brink of adolescence. Junior is yearning to connect with his dad who drowned under mysterious circumstances. Junior was barely four and the memories of his father are blurred. The story begins with Junior sighing his father’s ghost in his trailer home where he lives with his cognitively impaired brother Dino and his mother. At first Junior thinks the ghost has come to save his family. Later he is filled with apprehension and fear. Junior is forced to confront the ghosts of the past and delve deeper into the realms between the two worlds. 

The entire story is narrated in first person from the point of view of Junior. The prose is raw mending authenticity to the character’s voice. The setting is inside the protagonist’s memory and gives a glimpse of the Native American world. 

From the first line, the story hooks you. The presence of the spirit ranges from being heartwarming to instances of horror. Throughout the book, you travel with Junior into his quest to find out the truth and into the dark world of imagination.  Themes of loss and loneliness are touched upon here. 

Mapping the interior is an intense read. It brings out the effects of an unsettled past and how it haunts an individual forget. It’s a heady mix of genres- Psychological fiction, horror and American history.there is a lot that is packed in this book. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Heidi: Movie review

Image
I had read this classic by Johanna Spyri as a little girl. I won it as a prize along with my merit card when I was graduating from Primary to Middle School.  When I stumbled upon this on Amazon Prime, I was delighted. It always feels good to watch your favorite fictional characters on screen. Its often slated that the book is always better as it captures a lot more depth with regards to the plot and characters. However a couple of adaptations that I had seen in the recent past made a good watch. A couple of them ended up being a visual treat. One was The Call of the Wild which showcased the beauty of the Alaskan Wilderness. Another one was Heidi which exhibited the splendor of the snow clad Alps.  Heidi is the story of a young orphaned girl who is sent to live in the mountains with her rather eccentric grandfather-who is known as Alm Uncle by the villagers. Heidi manages to melt his heart as he develops an affection for her. She spends her carefree days in t...
Read more

100 meters : Movie Review

Image
Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the i...
Read more

My friend Ganesha: Friendship with God

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b7ab149a-5f35-4861-8859-6a890ddb71fe Loneliness often propels one to longingly seek a friend. Times like these often push us into a solitary stance or we find our solace in the road to spirituality striking an unspoken friendship with God. My friend Ganesha is one such film which depicts this divine friendship between a child and the elephant faced God and takes you down the mythological lane. The movie revolves around a family consisting of Ashu, his parents, aunt and the maid Gangubhai who places her sincere devotion in Lord Ganapathy. Ashu is a lonely child devoid of any friends and to top it all he is bullied by his counterparts at every given opportunity. To make matters worse, his parents who are caught up with the corporate lifestyles hardly spend time with him. One day he ends up saving a little mouse from the harsh rains. On sharing this with the maid, leaves her enthralled enough to tell him of being the...
Read more