To me, the division within the Tuesday and Thursday posts is needless. I'll start reorganizing the blog and updating the archives to indicate the change. The Coma by Alex Garland A man wakes up from a coma to be in a life he knows nothing about. Aside from being completely lost, he's become prone to periods of blackouts where he has no recollection of what he's done or how he got where he went. The Coma isn't a novel for everyone. It's very much about executing a bizarre concept rather than producing prose that will appeal to a large audience. The narrow focus is successful, for the mystery and fear produced by the man's unfortunate situation demands attention. Perhaps the best way to describe the book is to detail one of the most powerful scenes. The man is trying to force himself to wake up, convinced he must still be in the coma. He wakes up into a world of darkness, in which he can't move, can't breathe, and can't cry for help. The darkness envelopes him, causing him to panic. Could this actually be his reality? Or is it another symptom of his confusing situation? If that sounds compelling, I'd recommend giving the novel a try. If it sounds too strange or boring, then I'd recommend passing on the book.