The Notable Brain of Maximilian Ponder by J W Ironmonger

The Notable Brain of Maximilian Ponder

J W Ironmonger

How long would it take you to write down everything you could remember from even a part of your life? In this fascinating debut novel Max embarks on this very task including some memorable scenes from his African childhood. In turns funny, quirky, sad and gruesome this tale explores his lifelong obsession and how the ties of friendship can be stretched to the limit. Not always a comfortable read but totally different and very compelling.

Extract
This, then, is my Memory Chamber. This is where I come to revisit and rediscover my past. If I push open a door the reminiscences come to life. A light goes on, like the light in a refrigerator, and the characters within the chamber begin to move. I occupy each room like a hidden cameraman, viewing each scene, not through my own eyes, but through the imaginary eyes of a third person who can pan around the scene unnoticed, can float above and look down upon events, or who can sink into any body to see the scene from that participant's eyes.
Parallels
  • A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving
  • Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight: an African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller
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Violence