The Book Burner
- Andy Bracken
- Dec 1, 2015
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 5
Love. What is it? Does it exist? Are you sure?
Can you define it? Does it last forever? How far would you go to demonstrate it?
Eddie Raymond loves his wife, Emily. That's why he holds on and can't let go. But to demonstrate his love, he has to let go. That was the promise he made her.
Ultimately, perhaps love is precisely that - letting go, With love.
Author Notes
A strange experience for me, this one. It dates from fairly early on in my writing ‘career’, first appearing in print in December 2015. This was my fifth book published that calendar year. That’s misleading, though, as the first three were largely penned over 2013-2014.
I’d established some of the Brakeshire geography in ‘Reflections Of Quercus Treen’, but this was where I began to expand that into a more fully formed landscape. Albeit, not quite accurately. It’s always been my intention to revisit it, and bring it in line with the subsequent map.
Eddie Raymond is the main character. He looks after his wife, Emily, because she’s in a comatose state. It’s quite emotional. But funny, too, as I recall. See my notes on ‘What Ven Knew’ for why that’s important.
Whereas 'What Ven Knew' was a comedy with tragic parts, this book is more of a tragedy with lighter moments, the antithesis, if you like. It’ll make you laugh, and it’ll make you cry. That’s been said so many times about my books, this one as much as any.
It’s a good book. But it didn’t perform. The few people who read it, tend to regard it highly.
Friend and fellow author, Dave Thompson, said of it, "...a tight bundle of psychological dramas that wrap and rewrap around one another, but effectively boil down to one man's search for a long ago truth - which he had never even questioned, until the chance rediscovery of an old borrowed book, while clearing the house in preparation for never having to worry about anything again. Written with dry, but deliberate wit, a sharp eye for the extremes of emotional nuance and a definite talent for twists, it's a journey through a hidden world of family secrets, dramas and tragedies."
Yes, that sums it up rather nicely!
I took some time off after this one, and didn’t write again for over eighteen months, as I moved house and busied myself with fixing the place up. But I was thinking. All the while, I was formulating ideas, concepts, plots and twists...
Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Very Intense Love Story
"This is an amazing book. It made me laugh and it made me cry. It’s a great love story. But not any love story. A very powerful and intense story of the love of an old (but not much) man for his wife. This man had to go through a lot throughout his life. He should feel frustration and even rage for everything he had to go through. But he doesn’t. He loves his wife, who’s in a coma. And everything he does, he does it for her. The love he feels for his wife doesn’t leave much more space in his mind for bad thoughts. This story is beautifully written by Andy Bracken. It’s a life lesson. In the end of the book, I found myself staring at my window and thinking that I was privileged to have had the luck to read such a powerful book. It’s a great feeling. This book should be read by many more. If you’re not moved by the power and intensity of Bracken’s story and words, you should seek help."
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