The Brief History of the Dead

 
I think the worst is over as far as this bad cold is concerned. I’ve reached the summit and it goes downhill after that. Take a day or two, I’ll be back to my normal self again.

I spent the last few days holed up in bed. I tried to be a good samaritan and didn’t succumb to the temptation of going out to the mall today and run the risk of spreading the virus with my coughing, sneezing, and nose blowing workouts. I’m sure people will get infected because it’s the season, but it won’t be on my account.

One of the benefits of getting sick is giving you the time to read.

I loved reading ‘The Brief History of the Dead’ by Kevin Brockmeier. I confess this book isn’t for everybody. Its premise is sure to challenge one’s fundamental beliefs.

The story revolves around a future where life on earth has been decimated by a deadly virus. When people die, they go to a place and remain there until the people who have known them in life have also died. When that time comes, they disappear along with their memories.

It has struck a chord in me. I believe that when we die we remain the same as when we were alive. We retain our prejudices, likes, and dislikes. In addition, we stay in a temporary location similar to the one the book describes. However, it’s a place not based on someone else’s memory but rather on our own. It’s a place where we can recreate the town where we were born and the house where we grew up. It’s a place where we can meet the people who have died before us, the people we have loved and cared for and remained in our hearts. It’s a place where we stay until we outgrow it and are ready to face the next challenge.

I also enjoyed reading the book because I can relate to the main characters. They don’t exactly mirror my idiosyncrasies, but they remind me of them. I like to do a lot of walking. I have the habit of eating breakfast standing by the kitchen sink. I play memory games like remembering the names of people i met in the past such as grade school classmates, childhood friends, former teachers, etc. Sometimes it takes me weeks, but they do come back. I like to free a trapped insect even if it’s a fly. Weird, huh?

I think the book should have undergone further editing before it was published. For one thing, a couple of chapters are unnecessary and could be taken out. Still, it’s a good book. I highly recommend it to anybody with an open mind.