Review & Response: Nod by Adrian Barnes

Despite the decision to pursue a degree in English Literature with Creative Writing I've always had a short attention span most clear when trying to read. So often I'd pick up a book, prepared and excited to read, but would too soon find myself doing something else. Eventually I might forget about the book, maybe even start reading something else, which would always be problematic. I can safely say that Nod kept my attention very well, effectively capturing my imagination from the first page.

I was fortunate enough to hear Adrian Barnes speaking about his book at the University of Huddersfield whilst he was in the UK recently and got a signed copy of the book. Adrian Barnes in person  was charming and the way he spoke about Nod won me over instantly. Nod, though commonly classified by some as 'sci-fi', isn't the science fiction we're all too familiar with. The premise of the story is the morning comes and everyone in the world hasn't slept. Well, a few have - some adults and children, but it's rare. Soon people realise it wasn't just them unable to sleep, but some sort of unexplained worldwide epidemic. Though the first day of a worldwide case of chronic sleep deprivation seems harmless on the first day those who were unable to sleep cannot seem to switch off at all. This leads to the realisation that they'll eventually  come to some sort of sleep psychosis resulting in a loss of sanity and themselves altogether. Told through the point of view of misanthropic protagonist Paul, one of the few people still able to sleep, he details the panic and the breakdown that this event births.

Nod, published via Bluemoose Books and now shortlisted for a Clarke Award, craftily captures a sense of panic and masterfully blends humour, truth and pain. I can safely say I found it to be the best book I've read in some time. I'd highly recommend this book particularly to anyone who enjoys zombie films/fiction. This book has the same sense of panic, societal breakdown and sudden lack of bodily control. It is essentially a zombie novel without zombies, the monstrosity taken out of the conventional tale of the undead. Instead we are left with a tale about humans losing grip on their own humanity. Barnes was a new name to me but it's certainly a name I shall now be following. Every page is so perfectly crafted, sprinkled with humour and dry wit in all the right places. Reading it I couldn't help think that this is a book that should be adapted for screen as it'd make a gripping film. A wonderful concept, perfectly executed and a combination of tragedy and human nature. This is the book you need to add to your summer holiday reading list - just maybe not reading before bed. Any trouble getting to sleep may leave you paranoid that you're falling to a similar fate.

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