Red Shift

 

Red Shift by Alan Garner


"This is a 156 page paperback from the '70s, written for teens. How hard can it be?"

"Does the name Samuel Beckett mean anything to you?"

(not a quote from the book - this is my brain speaking to itself.)

Let me start by saying "don't read this book". At least, not yet. Trust me, you're going to need some help here. If I had not heard The Folk Horror Podcast (now defunct, I believe) episode about Red Shift, I don't know that I would have found this book as quickly as I did. I most certainly would NOT have understood what was going on. The gentlemen on that podcast did a great job of analyzing both the novel and the television version of Red Shift. Sure, they spoiled it like a renegade piece of shrimp left under the couch for a month, but, honestly, without spoilers, I don't know that I would have understood half of what was going on.

This is a hard book. Get some help, then read it!

My facetious comment about Beckett was, well, not really all that facetious. In fact, I'd say that most of Samuel Beckett's short stories are more easily comprehended (though not his "big three," which are among the most challenging works I've ever read). It's okay to have a help, a guide. Dante had his Virgil. I would recommend finding The Folk Horror Podcast episode on Red Shift, then reading
This is a book that will bear re-reading, at least for me. I had glimpses of a psychological and emotional depth that peeked out from between the lines every once in a while, but since I was struggling to "keep up," these were acknowledged and quickly darted away from my conscious mind. Next time I read this, I want to dive in headfirst, even though I know it's going to break my heart even more than it did the first time (thank goodness I didn't read this as a teenager - I don't think I ever would have recovered from that depressive episode). Next time, I'm telling Virgil to stay put. Next time, I'm going at it alone, going in without a crutch, facing this head on, and taking my lumps.

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