What’s that you’re reading?

It’s a commonly accepted fact that “Only Forward” by Michael Marshall Smith is the best book of all time.

The question is why?  For me it’s the chapter towards the end of the book (might be the third last chapter), that is sort of like the main characters philosophical view on the meaning of life.  To date, I don’t think I’ve read another book that dedicates a whole chapter to spelling out the meaning of life.

When I was younger, I read Lord of the rings, and when I was done I didn’t ever want to read another book.  I thought Lord of the rings was so perfect that anything I read after that would have only been a let down.  I don’t think I read another book for about 4 months (and I normally read 1-2 a week).

I kind of had the same feelings about Only forward, but I’m a little older now and realise that things in life can’t always be perfect.

I just found the book on Amazon (for a penny), and this is the synopsis:

Stark lives in a conglomeration of self-governing neighbourhoods, each with their own peculiarity. Stark lives in Colour, where computers co-ordinate the tone of the secret fights to match the clothes that people wear. When the Actioneer Fell Alkland goes missing, Stark has to find him.

Well, If I read that synopsis I would never bother reading that book.  It makes it sound at best, awful, and at worst, really awful.  I’m suppose I’m glad that I judged this book by it’s funky cover and just gave it a bash.

So, if you’re looking to read the best book of all time, and are sick of all the other guff that you keep reading, then give Only Forward a bash.

My synopsis.

It’s about time travel – Kind of.  It’s a little about friendship, loyalty, identity, blah blah, this is sounding pretentious.  Right, listen, it’s got a bit in the book in which an entire neighbourhood is run by cats (They don’t talk or anything though).  Don’t think I’m selling this right.

Here’s a time line of the book:

start – A wee bit weird

just after the start – pretty cool futuristic world with a very odd anti hero main character

Mid – wee bit scary, future world not seeming so cool anymore

just before the end – the meaning of life

end – Very very sad, and you feel sad when you learn why the book is called Only Forward

So there you go. Read the book. What have you got to lose?

This book....Transformed my life!