I am a huge reader but recently I’ve been craving something a bit different, something that messes with the very fabric of storytelling, the kind that make you work for the narrative. Think House of Leaves, but with a fresh, intriguing twist. That's what led me to Steven Hall’s The Raw Shark Texts, and boy was it a journey.
The story is quite difficult to describe in a nutshell but I’ll try: Eric Sanderson wakes up with amnesia, only to be contacted by someone claiming to be his past self (or a past self, things get weirdly murky). This other Eric warns him about a ‘Ludovician,’ a Great White Shark made of pure language that hunts memories, traveling through time and space. Yep, you read that right.
What starts as a strange thriller, with Eric desperately trying to outrun this conceptual predator, morphs into a bizarre road movie. Scout, a mysterious young woman, enters and helps guide him to fight back using ‘un-space,’ the power of words, and knowledge gleaned from a slightly unhinged professor and an ancient secret society. And just when you think you've got a handle on things, the book throws you another curveball, evolving into a strange homage to Jaws and Moby Dick.
Author Steven Hall has crafted something truly unique here. You're constantly questioning the reality of what's happening, wondering if Eric is a reliable narrator through this linguistic labyrinth. The book's ergodic design is a real commitment, demanding active participation from the reader. The roughly 40 pages dedicated to a Ludovician attack is not just reading but it's an experience. You have to see it to believe it.
Now, I won't lie, the narrative does get a little sluggish in places and there were moments where I had to push through, but the central premise is so gosh darned intriguing that I always felt compelled to keep going. It's got this mature, slightly unsettling Dr Who vibe mixed with the textual playfulness of Danielewski's House of Leaves, all stirred up with a dash of Simigo’s videogamesque storytelling.
I'd recommend The Raw Shark Texts with a caveat: it's definitely not for everyone. If you like your narratives neat and tidy, stay clear, but if you're up for a mind-bending adventure that challenges your perception of storytelling and isn't afraid to get weird, then dive in.