Title: The Zero
Author: Jess Walter
Publisher: Harper Collins Policeman Brian Remy has no idea what is going on. Five days after his city has been attacked, Remy is starting to experience 'gaps' in his life periods of lucid sanity in a world where nothing makes sense. He has a self-inflicted gunshot wound, his eyes are flecking over, as he slowly goes blind. This story is very much about 9/11, and the world after it, although it is never explicitly mentioned in the book. It follows Brian Remy as he is hired by an 'agency' to locate a woman, March Selios. Selios had been seen receiving a phone call, and rushing out of her office in the World Trade Center moments before the attacks. Suspecting that Selios may have had some knowledge of the plot which created 9/11, Remy is sent to find her. The subtext of the story is a dark look at the American society, as it absorbs the blows of the attacks, and how it brushes them off, profits, capitalizes, and trivializes the grief of so many. In one particular poignant scene, Remy brings his girlfriend, who had lost her estranged spouse during the 9/11 attacks. They lawyer tries to set a price on their lives, on their worth. He asks about vacations, about the happy memories they have had. This was an interesting story. However, it was hard to get into. Remy has 'gaps' in his life, and lucid moments. This book is not a continuous unbroken story; it is about the sections of Remy's life between the gaps. Between the moments caught in the book, Remy does not know what is going on. He discovers things that he may have done; and he does not always like what he learns. In the moments caught in the book, Remy is confused, but trying to do the right thing. In the moments not caught in the book, there are clues that Remy is a ruthlessly efficient man, working towards a specific goal, not necessarily with high ethical bindings. Because of the 'gaps', the story seems quite disjointed and unorganized at first; however, approaching the end of the book, Walter ties it all together in a masterful way. The plot is masterful; the ending is a surprise, although not necessarily a happy one. Having read The Zero, I will be sure to read more of Jess Walter's books; he is a master storyteller, and can keep his readers in suspense and excitement throughout the entire book. |
