Coma

Alex Garland is a well known author and director. His most famous work is for "The beach". In my opinion he has written another brilliant book that deserves attention. That book is "Coma".

I read coma for the first time when I was in college. I liked it back then. I read it again a few years later and I enjoyed it even more. I read it again in my early 30s and I could relate more towards it. Recently I read it again and I saw it in a different light. This is when I felt this book deserves to be recognized.

First let me start with a plot summary: A man in his late 30s or early 40s is on his way to return home from his office. He gets attacked on the way which sends his into coma. He wakes up from the coma and sees the whole world differently. At several instances he is unable to figure out what is real and what is his imagination.

Coma cannot be classified as a thriller. But it has a lot of aspects which add layers of mystery. We read the first person POV of a coma patient. The coma patient feels like a completely different person after waking up from the coma. The life before coma stops making sense. The life after the coma feels uncertain. He questions his reality. He questions his sanity.

The books makes us think about the life around us. It makes us question our own beliefs. Sometimes it also questions our sanity. This book is a whirlwind of emotions. One may find it little dark but that is the essence of it. Also, you will see it differently as per the stage of your life. When I read it in college, I was drawn to it as a medical suspense. Later in my life I could relate to the protagonist's thought. When I read it in 30s I would understand his frustration. Now, I see the world through his lense.

This book has something for everyone, irrespective of what you are seeking. It serves as a fine piece of literature for a book lover. It serves as a study for a medical student to understand the mind of a coma patient. It will help psychologist, therapists, and psychiatrists to see the world from a patient's perspective. For anyone looking for entertainment, they will find the right amount of it in this book.

This book deals with a complex topic. This topic is rarely discussed openly. Coma patients are told the stories about what happened when they were in comatose. But rarely coma patients tell their own stories. They are rarely given the opportunity to speak openly about their thoughts and feelings. This book opened my eyes towards this complicated yet essential aspect. THEIR STORIES MATTER TOO.

I had lent to book to a lot of friends and relatives with a disclaimer: if it is too dark for you, then stop right there.

To all readers, this is a fantastic book. But take it with a pinch of salt.