A Man Lies Dreaming

A Man Lies Dreaming
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of Bookbridgr

Deep in the heart of history's most infamous concentration camp, a man lies dreaming. His name is Shomer, and before the war he was a pulp fiction author. Now, to escape the brutal reality of life in Auschwitz, Shomer spends his nights imagining another world - a world where a disgraced former dictator now known only as Wolf ekes out a miserable existence as a low-rent PI in London's grimiest streets.

The main narrative of the book is with Wolf in the alternate 1930's London, and it's incredibly chilling and disturbing, with the rise of British Fascists. We still see little glimpses of the camp and Shomer, and it's intertwined fantastically with the main narrative. The book is incredibly well written and has a dark atmosphere that oozes off the page. There's plenty of pulp tropes thrown in. Not to mention the creepy bits with the killer, waaay creepy, who reminded me a bit of Jack the Ripper, but that's probably because of the victims the killer chose. 

I enjoyed the book, I could have done without that much knowledge of Hitler's hanky panky but still, it's a very interesting read. It's a book that's going to make you think and you'll still be thinking about it a few weeks from now. 

I thought the author's note was a nice addition as well, letting us know what's true in both narratives, and adding more insight in to the story and the times and so on. I'm a sucker for history knowledge to be honest, and I'm always fascinated when reading author's notes and discovering what's actually true and what isn't, I always end up learning something. 

This book is a chilling and dark book, graphic and violent with a realistic take on history. Normally my reviews are longer than this, but I really can't think of anything else to say, the book doesn't flinch from the darker parts of this particular historical event, and it's, like I said, fantastically written. I honestly cannot think what else to say about the book, other than give it a try!