Memory and identity

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No matter how straightforward an event might seem, it will be remembered and interpreted in a different way by different people. One person might even give an altered version of the same event if asked to recount it at different moments in times. With memories closely linked to identity, does this mean that our sense of self is fluid and changeable?

To reflect on this, I highly recommend:

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
Winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize, this is the story of Tony Webster, who, already retired, receives a letter that will make him think about his past and reconsider some of the truths that he didn’t think he would ever question. Easily read in one sitting, you will be thinking about it for much longer.

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
Moving and full of twists in the best Picoult tradition, this is the story of Delia Hopkins, who, in her thirties, discovers that her beloved father has been lying to her since she was four. Torn between the life that she’s had and the life that she could have had, Delia needs to reassess her life and the truths that she’s always taken for granted.

Comments

  1. Jeane2 December 2011 at 17:14

    Silvia, you are so right about what you wrote and I have been rethink about something important which happened in the past...and wondered if I just followed one way of thinking about it and what if another way was more true.

    Both books sound interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Silvia_reads15 December 2011 at 20:51

    That's right. Both books are great and give so much food for thought. Highly recommended!

    ReplyDelete

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