Thinking Man's Sci-Fi (K-Pax - Gene Brewer)

Member Name: cmh4135

Product:	K-Pax - Gene Brewer
Date:	10/04/02 (872 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: compelling and thought provoking

Disadvantages: none (although can be a little odd at times)

Book reviews are kind of like film reviews – hard to write. This review is possibly going to be even harder. I do not want to give away too much. I do not want to over analyse (you will soon see why) and, to make matters worse, it has been made into a film which comes to cinemas on 12 April!

K-PAX is humorous sci-fi. Not really my cup of tea at all – usually. I was sent the book free as part of a promotion and in keeping with my reputation as a wordy I had to read it. I never let a book beat me and this was going to be no exception.

Why did I worry? This is possibly one of the most compelling books I have read. It is almost impossible to categorise. Sci fi it certainly is, but not your usual type. Humorous? Yes, but possibly not intentionally so. Soul searching? Very much so. This is a thinking man’s book. A love story? Not in your traditional sense but yes, I think so.

The story centres around prot (intentionally uncapitalised and pronounced as in vote). prot has been admitted to the Manhattan Psychiatric Institute claiming to be from the planet K-PAX. He arrived on EARTH (intentionally capitalised) on a ray of light, a journey taking 7 EARTH months, yet in his reality no time at all. He is the patient of the “author”, Dr Gene Brewer, and this book is written in the first person by Brewer, containing a mixture of his reports, transcripts of conversations and other observations.

The method of writing is strangely compelling. Brewer as an author had great insight when he decided to write the book as though he were the doctor. It injects a level of believability into the story which might otherwise seem far-fetched. As we are led through the examination of prot we learn of Brewer’s disbelief of what his patient is telling him, leading Brewer to question himself and us to question both Brewer and ourselves.

Many of the thoughts that are conjured up throughout the book
are created as a result of the world of K-PAX. K-PAX would be to many, the perfect world. There are no politics, no religion, crime or schooling. K-PAXIANS do not work, the family unit does not exist, the world takes care of you. With a backdrop such as this it is relatively easy to create a character that develops with almost simple naivety, yet coupled with amazing intellectual background. As Brewer seeks to analyse and to rationalise prot’s behaviour we, as the reader, are forced to question what is happening. I find myself analysing alongside Brewer – do we force people into behavioural patterns? What would happen if we didn’t? Would life be like K-PAX?

Reading back over what I have just written I find that I have made the book sound confusing, almost overly intellectual. This book has really got me thinking, but it raises far more questions than answers. I do think that it is a book that can be enjoyed on all levels. You could read it, easily and unquestioningly and enjoy it for the printed word, or as you read you can think and join in the analysis of the unknown. This book could almost be made the subject of a psychology course as much of the analysis taps into well founded psychological theorems.

What is almost guaranteed is that, upon reading this, you will be lead into a world that will be turned upside-down. In a way not unlike that seen in Monster’s Inc, it takes an outsider (in that case the little girl Boo) to show a system what is wrong with it (in that case scaring instead of laughter). I could analyse but out of context this would add nothing to the review.

K-PAX is part of a trilogy and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one in the series (K-PAX II on a beam of light) as soon as my husband has finished it! The third book in the series is due out this summer (K-PAX III the worlds of prot).

As yet I am undecided as to whether to go and see the film. Kevin Spacey (apt
or what!) and Jeff Bridges star. The website (www.k-pax.com) is well worth the visit, but if you are going to read the book, I would do that before visiting.

Summary: