Ahmed Essam El Essam El itibaren Otivaripalle, Andhra Pradesh 517422, Hindistan
Funny, chilling, heartbreaking. It tells the story of Charlie Gordon, a man with subnormal IQ, and the medical experiment that sends his mental capabilities on a dizzying upswing--at least for a while. It is told through progress reports that Charlie himself writes, and the changes in his style of writing (vocabulary, punctuation, sentence structure) are perhaps the most compelling manifestation of the changes occurring in his brain. It's a fascinating look at the entirety of human nature, especially the power and ephemerality of intelligence. As the reader follows Charlie's journey and sees what he gains and loses along the way, it really makes one think about what things in life are the most important.
** spoiler alert ** Wow! Is there more? Does she find her? How does it go?
This was a hard read, but worth it after I hacked through the first few chapters. Paz gives really interesting insights into the formation of Mexican culture.