Ravenscrag

The latest book from Quebec writer Farah (Pourquoi Bologne, a finalist for a Governor General's Literary Award) is an experimental work of fictional autobiography. Shifting between two time periods, 1962 and 2012, a professor at McGill University in Montreal attempts to solve the conspiracy at the center of his life. But his memory is faulty, with gaps and inconsistencies. Places, people, and objects become telescoped, while encounters with water trigger some impossible memories; even dinosaurs make an appearance. Through his investigation he relives scenes from not only his past, including a childhood split between a Catholic orphanage and a mother who would gamble her own son in order to pay off her debts, but also scenes from the memories of other people, including his deceased uncle, Nab Safi, a man once bent on a similar investigation. The elusive Dr. Cameron, a psychiatrist who was once engaged in deprogramming experiments, is at the center of it all. Translated by Lederhendler, who won a Governor-General's Award for translation in 2008, this novel is part thriller and part surreal adventure. At times a challenging read, it is, nevertheless, a page-turner to the very end. (Feb.)