The Blues, Mary

By: Sarah Kay. Format: eBook. Read: August 2012.

     A young man has come to New York from his hometown in Ireland. He encounters a love affair with music, especially the soulful sounds of the blues. Along the path of self-discovery and trying to fulfill his dreams, he meets Mary. Will he succeed in New York? Will he fulfill his dreams, and find a life filled with happiness? This is the story of one man’s journey in life.
  
    Sarah Kay shows extreme talent by writing a novel entirely in a stream-of-consciousness form. There is a morbid undertone as he is forced to face who he is, and where he belongs. Readers will find an unlikely friend in the main character, as they can relate to the struggles of dreaming outside of the normal guidelines of life. Though some readers will not like the style, others will enjoy this rare form of storytelling.

It has been a few years since I have read a book written in this style, and it was a nice change of pace. A man struggles of not wanting to conform to society and has doubts about his self-worth along the way. Every human on earth has lived with those thoughts at some time in their life, and this book chronicles the running dialogue we have had in our heads but never dared to speak out loud. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy stream-of-conscience essays, or to readers who want to read a unique story. Kay is an amazing author, and I will be looking into reading her other books. She has put into words, what the music conveys to the soul, this book is definitely “the blues.”

Have you ever read a Sarah Kay novel? Do you enjoy reading a story that is told directly from the thoughts of the main character? Which genre of music do you prefer?

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Note: The publisher, Propertius Press, provided a copy of this book for me to review.