Product Description

Eric Sanderson wakes up in a place he doesn't recognise, unable to remember who he is. Attacked by a force he cannot see and confronted with memories he cannot ignore, Eric discovers he is being hunted by a psychic predator, a shark. This creature may exist only in his mind, but it soon starts making some very real appearances in his world. Loaded with letters from his past self, each signed 'With regret and also hope, The First Eric Sanderson', Eric embarks on a quest to recover his life. A love story; an adventure; a psychological drama - this wild, touching, modern tale is cut through with an understated humour and warmth. The depths of love, language, memory and the inevitability of loss have never been plumbed with such deep-hearted imagination. It isn't all coming back to me. I don't know any of this at all. I felt that pricking horror, the one that comes when you realise the extent of something bad - if you're dangerously lost or you've made some terrible mistake - the reality of the situation creeping in through the back of your head like some pantomime Dracula. I did not know who I was. I did not know where I was. That simple. That frightening.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22791 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Review
"'Fast, sexy, intriguing, intelligent - The Raw Shark Texts is all these and more: a cult waiting to happen, a blockbuster begging to be made. Steven Hall is a truly fantastic storyteller. Investigate, now!' TOBY LITT 'The bastard love-child of The Matrix, Jaws and The Da Vinci Code.' MARK HADDON"

Review
'Clever, exciting, funny . . . and, finally, moving.'

Al Alvarez
"A great debut - clever, funny, touching, strange and highly
original."

Customer Reviews

Best fiction I've read in ages
A friend on another site suggested my buying the Rawshark Texts - and I was so glad I did. Building from an admittedly rather hackneyed beginning to a wonderful crescendo of clashing stereotypes, film culture references and just plain crazy it leaves you with a satisfying sense of "wouldn't it be great if life were really like this."

Sorry, that didn't sound so much like a recommendation. :)

Seriously, this book was literally the best I've read in a couple of years, and I read a hell of a lot of books. Order it, sit near the door trembling with apprehension waiting for it to slide through the slot, tear the wrapper off with your teeth and then lock yourself in the bathroom with it and a jug of hot coffee. Do not emerge until it has been read.

Really.

Then, after a shower and some hot food, get on the telephone to whichever movie company made "Fight Club" and start lobbying them to make a film.

Delightful On So Many Levels

It's difficult to know where to begin when describing The Raw Shark Texts. There's a temptation to make a "fugue state" styled pun then jump straight into discussing the technical aspects of the novel, but the thing that sets it aside, the thing that makes it stand out from other literary fiction, is THAT IT'S FUN. The joy of this book is that you can paddle in its shark infested waters at a depth YOU feel comfortable with because the writer has somehow managed to construct a text which feels instantly personal - it is skillful not showy, it is metered not forced, and because of this you cannot help but get involved and have a bloody good time. There will be a lot of other great reviews I'm sure (because this is set to become a cult classic) but don't be put off if many end up sounding like a Raw Shark thesis - this is a technically exciting novel, but it's the love and loss themes and the simple pleasure of being guided by such an able writer that make The Raw Shark Texts a fantastic book.

The Mark Z. Danielewski comparison is a good one, but for me House Of Leaves became overly interested in technical showmanship and at times the writing craftsmanship suffered; this is infinitely more enjoyable.... a MUST BUY novel for anyone who enjoys a great first edition, and a stunning debut to boot.

Just let it wash over you
Oh my God! This is his FIRST book? This story is absolutely stunning, and kept me awake into the small hours finishing it. then awake for a few more hours ruminating on the story. Finally I decided - don't try and analyse the plot or the characters - the whole thing is a stream of consciousness. Of course there are holes in the plot; naturally there are inconsistencies; fortunately there are numerous ambiguities. These "faults" are the whole point and part of the total reading experience. Don't look for tidy plotting and a neatly presented ending that ties up all the loose ends - the story is not constructed like that. The whole thing is an absolute gem, and if you can't follow it, or don't understand it, then you need to get out more.