Before I Go to Sleep is the first novel by S. J. Watson, published in the spring of 2011. It became both a Sunday Times and The New York Times bestsellerDebut Novel Before I Go To Sleep triumphs over industry big hitters from 'What Shall I Read?', by Jonny on 7 November 2011 at 11:22 am and has been translated into over 40 languages. It has become a bestseller in France, Canada, Bulgaria and the Netherlands. It reached number 7 on the U.S. bestseller list, the highest position for a debut novel by a British author since J. K. Rowling. The New York Times described the author as an "out-of-nowhere literary sensation".Stars scramble to shine in literary sensation, John Harlow, The Australian 8 August 2011 He wrote the novel between shifts whilst working as a National Health Service (NHS) audiologist.The novelist explains how he was inspired by an amnesiac's experience, and the challenges of writing in the first person from Paperback Q&A, The Guardian, 10 January 2012
Plot The novel is a psychological thriller about a woman suffering from anterograde amnesia. She wakes up every day with no knowledge of who she is. The novel follows her as she tries to reconstruct her memories from a journal she has been keeping. She learns that she has been seeing a doctor who is helping her to recover her memory, that her name is Christine Lucas, that she is 47 years old and married and has a son. As her journal grows it casts doubts on the truth behind this knowledge as she determines to discover who she really is.
Reception John O'Connell writing in The Guardian is full of praise: "it's exceptionally accomplished – like David Nicholls's One Day, a brilliant example of how an unpromisingly high-concept idea can be transformed by skilful execution", "The structure is so dazzling it almost distracts you from the quality of the writing. No question, this is a very literary thriller." and concludes "The most unnerving aspect of Before I Go to Sleep is the way it is rooted in the domestic, the suburban, the trivial. Forget whizz-bang futurism: it proceeds from ordinary life in tiny, terrifying steps, and is all the better for it. The Escher staircase has an oatmeal carpet."Two novels explore a recurring theme by John O'Connell, The Guardian, 2011-04-16. James Kidd of The Independent has minor reservations :"Watson's take on the material is clever, convincing and moreish. Christine's life is mundane, but filled with tantalising possibilities: the early chapters fly by as you wonder exactly who to trust. The fun comes from spotting the plot holes that Watson later exploits for all they're worth." and he concludes "The ending feels hurried; a sentimental postscript to the meticulously plotted main event. But these are minor gripes. Before I Go to Sleep is an enjoyable and impressive first novel."Dear diary: Is that a stranger in my bed, or have I lost my memory (again!)? by James Kidd, The Independent, 2011-05-01. Craig Ranapia in the New Zealand Listener also has reservations, but concludes that the novel is 'slickly readable': "Watson scrupulously plays fair as he unpicks the tangled web surrounding our heroine, until the denouement. The last section turns on a character’s opportune inattention – after being surreally observant for the previous 300 pages – so the last piece of the puzzle can be uncovered. It was a cheat I couldn’t forgive or forget." but concludes "Before I Go to Sleep is still a slickly readable trip across familiar ground that leaves me looking forward to Watson’s second novel."Our reviewer’s verdict on the first selection of the Listener Book Club by Craig Ranapia, 2012-03-23.
Awards Winner of the 2011 Crime Writers' Association John Creasey (New Blood) DaggerS.J. Watson wins the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger 2011 from Crime Writers Association website. Retrieved 2012-11-19. Winner of the Galaxy National Book Award for Thriller & Crime Novel of the Year, 2011Winners 2011 | National Book Awards 2012 Retrieved 2012-11-22. Winner of the Dutch Crimezone Debut of the Year, 2012 Winner of the French for best Crime Novel, 2012 Winner of the Crimefest Audible Sounds of Crime Award for Best Unabridged Audiobook, 2012 (read by Susannah Harker)
Publication history 2011, UK, Doubleday, , Pub date 1 Apr 2011, Hardback 2011, Australia, Text Publishing, , Pub date 2 May 2011, PaperbackBefore I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson | Penguin Books Australia Retrieved 2012-11-24. 2011, US, HarperCollins, , Pub date 14 Jun 2011, Hardback 2012, UK, Black Swan, , Pub date 1 Jan 2012, Paperback 2012, UK, Audiobooks, , Pub date 1 Mar 2012, audio (read by Susannah Harker) 2012, US, HarperCollins, , Pub date, 07 Deb 2011, Paperback
Film adaptation
Ridley Scott acquired the film rights and hired Rowan Joffé as director.Dear diary: Is that a stranger in my bed, or have I lost my memory (again!)?, James Kidd, The Independent, Sunday 1 May 2011 Nicole Kidman leads as Christine Lucas with Colin Firth as her husband.Nicole Kidman Wants Colin Firth For Before I Go To Sleep, by Lauren Humphries-Brooks, 16 November 2012. Mark Strong plays Dr Edmund Nash and Anne-Marie Duff plays Christine's friend, Claire.MOVIE NEWSMark Strong Joins Nicole Kidman For Before I Go To Sleep by Kristy Puchko, 2012-11-01. The film was shot in London and at Twickenham Studios.Empire Online: Colin Firth Joins Before I Go To Sleep, A reunion with Nicole Kidman Written by James White, 7 February 2013. Source: Variety
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References
External links
Gillespie and I / Jane Harris interview / Before I Go To Sleep | Scottish Book Trust