The Forgetting Room by Nick Bantock

I just finished a fabulous book and had to share...

Book Description (from the inside cover)
When his grandfather dies, Armon inherits the family home in Ronda, Spain, and finds himself trying to unravel the surreal conundrum his grandfather has left for him. Armon begins to remember his childhood art lessons, and gradually, as his grandfather's studio takes hold of him, he finds himself pulled, day by day, toward a most extraordinary elliptic link with his past.

Binding art and text in a narrative marriage, Nick Bantock takes us to the Forgetting Room, where he teases us through a tale of discovery, revenge, alchemy, and Moorish legend.

The Forgetting Room has been described as “equal parts diary, novel, artistic work-in-progress and surrealist game” and I have to agree. It's an artistic adventure into the mind of the main character. It's mentally visually stunning, if that makes sense. As you read, you become Armon; you see what he sees, you feel what he feels and the urge to paint, to collage, to create is overwhelming.

It can be a little disjointed at times, but if you can overlook that - it's magical.

It's funny too (huh-funny, not ha-ha funny), that I would happen upon this book now. I've really been getting interested in collage art. I mean, I've done collage before, but it wasn't really my thing. Lately, I've been drawn more and more to it. And then to find this book on my bookshelf...well, I knew it was on the shelf. I'd looked at it a million times, but I never picked it up to read it. You see, it belonged to my ex and must have been thrown into my box of books when I moved out 5 years ago. When I started unpacking my books last fall, I put it on the shelf, thinking that maybe someday I'd read it. But I just couldn't bring myself to read it...it was Pete's...and everything that once belonged to Pete held too many memories for far too long.

But broke down and finally read it. And I loved it! I highly recommend it.