Description

By David Wardrop

ISBN: 9781849910156
Published: 2009
Pages: 172
Key Themes: fiction, mental health, suicidal thoughts, family

Description

AFTER by David Wardop is a story about mental anguish and suicide told in two parts. Keith Campbell is a quiet and shy boy who loves comic books and science fiction until he begins to contemplate suicide. The first part of the story, which is told in reverse order, describes the world of tragedy that is left after Keith dies with his family struggling to understand why he kills himself. The second half of the story, on the other hand, describes the world that Keith lives in because he did not commit suicide. This is a reflective and revealing account of one persons mental struggle with suicide and the effect that it has on his health and those who care about him.

What sets this novel apart is the fact that Keith takes his own life right and the novel opens after his death attempting to illustrate Keiths rationale for his suicide. The novel is, at first, depressing, sombre and dark, yet it progressively gets more blithe and hopeful. The novels conclusion is ironic and thought-provoking, and the reader has to remind himself,herself that although the novel ends on a positive note, because of the manner in which the narrative has been presented, this is not necessarily the case.

About the Author

David Keith Wardrop is 23 years old and lives in Bearsden in Glasgow. Currently, David is a full-time gardener at Ruchill Park in Glasgow and has written two other full-length novels entitled Sexanto and The Gardens of Zarma , along with various short stories for magazines. His main literary influence is Philip K. Dick and his futuristic stories such as Minority Report and Counter-Clock World . Other works that have inspired him include Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale and Brain K. Vaughn and his comics Ex Machina . David aspires to be a prolific sci-fi writer, and the thought of being published helps him to cope with his depression and envision a brighter future for himself.