The Man without a Shadow

Joyce Carol Oates

ISBN 10: 1504694694 ISBN 13: 9781504694698

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers and Blackstone Audio, 2016

Synopsis

In 1965, neuroscientist Margot Sharpe meets Elihu Hoopes -- the ''man without a shadow'' -- whose devastated memory, unable to store new experiences or to retrieve the old, will make him the most famous and most studied amnesiac in history. Over the course of the next thirty years, Margot herself becomes famous for her experiments with E. H.""and inadvertently falls in love with him. Oates tracks the intimate, illicit relationship between Margot and Eli, as scientist and subject embark upon an exploration of mysteries of the human brain. Where does ''memory'' reside? Where is ''love''? Is it possible to love an individual who cannot love you, who cannot ''remember'' you from one meeting to the next?

About this title

From the Back Cover:

In 1965, neuroscientist Margot Sharpe meets Elihu Hoopes: the “man without a shadow,” who will be known, in time, as the most-studied and most famous amnesiac in history. A vicious infection has clouded anything beyond the last seventy seconds just beyond the fog of memory.

Over the course of thirty years, the two embark on mirrored journeys of self-discovery: Margot, enthralled by her charming, mysterious, and deeply lonely patient, as well as her officious supervisor, attempts to unlock Eli’s shuttered memories of a childhood trauma without losing her own sense of self in the process. Made vivid by Oates’ usual eye for detail, and searing insight into the human psyche, The Man Without a Shadow is eerie, ambitious, and structurally complex, unique among her novels for its intimate portrayal of a forbidden relationship that can never be publicly revealed.

About the Author:

Joyce Carol Oates is a recipient of the National Book Award and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction, among other major awards. She is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Princeton University and has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1978. In 2003 she received the Common Wealth Award for Distinguished Service in Literature and the Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement, and in 2006 she received the Chicago Tribune Lifetime Achievement Award.

Susan Hanfield is an Audie Award-winning narrator who comes from a strong classical theater background and loves bringing deep characterizations to all of her work. She has narrated over twenty books, including Ru Emerson's six-book Night-Threads series. On camera, she has been seen commercially and in numerous international, national, and regional network spots. She also played the title character in Magdalene, an award-winning short film.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers and Blackstone Audio
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1504694694
• ISBN 13: 9781504694698
• Binding: Audio CD
• Number of pages: 1