Read this last night when I was having trouble sleeping. The author has written screenplays for Stanley Kubrick, this is a pacifist story published just before WWII.

It’s very well written, nicely shifting viewpoints and impressions as Johnny regains consciousness in hospital, having lost all senses and ability to interact. The stream of consciousness as he tries to control his attention and wrestles with nihilism and powerlessness was very effective.

It refers to a way of life that is very dead now — a bucolic childhood, if poor. It’s a PKD-worthy thought experiment about what is left when the senses are removed.

Rating: Enjoyed it and would recommend to others.