notice_evrytree’s #CBR4 Review #07: The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris
The mysterious dynamic between the decay of the body and the infinite nature of the soul is difficult to quantify. The Unnamed examines one man’s struggle between the two–Tim Farnsworth’s belief in the soul waxes and wanes over the course of this deeply felt and masterfully paced tale of human relationships, psychology, and the unknowable realities of the self.
Tim clings violently to things he knows–his job, his family, his basic survival needs; hoping that he can regain his sense of purpose or loyalty, something inside himself to overcome the terrible, unnamed physical affliction that haunts him. This resolve dissolves as his disease claims victory again and again over his mind. He is freed from the “obnoxious certainty” that plagues our minds, that nagging voice that narrates the shoulds in our lives. The way we should move, think, hope, love, walk.
I loved this story. The ultimate hope, the presence of the soul, sustains the body even through the most difficult of tests. It is less a question if the soul exists, but the personal experience of being in the body and knowing once we face the mortal test that it isn’t the end. Though the answer doesn’t come easy, Tim remains, with or without his body’s permission. This spiritual journey is heartbreaking, uplifting, and challenging–overall, completely worthwhile.
Cannonball Read IV 
I really loved his debut novel, Then We Came to the End, so will definitely have to check this out. Great review.
Thank you!