Lost Memory of Skin

By: Russell Banks

Narrated by: Scott Shepherd

The acclaimed author of The Sweet Hereafter and Rule of the Bone returns with a provocative new novel that illuminates the shadowed edges of contemporary American culture with startling and unforgettable results.

Suspended in a strangely modern-day version of limbo, the young man at the center of Russell Banks’s uncompromising and morally complex new novel must create a life for himself in the wake of incarceration. Known in his new identity only as the Kid, and on probation after doing time for a liaison with an underage girl, he is shackled to a GPS monitoring device and forbidden to live within 2,500 feet of anywhere children might gather. With nowhere else to go, the Kid takes up residence under a south Florida causeway, in a makeshift encampment with other convicted sex offenders.

Barely beyond childhood himself, the Kid, despite his crime, is in many ways an innocent, trapped by impulses and foolish choices he himself struggles to comprehend. Enter the Professor, a man who has built his own life on secrets and lies. A university sociologist of enormous size and intellect, he finds in the Kid the perfect subject for his research on homelessness and recidivism among convicted sex offenders. The two men forge a tentative partnership, the Kid remaining wary of the Professor’s motives even as he accepts the counsel and financial assistance of the older man.

When the camp beneath the causeway is raided by the police, and later, when a hurricane all but destroys the settlement, the Professor tries to help the Kid in practical matters while trying to teach his young charge new ways of looking at, and understanding, what he has done. But when the Professor’s past resurfaces and threatens to destroy his carefully constructed world, the balance in the two men’s relationship shifts.

Suddenly, the Kid must reconsider everything he has come to believe, and choose what course of action to take when faced with a new kind of moral decision.

Long one of our most acute and insightful novelists, Russell Banks often examines the indistinct boundaries between our intentions and actions. A mature and masterful work of contemporary fiction from one of our most accomplished storytellers, Lost Memory of Skin unfolds in language both powerful and beautifully lyrical, show-casing Banks at his most compelling, his reckless sense of humor and intense empathy at full bore.

The perfect convergence of writer and subject, Lost Memory of Skin probes the zeitgeist of a troubled society where zero tolerance has erased any hope of subtlety and compassion - a society where isolating the offender has perhaps created a new kind of victim.

©2011 Russell Banks (P)2011 HarperCollinsPublishers

I loved this book!!!

On the surface this seems like a simple story of a young sex offender. Yes, it's interesting to hear how this kind of a conviction changes the lives of those convicted, forever. And we can learn to sympathize with those few who are punished for uncontrollable urges that border on mental illness, or who are simply looking for love in all the really wrong places. But this book is about so much more. I am grateful to Russell Banks for taking the most vilified people on the planet and writing a story of redemption through their eyes. By doing this he successfully illustrates what is, I think, almost a biblical parable. In fact there are many references to the Garden of Eden, the mistaken loss of innocence, the prodigal son, and finally an upside down, ironic sort of beautiful redemption. I loved this book, loved the narration, the writing. Well worth it.

Amazing Scott Shepherd

Anything narrated by Shepherd is worth listening to. He is a balm to the ear.

the story drew me in, like gawking at an accident

What did you like best about this story?

The story drew me in, in a sick sort of way, like gawking at an accident.

Which character – as performed by Scott Shepherd – was your favorite?

"The kid" is a sad sack, who never really got a fair chance in life, but you can't help rooting for him and hoping he'll get a break. The narration over all was excellent.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I couldn't stop listening, carried along by curiosity and the beautiful descriptions of characters and settings, but my heart ached for them all.

Any additional comments?

The tale starts out almost believable, but slowly devolves into a series of vignettes of weird caricatures, and (unfortunately) "the professor" and his story become convoluted beyond recognition. I'm not sure if I exactly recommend this book, but it is certainly a memorable experience and well-crafted in many, but not all, respects.

Very moving portrayal.

You know when you get asked that question "Which well-known person would you like to have a dinner conversation with?" Russell Banks is my answer to that question. I'm a psychotherapist and I work with the victims of this population and this is a story that takes it full circle. This is a rare and sensitive portrayal of a population of people with whom I would never otherwise intimately cross paths. In addition, the reading/acting of this particular story is phenomenally well done. For the first time, i'd say this particular book is better listen to than read in hardcopy. (It has to do with the quick dialogue back-and-forth, which the actor just nails.) once again russell Banks leaves me shaking my head.

Haunting and fascinating

I don’t often linger after finishing a book but I can’t stop thinking about this one

Okay but nothing extraordinary

Just finished listening to this book, I have no major criticisms about the audiobook, just wasn't too impressed with the story. I found it rather dull and depressing.

Relevant Insightful Entertaining

Russell Banks has outdone himself and given a much needed glimpse into a subculture in Lost Memory of Skin. A rambling story, Lost Memory considers guilt, criminality, justice, and character in a way that draws the reader in immediately. Along the way the reader learns about hardship, despair and resilience in a way not often seen. Other reviewers have aptly covered the outlines of the story. Just let me say that this is one book that will follow you for weeks after you have finished it. If you have never read Russell Banks, this one will make you a believer. The reading of Scott Shepherd is excellent.

Too wordy....rambled on and on....

The description of this book sparked my interest. I wanted to like it, really I did!! I found "The Kid" and "The Professor" pathetic, sad and boring. Parts of the story are intriguing, then, unfortunately, the author goes off on a tangent. I agree with the previous reviewers, the way in which our justice system handles sex offenders is awful, dehumanizing, and unfair. I just didn't like this story. Scott Shepherd did an amazing job, as usual!!!

"Canonical Novel of its Time"

“Lost Memory of Skin” is a surprisingly good book; surprising because it deals with two repulsive characters: a predatory sex offender and a morbidly obese professor with lots to hide. But, it is the capacity of literature in the hands of good writers like Russell Banks, to illuminate the interiors of such outwardly offensive characters, so that understanding eventually generates sympathy. In “Lost Memory of Skin,” Banks does not indict (that is left to the reader) nor does he preach, although he comes close at times. Rather, this is a disturbing look at some important aspects of contemporary American life, which does not provide answers, but inexorably indicates that there must be a better way. The achievement of “Lost Memory of Skin” is that it blends an exciting and suspenseful plot with existential angst. I agree with Janet Maslin writing in the NYT: “’Lost Memory of Skin’ is a major new work by Russell Banks destined to be a canonical novel of its time.”

So good!

If it's true that reading increases one's empathy, then it's because of authors who write books like this. I read 'The Darling' years ago and I still think about it. It's been a few months now since I read 'Lost Memory of Skin,' and I'm still thinking about this one as well. The characters Russell Banks creates win me over with their authenticity, and what Banks shares about them helps me to understand who they are and why they became that way. He not only writes a story that engages, he writes one that challenges what we think we know. I can't think of a better way to spend my free time. Also, the narrator is fantastic!