Unknown: A Special Edition of Out of My Head

By: Didier van Cauwelaert, Mark Polizzotti - translator

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Martin Harris returns home after a short absence to find that his wife doesn’t know him, another man is living in his house under his name, and the neighbors think he’s a raving lunatic. Worse, not a single person - family, colleague, or doctor - can vouch for him. Worse still, the impostor shares all of Martin’s memories, experiences, and knowledge, down to the last detail. He is, in fact, a more convincing Martin than Martin himself.

Is it a conspiracy? Amnesia? Is Martin the victim of an elaborate hoax or of his own paranoid delusion?

In his high-powered new novel, Didier van Cauwelaert, the award-winning author of One-Way, explores the illusory nature of identity and the instability of the things we take for granted. Dispossessed of his job, his family, his name, and his very past, Martin Harris is an Everyman caught in an absurd and yet disturbingly convincing nightmare, one that seems to have no exit and that resists every explanation. Part moral fable, part Robert Ludlum-style thriller, Out of My Head is a fast-paced tale of one man’s desperate attempt to reclaim his existence - even at the cost of his own life.

©2003 Didier van Cauwelaert; Trans: Mark Polizzotti (P)2010 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“Simply thrilling. Its surprising denouement works a retrospective magic.” ( New York Times Book Review)

“The idea driving Out of My Head is compelling….The terse prose is unpretentious and the plot full of captivating twists.” ( San Francisco Chronicle)

“Van Cauwelaert’s convincing little nightmare, a Twilight Zone-ish yarn.” ( Entertainment Weekly)

Terrific, highly recommended!

Voice acting was one of the best I have heard! Definitely brought the story to life! Awesome story!

Exceptional in Every Respect

If you could sum up Unknown: A Special Edition of Out of My Head in three words, what would they be?

Absorbing and brilliantly narrated!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Unknown: A Special Edition of Out of My Head?

All of it.

Which character – as performed by Bronson Pinchot – was your favorite?

The main character.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

n/a

Any additional comments?

Thank goodness for great imaginative story telling. I was hooked in right from the start and just had to keep listening. With the incredibly strong narrative performance this was an absolute treat to listen to!

Identity Theft Gone Horribly Wrong!

Martin Harris believes he is the victim of identity theft. He awakes after being in a car accident that left him in a coma for a few days. Things are a bit fuzzy for Martin. He remembers who he is; the problem is that someone else thinks they are him also. But who is the actual Martin Harris? How do you prove you are you who you think you are when someone else has all the documentation proving they are you? Since Martin’s accident happened on the day he and his wife had moved to France, there are no neighbors who can vouch for him. Since he is married, the easiest way would be to ask his wife. When his wife says he is not the real Martin Harris he is left dumbfounded.

Convinced his wife is having an affair and this is just her way of getting back at him for being a lousy husband, Martin continues to try and convince people he is the real Martin Harris. As everything starts rolling in against him, he starts to doubt himself. But if he isn’t Martin Harris, then who is he and how did he get all of Martin’s memories?

I really enjoyed this story. I wasn’t sure if Martin was really Martin or there was some really weird scientific experimentation going on with this man’s brain. If he was really Martin then why would his wife deny it? If he wasn’t, then how did he get all the memories and what not? I wasn’t sure if the author was going to dip into the paranormal side to solve the mystery or not! This is one of these stories that even after the ‘big reveal’ I wanted to go back and listen to it again.

Narration Review:
This audiobook was narrated by Bronson Pinchot and it was the first time that I have listened to his narration. Since the story took place in France, most of the characters had a French accent or spoke in French. Bronson did an excellent job with all of his character voices giving them the much renown French swagger that you hear in the voices of the French speaking English for your convenience. During the dialog, he switched from the French speaking accent to the English speaking accent effortlessly. His narration is one that makes you forget that you are listening to only one person doing the narration. He is his own full cast!

So much French accent

I know it's based in France but jumping back and forth between the accents was distracting. I saw the movie and it was forgettable more or less like this book

Good story. Fantastic narration!

Pinchot does a terrific job narrating this book. I can' t believe that's Balky! His vocal talent truly brings the story to life (and no, he doesn't sound at all like Balky). As for the story itself, it's pretty good. It's very Bourne Identity -like. Not very original, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Fast paced story with some clever twists

This thriller had a strong story with good characters. I felt very sympathetic to the main character. I felt the action was a little rushed at times and, although the plot twists were great, there was one element of the ending that I felt was a bit contrived and standard.

Not recommended

What disappointed you about Unknown: A Special Edition of Out of My Head?

Said to be translated from French but accent was so strong it was difficult to understand.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not understandable.

Any additional comments?

Wasted credit.

Avoid this book - Snoozer

Slow moving. To much rambling. Could have been a short story and been OK. But, still would not recommend.