Purgatory (novel)
Purgatory (2009) is a novel by Gun Arvidssen, structured as a dystopian mystery in three acts. The novel has strong undertones of surrealism and speculative fiction. It is written in the literary tradition and has been compared to the works of Will Self and Haruki Murakami.
Plot summary
The protagonist, Nathan Habu, comes to the realisation that he has died and gone to what he considers to be Hell, although he is soon reminded by the disembodied voice of a woman that his mental shortcut is inaccurate. The crucial distinction is that as an inductee of Purgatory, he is destined to suffer and learn before progressing to the Next World as opposed to being [...] for all eternity.
Habu finds his way to a seemingly familiar place of work, thereafter meeting other occupants of Purgatory and becoming central to various (quite shocking) situations with far-reaching consequences. The more individuals and events he becomes involved with, the more Habu grows aware of the intertwining of significance throughout his supposed journey of redemption, which takes an increasingly convoluted and surreal path as the novel progresses.
Characters
Main characters
- Nathan Habu - The novel's protagonist.
- Aiis - The voice of a woman in Habu's mind who offers him assistance and advice.
- Kaiowas - A top-class prostitute who attests to having a role in tutoring Habu with the aim of helping him find redemption.
- Yevgeny - The catalyst for many turning points involving Purgatory's other occupants.
- RAM - A compulsive [...] who kills people for both professional and personal reasons. Her skills are augmented by an extremely sophisticated arsenal including digitally synchronised firearms and a turbine-powered motorcycle.
- Blindness - A godlike entity who periodically appears, supposedly to bring fresh souls to Purgatory.
- Bogdan Kutasiewicz - Characterised by his questionable ethics, he is a psychologist and one of the supervisors of a mental institution.