Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction Winner
National Reading Group Month "Great Group Reads" selection
"A deft exploration of the heart and mind that offers the pathos of a
Sam Shepard play nested within the unreliable storytelling of
Christopher Nolan's Memento." --Kirkus Reviews
Martin, an acclaimed architect, emerges from a coma after a roadside
accident to find his world transformed: not only has the commission of a
lifetime been taken from him, but his injury has left him with neglect
syndrome, a loss of spatial awareness that has rendered him unfit to
practice and unable to recognize the extent of his illness. Despite
support from his formerly estranged brother and two grown daughters, his
paranoia builds, alienating those closest to him. His only solace is
found in the parallels he draws between himself and gifted Soviet-era
architect Konstantin Melnikov, who survived Stalin's disfavor by
retreating into obscurity. As Martin retraces Melnikov's life and his
own fateful decisions, he becomes increasingly unsettled, until the
discovery of the harrowing truth about the night of his accident hurtles
him toward a deadly confrontation.
A gripping journey into the depths of a fractured mind, The Measure of
Darkness is ultimately a resonant tale of resilience and healing.
Liam Durcan is the author of García's Heart, winner of the Arthur
Ellis Best First Novel Award. He lives in Montreal, Quebec, where he
works as a neurologist at McGill University.
