The Demolished Man

I read this novel for the 1950's challenge. This was my 1953 read.

As soon as I started to read the introduction by Harry Harrison, I had this niggling in the back of my brain "Man this sounds so familiar. Have I read this before?' But as I started reading it, I was saying to myself "No, you have not read this, you would remember this book if you had." Still, I was not able to get rid of the feeling of deja vu. And then I read the scene where Powell finds Barbara in the psychics house and I realized, I had read this novel before. It was many years ago. I was in 7th grade and I read it in a history of American authors. I HAD, read this novel. Well that was one mystery solved.

But what did I think of the novel? Well, clearly as an 11-year-old, it did not make an impression on me. I loved the concept and even though the novel is 63 years old, it still felt fresh. This was not your average pulp as so much of the novels from this time were. The characters were fully developed and could have easily been written in the last 5 years.

You know you are reading a good novel when it can stand the test of time as this novel has.