Retrograde by Kat Hausler is a haunting and evocative novel that masterfully explores the complexities of love, memory, and the human condition. Set against a backdrop of loss and longing, this debut novel takes readers on an emotional journey that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.

The story revolves around Sean, a young man grieving the sudden death of his fiancée, Simone. Struggling to cope with his overwhelming loss, Sean decides to participate in a groundbreaking but ethically questionable scientific experiment that offers him a chance to reconnect with Simone—by having her consciousness implanted into his own mind. This decision sets off a chain of events that blurs the lines between reality and illusion, love and obsession, life and death.

Hausler’s writing is both lyrical and precise, capturing the emotional nuances of Sean’s grief and the surreal experience of sharing his mind with Simone’s consciousness. The novel’s tone is melancholic yet poignant, reflecting the inner turmoil of a man who is willing to sacrifice everything to hold onto the woman he loves, even if it means losing himself in the process.

The exploration of memory is central to the novel’s themes. Hausler delves into the idea that memories are not static; they are fluid, subjective, and often unreliable. As Sean and Simone’s shared consciousness begins to fracture, the boundaries between past and present, real and imagined, become increasingly blurred. This narrative technique adds a layer of psychological complexity to the story, keeping readers engaged as they navigate the shifting landscape of Sean’s mind.

Retrograde also raises thought-provoking questions about the ethics of technology and the limits of human connection. The novel examines the consequences of manipulating memory and consciousness, probing the moral implications of such scientific advancements. Sean’s decision to undergo the experiment is driven by love, but it also exposes the dangers of clinging to the past at the expense of the present.

The character development in Retrograde is nuanced and compelling. Sean is a deeply sympathetic protagonist, his grief palpable and his choices understandable, even as they lead him down a dark and increasingly disturbing path. Simone, though only present through Sean’s memories and the implanted consciousness, is a vivid and multifaceted character whose presence looms large over the narrative. The relationship between Sean and Simone is portrayed with emotional depth, capturing both the beauty and the fragility of love.

Hausler’s use of language is another highlight of the novel. Her prose is elegant and evocative, with descriptions that vividly bring to life the internal and external worlds of the characters. The pacing of the novel is deliberate, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the emotional and psychological layers of the story.

Retrograde is a novel that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned. It’s a story that explores the intersections of love, loss, memory, and technology in a way that feels both timely and timeless. Hausler’s debut is a powerful meditation on the lengths we go to in order to preserve our connections with those we love, even when those lengths come with unforeseen consequences.

For readers who enjoy literary fiction with a speculative twist, Retrograde offers a rich and thought-provoking experience. It’s a novel that invites introspection, challenging readers to consider the nature of memory, identity, and the choices we make in the name of love. Kat Hausler has crafted a haunting and beautifully written story that marks her as a writer to watch in the literary world.

A haunting story about a woman who loses her memory in an accident , waking to find that her husband may or may not be telling her the truth of their troubled past. Helen finds herself not able to believe Joachim quite fully when he explains that they were separated for "awhile" before her accident. Having trouble putting the pieces together, she begins to dive into what is missing from his story. This book was an incredibly realistic struggle of a relationship between these two main characters. The dynamic between husband is really interesting as the story bounces back and forth from each one's different view. I kept feeling like I just wanted Helen to blurt out all her questions and feelings and yet, she held so much back. The author did a great job at capturing how it really can be between a couple behind closed doors. The communication issues, the pain and hurt, the truths, and the want to be loved and understood.

A well-written and extremely uncomfortable story of a woman suffering from amnesia after an accident. Helena is separated from her husband Joachim, but after her accident he is contacted by the hospital. She doesn't remember their separation, and he attempts to conceal it from her as she recovers. As she tries to rekindle her memory, he tries to control her access to things that might trigger it. She knows something is wrong, but isn't sure what. A more realistic view of the "tell the amnesiac we were married/in love" trope, the story recognizes the power imbalance inherent in a relationship where one person cannot remember and shows the relationship dysfunction that requires no memories to exist.

I was absolutely unprepared to be sucked into the abysmal drama of these characters' lives - and yet I couldn't help myself, as it happened before I knew it. The raw complexity of the emotion is what held me tightest. I put this book off for quite some time and I'm sorry that I did. I've yet to read anything else by Ms Hausler but I'd consider it an honor.

Psychological thriller or introspective character study?

When Helena is hit by a truck, estranged husband Joachim takes advantage of her amnesia to try their relationship again. He thinks they’ve been given a second chance but Helena can tell that something is wrong.

This was an interesting book with evocative prose. Unfortunately, the feeling this evokes is bleakness. Helena is at first dazed by her accident then unsure how to work out this tangle that Joachim has put her in. Joachim has convinced himself that he can win Helena back but isn’t even sure that he wants to.

It wasn’t always clear what Helena remembered and Joachim’s gaslighting really creeped me out, but my main problem was that the story didn’t go anywhere – I was surprised when it got dark, but then it never went deeper than a murky grey. It doesn’t have much of a climax – the story tails off and like the characters, you’re left wondering what happens next. Perhaps that’s the point, but it’s not what I look for in a book.

I got this book an an early review copy!!

So I went into this without having read a synopsis (which is how I go in to a lot of books I read) and about 1/4 of the way in I was still trying to figure out exactly what’s going on. It’s easy enough to read, a bit meandering, but right up until the end I was thinking ‘what is the actual point of this??’

The story centres on two characters, Joachim and Helena, and is told in an alternating fashion between them. Once they were married, but they’ve been living apart without contact for several years when Helena gets hit by a truck and suffers severe injuries including a good case of amnesia. She can’t remember the separation, or anything else about the last few years and Joachim sees this as his opportunity to play the hero; his second chance at marriage.

Then there’s a fair bit of waffling, a lot of lies, deception and lack of communication as Helena strives to remember the recent past and Joachim strives to hide it from her. I didn’t get this whole section, there’s this menacing gothic undertone and the claustrophobia of Helena stuck in their apartment with no access to the outside world, but it’s terribly unrealistic- she’s in a block of flats, she could just go next door to use their phon any time. Or you know, scream about being kidnapped until someone rang the police. She’s a limp character who is complicit in all the wrong Joachim is doing, simply because of her passive acceptance of it.

Spoiler alert: they don’t end up together, and it’s the only saving grace of the book. Give retrograde a go if you like books that have a little suspense but aren’t crime thrillers. You could easily read this in a day (with much head shaking) and it’s sweetly written, there’s just not much there to redeem the characters and the story line is at best flat and monotonous (yes we understand Joachim is stressed and Helena is bored, you don’t need to repeat it every three pages) and at worst, inelegant and waffling.

2/5 stars.