The Twitch - Konor, Ken

"The Twitch" is a work in the tradition of Kafka's The Metamorphosis and, more recently, Philip Roth's The Breast: a weird occurrence, psychologically probing, engaging and compelling on many levels. But there is lots of good humour and wit in this fiction; it's smart and clever in conception and execution; the characters are interesting and sympathetically drawn; and the writer knows how to pace his writing and give a compelling shape and ending to his chapters. It's a good story. Kevin is an actor and one day he notices a spasm in his right hand as he is picking up an apple in the market. Kevin tries to ignore the twitch as it daily becomes more and more a nuisance and a part of his life. The twitch spreads and begins to dominate his actions. The account traces Kevin's experiences with the twitch, its impact on his relationships, his performance and his attitude. He finally seeks help from an unlikely figure, Dr. Oaks, an engineer and movement specialist who has his own strange ideas on the twitch. Dr Oaks links the twitch to a global shift in mind and movement, and sends Kevin off to perform a series of socially bizarre actions and report back on the consequences. Along the way, Kevin believes he has discovered a plot by a mysterious yoga sect to control people's movements. The sect now run by his ex-girlfriend becomes the focus in his search for the source and cure of his twitch. But his research for the truth raises questions about Kevin's own motivations and character. Is the twitch a benign affliction or part of a sinister out of control force that will soon take over us all? Does the solution for Kevin lie in looking inwards or in thwarting an outside menace?