ON A BEAM OF LIGHT starts where K-PAX left off — in the Manhattan Psychiatric Ward. Robert has been catatonic for these last five years. Suddenly, he wakes! Prot is back, the rascally old scamp, and he continues his adventures around the ward with the sole goal (or so it seems) of helping out the other patients. The book is still narrated by Gene Brewer, but all of the patients are new. This time, there's a gay man who is convinced that he's a woman — and pregnant; a woman who halted her development as a child when she was shot in the stomach in a Columbine-like incident; a man traumatized by the death of his daughter; a dancer who believes that he is the Best In The World; and a man who desperately wants to die because he feels responsible for the deaths of others.The first portion of the book is like undergoing a severe case of déjà vu. Gene shakes his head over the intensity of prot's delusions; Gene sympathizes (albeit condescendingly) about the traumatic backgrounds of his patients; Gene probes into his patient's background with somewhat ruthless determination. I must admit, I started getting annoyed, because some of the things described in this book (I'm pretty sure) aren't standard practice. For example, Dr. Brewer makes it sound like mental illness must be precipitated by some kind of traumatic event (not necessarily true). He also describes Dr. Villers as the “typical cold, critical, aloof” psychiatrist (or something to that extent) — which is just horrible because psychiatrists, and other doctors as well, NEED to be empathic, and open to the patient's own wants and needs. Most doctors understand this, I think, and the fact that the author wrote otherwise was akin to describing typical psychoanalysts as sex-obsessed men with goatees and Austrian accents.URRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH.OK, OK, I'm getting of my psychology major soap-box now.The second portion was much better. I really liked watching prot work through the patients with their issues. His philosophy — “just listen” — really is a good message for the book. People often tell you more than you could ever want to know if you just stay silent and observe. I was also glad to receive some closure with Robert and his horrible past. The last book ended on a cliffhanger, what with Robert subsiding into a catatonic state. I remember thinking, “Well, that's depressing. Is that all? That's it? That's seriously how you're ending the book?” OABOL definitely ends on a much more positive note! In fact, it left me with a smile on my face, it was so sweet. So if you, like me, felt cheated by the last book — READ THIS ONE! It explains things, and adds to the series.I love how the author never explicitly says whether or not prot really is an alien. I was hoping for a concrete answer in this book, but didn't get one. And yet, he taunts his readers, dropping little hints here and there that leave you thinking “maybe…” It's very evil of him, and yet it makes the book that much more alluring and realistic. Because sometimes we DON'T get the answers we want, because we have no way of knowing what's really out there. Or just haven't found the proper way of determining so yet.Great read!
Sequel to K-Pax also by Gene Brewer[return][return]It s been years since Prot was last at the Manhattan Psychiatric Institute, years in which Robert Porter was rigid and unresponsive to any outside stimuli. But now Prot is back, and Dr Brewer has only a short time to try and cure Robert, before Prot leaves again.[return][return]In many ways I enjoyed this book more than the first. Much of the magic of Prot is lost, as the author digs deeper into Robert Porter s psyche, and we meet his other personalities, characters much more normal than Prot. The exploration of multiple personality disorder is very interesting, and if you are at all interested in the subject, I d really recommend this book.
What do You think about On A Beam Of Light (2002)?
Weeell... what was I expecting? You can't top a work as fine as K-Pax. Brewer tried his best, but didn't quite make it.In an effort to rekindle the magic of the first novel, Brewer is forced to rely on a growing cast of eccentric secondary characters, Dr Brewer's relationship with Rob, prot's schizophrenic alter-ego (or is it the other way round?), and a pair of sad gimmicks, Paul and Harry. prot himself is reduced to proselytism, answering fan-mail and TV show appearances, before simply (according to the bumbling idiot, Dr Brewer) fading to black, a figment of the imagination of an abused child. Still a good read, and prot is still the prot we know and love, but K-Pax is a hard act to follow and this was a disappointment.
—Andy Smith
I was pleased to find that my reading of On a Beam of Light was much more interesting than that of K-Pax (which had been 'ruined' by the watching of the movie, first, and therefore feeling the book was a just a repeat of well-known events.) Brewer is a very engaging writer. The narrative style he choses to employ is personal and retains a sort of light-hearted manner despite some severe topics. My only gripe is that he (Brewer) seems to introduce a lot of characters/details that never really see
—Katherine Jones
The first book, K-PAX, was clearly satire and poked at various aspects of the world today. But it was gentle satire, and a riveting story aside from its satirical points.This book tries to continue the story of Robert Porter, but it gets so bogged down in ramming its satirical -- and no longer remotely gentle -- points home that it loses sight of both plot and characters. We get it: the author is a militant atheist and vegan. I gave it two stars instead of one because the continued story of Robert, subsumed though it is in the Message!!!, is well done, though tragic.
—rivka
