Sarah Hall - The Electric Michelangelo

Sarah Hall tells us the story of people who live at the beginning of the last century. Compared to nowadays idea of a normal life, the fates describe in this novel seem exotic and a bit crazy at times.

We accompany the main protagonist Cyrill through his childhood until his life as a adult.

His journey starts in Northwestern England, seeside town Morecombe Bay - in Summer full of tourists and in winter empty and silent. The young boy Cyrill is raised by a single mother who runs a hotel. She gives everybody a place to rest and helps in horrible situations. Cyrill life is divided beetween helping his mum and spending time with friends.

Through his gift to be good in drawing, he becomes an tattoo artist. The way of becoming an tattooer is long and tough. He is trained by a tattoo master who's an alcoholic and therefore oftem relies on Cyrill's help and care.

After his mother's death, he gets bonds more closely with his teacher. But not for good. Years go by and Cyrill grows into a man and a tattoo artist before his boss dies.

Now he is on the verge of a decision. Nothing's holding him in England so he opts for a new life abroad. He spends his last money on a third class ticket to America. He settles as a tattoo island at the Coney Island amusement park. What he sees in coney Island is akin to Morecombe Bay but wilder and bigger.

He settles in New York during Coney Island's peak. The place is lively and crazy, crowded with freaks, artists and carnies. All of them find a "new home" in Coney Island.

But soon enought Cyrills discovers not everything is perfect and well in his new home: One day a show Elephant tramples down a visitor who dies due to the incident.So therefore the elephant has to die. Cyrills is shocked that no one seems to agree that killing the animal is cruel and unjust. Instead an entrace fee is taken when the animal is killed publicly. He gets aware that everythings has to end at some pont.

One day he meets a woman who lives in his apartment building. She lives in an appartment with her horse. She is so different than other women. Unadapted, selfdepended. Her name is Grace. She always tries to get the best of it. On a special way she is crazy. One day she asks Cyrill wether he would make an all-over tattoo on her body. The motive is an eye like hieroglyhic.

For grace, this painfull exercise is a potentiall to forget a hard episode of her life. Each stich stands for the fight against a demon of the past. Soon, Cyrill falls in love with Grace.

I won't tell you how the story ends, you'll have to find out for yourself.

So what´s great thing about the story? You can read the book in different ways. Everbody might find an own approach to it, and will find own conclusions.