📖 Overview
Your Eyelids Are Growing Heavy
A woman named Megan Phillips is found unconscious on a Pittsburgh golf course, with no memory of how she got there or what happened during a significant period of time. After medical evaluation, she begins to suspect hypnosis was involved in her memory loss.
The story follows Megan through 1970s Pittsburgh as she attempts to uncover who hypnotized her and piece together the missing fragments of her experience. Her investigation leads her through a complex web of characters and events while she works to reclaim control of her own mind.
This psychological suspense novel explores themes of memory, consciousness, and the vulnerability of the human mind when subjected to manipulation. The golf course setting and Pittsburgh backdrop create an atmosphere where seemingly ordinary places harbor hidden dangers.
👀 Reviews
Reader feedback for this 1981 mystery novel is limited, with few reviews available online.
Readers appreciated:
- The hypnosis-themed premise
- Quick pacing and short length
- The humor and witty dialogue
- Clear writing style
- Interesting Pittsburgh setting
Main criticisms:
- Plot predictability
- Dated cultural references
- Underdeveloped characters
- Formulaic mystery elements
Review Sources:
Goodreads: 3.38/5 (13 ratings, 1 review)
Amazon: No reviews available
LibraryThing: 2 ratings, no text reviews
One Goodreads reviewer noted: "A fast, fun read but nothing groundbreaking in the genre."
Due to the book's age and limited release, comprehensive reader feedback is scarce. Most discussion appears in vintage mystery forums and blog posts, though these tend to be brief mentions rather than detailed reviews.
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What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller The story of a pottery teacher's life unravels through the perspective of a colleague who chronicles the events leading to a scandal.
The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall A man wakes with no memories and discovers he must protect himself from conceptual predators that consume human memories and identities.
Falling Out of Time by David Grossman People in a town undertake circular journeys to process lost memories and confront gaps in their consciousness.
Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson A woman with amnesia must rebuild her memories each day while uncovering the truth about her condition and the people around her.
What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller The story of a pottery teacher's life unravels through the perspective of a colleague who chronicles the events leading to a scandal.
The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall A man wakes with no memories and discovers he must protect himself from conceptual predators that consume human memories and identities.
Falling Out of Time by David Grossman People in a town undertake circular journeys to process lost memories and confront gaps in their consciousness.
🤔 Interesting facts
🔍 The Schenley Park Golf Course, where the novel's pivotal scene takes place, is a historic Pittsburgh landmark that opened in 1902 and was one of the first public golf courses in the United States.
🎭 Barbara Paul achieved her Ph.D. in Theater Arts from the University of Pittsburgh and often incorporated her deep knowledge of Pittsburgh's cultural landscape into her mysteries.
💭 The use of hypnosis as a plot device in crime fiction gained popularity in the 1970s, reflecting growing public interest in alternative psychological treatments during that era.
🌆 1970s Pittsburgh, the novel's setting, was undergoing major economic changes as the steel industry declined, creating a moody urban landscape perfect for noir fiction.
🧠 Contemporary research shows that about 15% of people are highly susceptible to hypnotic suggestion, lending scientific credibility to the novel's premise about memory manipulation.