A book - K-PAX.

(credit)

I'm a bit late to the party on this one, as apparently its about 10 years old, and there's even a film starring Kevin Spacey about it. Who knew?! My sister recommended it when I was stuck in a book rut.

The blurb:
When a new patient is brought to a mental institution claiming to be an inhabitant of a planet called K-PAX, the hospital seems just the place for him. Yet, except for certain otherworldly abilities, the "alien," prot, appears to be perfectly sane. In taped therapy sessions prot is asked about life on K-PAX - its lifestyle, principles, foods, language. Prot paints a consistent and credible portrait of a glorious utopia painfully unlike our own and yet so possible, could we only erase from human nature its greed and cruelty. It becomes easy, even desirable, to believe in prot's identity and homeland. But prot insists that he must return home. As his announced date of "departure" approaches, staff and patients alike are thrown into turmoil: If he is mad, what will happen when the fateful day arrives? If K-PAX is for real...please, may they come along too?

My thoughts:
Read the entire trilogy (K-PAX, K-PAX II - On a Beam of Light and K-PAX III - The Worlds of prot) pretty quickly. 

A touching story that provokes you to think about life in general, how we treat people and how humans are indeed ruining our PLANET (if you've read it, you'll get it).

Despite that being the main theme, I found it up-lifting, incredibly sad at times- mental patients in catatonic states is never pleasant subject matter - and thought-provoking.

Perhaps controversially, I feel this would've been more poignant if it were left after the first book. That's not to say the second and third booked ruined it at all, but I do feel it became a little repetitive.

In summary, if like me you are about 10 years late then I'd recommend reading this. If you've already read it...as you were.