Synopsis

Set in first person, the book’s protagonist is a man known solely as Tarden, a mysterious enigma and past secret agent. As the book goes on, the reader slowly learns more about him and his background, but the events that transpire in the book are in a seemingly random order, a mishmash of things from his childhood, years in the Service, and things he did afterward, after having left. Tarden being what is generally considered “a terrible person”, the majority of the book involves him slowly seeping into people’s lives without their realizing it and influencing them from the shadows or their side until he has almost complete control over their lives. What he does with this life varies, but in nine out of ten chances, it’s something bad that ends with their life hurdling downhill, or, at the very least, worse than it was before. Moving from place to place every few weeks with his considerable amount of money, posing as different people with different backgrounds each time, he comes only to cause chaos and leaves once he deems his job done. Though some may say it’s an enjoyable surprise to realize the nature of his personality without warning beforehand, it’s probably best to be aware of it, because Cockpit is the type of book that invites people both to hate it and to love it, and multiple aspects of the book are inappropriate or painful to read. That is, if this isn't what you're looking for, turn your eyes elsewhere! A dark novel that gives insight into the nature of a mind of someone with many issues, Cockpit inspires both morbid fascination and horror from its readers.