Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
What was I thinking?
This is exactly the kind of book I really dislike: sitcom-style quirky, hyper-verbal, endless prose fireworks to cover the complete lack of substance… I guess I was having a really open-minded day.
The experience of reading this book is similar to that of having a coked-up mensa member cornering you at a party and trying to impress you. For seven hundred and thirty-six pages.
Insult to injury, as the cliché goes, three-quarters of the way through (probably because she didn’t know what else to do) the book suddenly turns into a thriller/murder mystery. Oy vey!
Addendum: I do not understand why people think “New York Times Bestseller” is a good thing to have on the cover of a book. It’s more like a deterrent. Have a gander at the “number 1″ titles for the last 60 years. It’s awash in hack writers. The appearance of a book that’s actually good comes as a bit of a shock.
Tags: Bestseller lists, quirky, recent fiction, tiresome