Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl (ISBN:067003777X)

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		Special Topics in Calamity Physics
	
				(190 reviews)			
(2994 Readers)

			Marisha Pessl		
	
This mesmerizing debut, uncannily uniting the trials of a postmodern upbringing with a   murder mystery, heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice...more
 This mesmerizing debut, uncannily uniting the trials of a postmodern upbringing with a   murder mystery, heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice in literary fiction    Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age novel and a richly   plotted suspense tale told through the distinctive voice of its heroine, Blue van Meer. After a   childhood moving from one academic outpost to another with her father (a man prone to   aphorisms and meteoric affairs), Blue is clever, deadpan, and possessed of a vast lexicon of   literary, political, philosophical, and scientific knowledge—and is quite the cineaste to boot. In her   final year of high school at the elite (and unusual) St. Gallway School in Stockton, North Carolina,   Blue falls in with a charismatic group of friends and their captivating teacher, Hannah Schneider.   But when the drowning of one of Hannah’s friends and the shocking death of Hannah herself lead   to a confluence of mysteries, Blue is left to make sense of it all with only her gimlet-eyed instincts   and cultural references to guide—or misguide—her.    Structured around a syllabus for a Great Works of Literature class and containing ironic visual   aids (drawn by the author), Pessl’s debut novel is complex yet compelling, erudite yet accessible.   It combines the suspense of Hitchcock, the self-parody of Dave Eggers, and the storytelling gifts   of Donna Tartt with a dazzling intelligence and wit entirely Pessl’s own.   less

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
I was really looking forward to this book.  I read reviews before it came out and they all seemed to think it was really clever, the next best thing, etc.  But it only took me a few chapters to realize that this first-time author was really trying to be hip and fun, and that in trying to be this way she ended pushing the story on the reader instead of telling it.  The pictures, which should add...more
 I was really looking forward to this book.  I read reviews before it came out and they all seemed to think it was really clever, the next best thing, etc.  But it only took me a few chapters to realize that this first-time author was really trying to be hip and fun, and that in trying to be this way she ended pushing the story on the reader instead of telling it.  The pictures, which should add to the story, only seem to force the reader to see the characters exactly as the author did.  And introducing a brand new element to the story when the novel is a couple of chapters from the end, is a no-no that one learns in every college workshop.  I'd burn this thing if it didn't cost me so much.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
what a fantastic book! a unique voice and an engaging story -- one of those books that leaves you wondering how the characters are doing now... so glad i read it!

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Wow, what a first novel! A witty, allusive page-turner with lofty ambitions and pretty good results.  Pessl gets credit for aspiring to Nabokovian heights and writing stunningly taut and clever prose.  She also gets points for the novel as syllabus and the character of Gareth Van Meer -- his nuggets of wisdom are hilarious and delivered to the reader superbly. The book is a bit baggy, though. And...more
 Wow, what a first novel! A witty, allusive page-turner with lofty ambitions and pretty good results.  Pessl gets credit for aspiring to Nabokovian heights and writing stunningly taut and clever prose.  She also gets points for the novel as syllabus and the character of Gareth Van Meer -- his nuggets of wisdom are hilarious and delivered to the reader superbly. The book is a bit baggy, though. And there's a discernable change in pace in the last 100-150 pages, which seems a bit first-novelly.  But in the end, that's a minor thing. This was an amazing read.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
It's been a few weeks since I finished this book, and I'm still not entirely sure what I thought about it. One minute, the thing is teetering on the brink of genius, the next it's fallen over the ledge to full-on pretentiousness. Then it reads like something found in the young-adult section next to The Hardy Boys; but just for a second. 

In the end, I'm glad the book was written, and I find...more
 It's been a few weeks since I finished this book, and I'm still not entirely sure what I thought about it. One minute, the thing is teetering on the brink of genius, the next it's fallen over the ledge to full-on pretentiousness. Then it reads like something found in the young-adult section next to The Hardy Boys; but just for a second. 

In the end, I'm glad the book was written, and I find most of its conceits clever and entertaining - if overly self-aware. I liked it very much (4 stars much). However, I spent the entire time that I was liking it in constant fear that, at any moment, I might begin to despise it.... Can't say I know what that means.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
This book is the Al Gore of teen mystery fiction -- it's constantly reminding you that it's smarter than you. And like Al Gore's 2000 presidential bid, this constant clubbing of cleverness ultimately sinks its ambitions.

Initially I liked the idea of a teenager that thinks in academic references, complete with in-text bibliographic citations of imaginary works. But the tale of a precocious...more
 This book is the Al Gore of teen mystery fiction -- it's constantly reminding you that it's smarter than you. And like Al Gore's 2000 presidential bid, this constant clubbing of cleverness ultimately sinks its ambitions.

Initially I liked the idea of a teenager that thinks in academic references, complete with in-text bibliographic citations of imaginary works. But the tale of a precocious teenager eventually becomes a dumping ground for a bits and pieces of esoteric knowledge the author (like many of her readers) picked up via a liberal arts education, artfully plopped into a maze of 50 cent words.

I'll resist the temptation to write a one sentence spoiler summing up the whole thing. I'll instead just point out that a 500+ page mystery novel whose yarn is unwoven in 20 pages with the protagonist making one phone call and a gaggle of Google searches leaves something to be desired.

That said, if none of the above bothered you, you'll enjoy the book quite a bit.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Yuck.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
A good story, told fairly well. This was my first truly "postmodern" novel. Pessl is brilliant, but that gets in the way sometimes as she parenthetically gives the citation of every literary or cultural thought in the book. It made me feel like my ADD was really acting up. But after you get the hang of that, the tale unfolds nicely. Not earthshaking, but fun.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
The book has a unique, if at times exhausting and faux-pedantic, style.  It is enjoyable; it vividly summons the more apalling emotions of adolescence; and it manages to balance concept with a solid and well-contemplated plot.  Still, the plot felt a bit too constructed, even as it was an exciting conclusion.  The biggest problem with the book was that the characters occasionally fell out of...more
 The book has a unique, if at times exhausting and faux-pedantic, style.  It is enjoyable; it vividly summons the more apalling emotions of adolescence; and it manages to balance concept with a solid and well-contemplated plot.  Still, the plot felt a bit too constructed, even as it was an exciting conclusion.  The biggest problem with the book was that the characters occasionally fell out of their own voices into a more generic one that I assume must be that of the author.  Blue, the narrator, especially seemed to lapse out of her persona for substantial sections of the novel.  Still, it kept me busy on the tube and kept me up late finishing it.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
First off, the writing was precise and well done. Many times after reading an especially powerful metaphor I wished I had the creativity to express myself as the author had. For a writer to express how I personally feel better then I can is amazing and worth noting, as I have so noted here =). 

The book was slow and I never felt that I had to keep reading so it's suspense was fairly weak and...more
 First off, the writing was precise and well done. Many times after reading an especially powerful metaphor I wished I had the creativity to express myself as the author had. For a writer to express how I personally feel better then I can is amazing and worth noting, as I have so noted here =). 

The book was slow and I never felt that I had to keep reading so it's suspense was fairly weak and unconvincing. That being said reading that last few chapters really brought the book together and left one with a palpable emotional hit. Overall, a solid read worth emulation.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
This book was pretty good if you like those books where the narrator is overly smart and witty and references a lot of movies, books, and people that one person cannot possibly all know. I think I liked it more in the beginning before all of the \
This book was pretty good if you like those books where the narrator is overly smart and witty and references a lot of movies, books, and people that...more
 This book was pretty good if you like those books where the narrator is overly smart and witty and references a lot of movies, books, and people that one person cannot possibly all know. I think I liked it more in the beginning before all of the \
This book was pretty good if you like those books where the narrator is overly smart and witty and references a lot of movies, books, and people that one person cannot possibly all know. I think I liked it more in the beginning before all of the "uncanny connecting" came in. And I get annoyed when the really smart kids end up doing drugs and drinking... I'm not sure that's very realistic. 
Blue was an interesting character all the same, and her dad seemed pretty nice... for the most part. And it did have a pretty good mystery plot to it.   hide

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