false 3483 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg 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.

]]> 3483 25 910619 3 8 2006 Special Topics in Calamity Physics total:9780|5:2280|4:3683|3:2468|2:968|1:381| 9780 35853 13603 2384 2362 3.67 9780 2384 5235919 137408 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.68 8005 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.

]]> 2006 2 126 false Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Tue Aug 28 12:03:27 -0700 2007 Thu Dec 17 07:27:51 -0800 2009 Reviews of “Special Topics in Calamity Physics” and the Bottle of Açaí Juice I Bought for Lunch Cleverly Masked as SAT Test Questions

Choices:
(a) Special Topics in Calamity Physics
(b) The bottle of açaí juice I bought for lunch
(c) Both a and b
(d) Neither a ...more...]]> 7258599 48216 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 3 70 false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Oct 04 10:14:40 -0700 2007 Thu Oct 18 08:12:02 -0700 2007 more...]]> 548095 36813 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 1 23 false Tue Apr 03 09:26:21 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 17:27:42 -0800 2009 The Secret History which both celebrated and skewered hyper-intellectualism as well as explored the process of interacting with a text and the pleasures of narrative devices. This book follows roughly the same storyline (and, incidentally, the storyline of Da...more...]]> 3116753 129974 97473 0143112120 9780143112129 398 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264m/97473.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264s/97473.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97473.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.62 1531 People) “Exuberant,” (Vogue) “marvelously entertaining,” (The Dallas Morning News) Marisha Pessl's mesmerizing debut has critics raving and heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice in American fiction. At the center of this “cracking good read”4 is clever, deadpan Blue van Meer, who has a head full of literary, philosophical, scientific, and cinematic knowledge. But she could use some friends. Upon entering the elite St. Gallway school, she finds some—a clique of eccentrics known as the Bluebloods. One drowning and one hanging later, Blue finds herself puzzling out a byzantine murder mystery. Nabokov meets Donna Tartt (then invites the rest of the Western Canon to the party) in this novel—with “visual aids” drawn by the author—that has won over readers of all ages.]]> 2006 5 16 false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 15 21:26:58 -0700 2007 Thu Dec 17 00:44:43 -0800 2009 This is a story to...more...]]> 2451064 147289 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 4 14 false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Jun 27 11:51:08 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 22:53:44 -0800 2009
Okay, I'll admit it -- that whenever I hear of another young, good-looking first-time author in New York getting an obscenely high advance on their first book and suddenly becoming The Talk...more...]]> 1687223 118215 97473 0143112120 9780143112129 398 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264m/97473.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264s/97473.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97473.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 People) “Exuberant,” (Vogue) “marvelously entertaining,” (The Dallas Morning News) Marisha Pessl's mesmerizing debut has critics raving and heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice in American fiction. At the center of this “cracking good read”4 is clever, deadpan Blue van Meer, who has a head full of literary, philosophical, scientific, and cinematic knowledge. But she could use some friends. Upon entering the elite St. Gallway school, she finds some—a clique of eccentrics known as the Bluebloods. One drowning and one hanging later, Blue finds herself puzzling out a byzantine murder mystery. Nabokov meets Donna Tartt (then invites the rest of the Western Canon to the party) in this novel—with “visual aids” drawn by the author—that has won over readers of all ages.]]> 2006 4 11 false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 05 14:48:17 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 20:47:30 -0800 2009 more...]]> 1063032 69506 97473 0143112120 9780143112129 398 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264m/97473.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264s/97473.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97473.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 People) “Exuberant,” (Vogue) “marvelously entertaining,” (The Dallas Morning News) Marisha Pessl's mesmerizing debut has critics raving and heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice in American fiction. At the center of this “cracking good read”4 is clever, deadpan Blue van Meer, who has a head full of literary, philosophical, scientific, and cinematic knowledge. But she could use some friends. Upon entering the elite St. Gallway school, she finds some—a clique of eccentrics known as the Bluebloods. One drowning and one hanging later, Blue finds herself puzzling out a byzantine murder mystery. Nabokov meets Donna Tartt (then invites the rest of the Western Canon to the party) in this novel—with “visual aids” drawn by the author—that has won over readers of all ages.]]> 2006 4 11 false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun May 06 11:46:20 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 18:59:58 -0800 2009 Special Topics... has certainly stirred the passions of readers and critics...especially those who love-to-hate first novels by young, successful authors. At the sight of Marisha Pessl's author photo -- lovely, unsmiling introspective waif -- I had to hold down my hate reflex with both arms, both le...more...]]> 5595605 145490 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 2 9 false Mon Sep 03 14:24:45 -0700 2007 Thu Dec 17 08:37:24 -0800 2009 more...]]> 18155114 958786 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 2 9 false Thu Jun 12 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Mar 19 21:45:18 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 18 13:01:10 -0700 2008
But it’s a train wreck. The literary carnage is so grotesque and horrifying, you can’t help but look, read. (And I promise you, just take my word for it, that metaphor is better than most that Pessl uses in this debut novel of hers.)

Despi...more...]]> 6904578 395599 97473 0143112120 9780143112129 398 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264m/97473.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264s/97473.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97473.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 People) “Exuberant,” (Vogue) “marvelously entertaining,” (The Dallas Morning News) Marisha Pessl's mesmerizing debut has critics raving and heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice in American fiction. At the center of this “cracking good read”4 is clever, deadpan Blue van Meer, who has a head full of literary, philosophical, scientific, and cinematic knowledge. But she could use some friends. Upon entering the elite St. Gallway school, she finds some—a clique of eccentrics known as the Bluebloods. One drowning and one hanging later, Blue finds herself puzzling out a byzantine murder mystery. Nabokov meets Donna Tartt (then invites the rest of the Western Canon to the party) in this novel—with “visual aids” drawn by the author—that has won over readers of all ages.]]> 2006 2 8 false Wed Jun 27 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Sep 27 13:34:45 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 27 07:32:17 -0700 2008
The best way to introduce this one is to use the blurb off the b...more...]]> 9560330 80407 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 4 8 false Mon Nov 26 11:13:18 -0800 2007 Fri Jan 18 15:27:27 -0800 2008 This first bit is my initial reaction to the book. I'm keeping it up because I still think it's valid. However, see bellow for my post-reading thoughts.

Oh, how I hate this book. The parenthetic statements are making me homicidal. The dad is a jackass of unparalleled proportion, and ...more...]]> 5365930 319694 563884 0141024321 9780141024325 22 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175822930m/563884.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175822930s/563884.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/563884.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.69 67 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.

]]> 2006 0 6 false Thu Aug 30 11:25:00 -0700 2007 Thu Dec 17 07:53:19 -0800 2009 more...]]> 13625900 808994 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 5 6 false Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sat Jan 26 10:03:54 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 26 10:04:29 -0800 2008 more...]]> 2926998 179272 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 1 5 false Tue Jul 10 20:26:16 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 20 09:41:12 -0700 2007
I was able to read the galley of STICP befo...more...]]> 4926661 30800 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 4 4 false Wed Aug 22 05:55:09 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 26 09:49:17 -0700 2007 did like this book. I did. Marisha Pessl is probably too smart for her own good, but that's never stopped me before (see David Foster Wallace et al.)

That said, as with most over-intelectualized writings, I had trouble getting close to her, to her work. Th...more...]]> 1281360 51758 97473 0143112120 9780143112129 398 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264m/97473.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264s/97473.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97473.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 People) “Exuberant,” (Vogue) “marvelously entertaining,” (The Dallas Morning News) Marisha Pessl's mesmerizing debut has critics raving and heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice in American fiction. At the center of this “cracking good read”4 is clever, deadpan Blue van Meer, who has a head full of literary, philosophical, scientific, and cinematic knowledge. But she could use some friends. Upon entering the elite St. Gallway school, she finds some—a clique of eccentrics known as the Bluebloods. One drowning and one hanging later, Blue finds herself puzzling out a byzantine murder mystery. Nabokov meets Donna Tartt (then invites the rest of the Western Canon to the party) in this novel—with “visual aids” drawn by the author—that has won over readers of all ages.]]> 2006 2 4 false Thu May 17 16:29:56 -0700 2007 Thu May 17 16:51:22 -0700 2007 more...]]> 25110359 240110 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 1 4 false Fri Jul 11 17:39:36 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 22 06:52:17 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 11 17:39:36 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2603144 147384 97473 0143112120 9780143112129 398 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264m/97473.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171380264s/97473.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97473.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 People) “Exuberant,” (Vogue) “marvelously entertaining,” (The Dallas Morning News) Marisha Pessl's mesmerizing debut has critics raving and heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice in American fiction. At the center of this “cracking good read”4 is clever, deadpan Blue van Meer, who has a head full of literary, philosophical, scientific, and cinematic knowledge. But she could use some friends. Upon entering the elite St. Gallway school, she finds some—a clique of eccentrics known as the Bluebloods. One drowning and one hanging later, Blue finds herself puzzling out a byzantine murder mystery. Nabokov meets Donna Tartt (then invites the rest of the Western Canon to the party) in this novel—with “visual aids” drawn by the author—that has won over readers of all ages.]]> 2006 5 4 false Sun Jul 01 16:33:49 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 01 16:37:13 -0700 2007
I read it last fall and I'm still thinking about it. A fantastically beautiful, brilliant and clever book that doesn't seem like a mystery until suddenly, the whole thing unravels in your hand.

Unravels in the best possible way, that is.

...more...]]> 27694987 911721 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 1 3 false Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Jul 19 06:44:22 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 01 20:39:43 -0700 2008 more...]]> 17598046 332276 3483 067003777X 9780670037773 1905 <![CDATA[Special Topics in Calamity Physics]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565m/3483.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1163789565s/3483.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3483.Special_Topics_in_Calamity_Physics 3.67 9780 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.

]]> 2006 4 4 false Wed Mar 12 09:52:38 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 01 07:18:27 -0700 2008 more...]]> 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3483