Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Universe in Miniature in Miniature

by Patrick Somerville (Goodreads Author)

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 210 ratings · 35 reviews

In this genre-busting book from award-winning novelist Patrick Somerville characters, stories, and stray thoughts revolve around the �The Machine of Understanding Other People,” the story of a Chicago man who is bequeathed a supernatural helmet that allows him to experience the inner worlds of those around him. Through his lonely lens we peer into the mind of an art studen...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published November 16th 2010 by Featherproof Books (first published November 1st 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

Chicago Public Library Staff Picks - Fiction II

43rd out of 69 books — 16 voters

A Very Minor Prophet by James Bernard Frost

Books with Innovative Book Design / Structure

95th out of 100 books — 92 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 682)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 15, 2013 Paquita Maria Sanchez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature

Thought: I really like the title, which is also a story. That makes it the universe in miniature in miniature in the universe in miniature in miniature. Mind? Is blown?

Jeesh, rating short story collections is annoying. I'm not even going to bore you with yet another ramble about that whole "what's written in my stars" thing, because it has been done. And done. And done. And I have done it. And you have done it. We've all done it all over the place. And am I channeling Michael Scott right now? Ye...more Thought: I really like the title, which is also a story. That makes it the universe in miniature in miniature in the universe in miniature in miniature. Mind? Is blown?

Jeesh, rating short story collections is annoying. I'm not even going to bore you with yet another ramble about that whole "what's written in my stars" thing, because it has been done. And done. And done. And I have done it. And you have done it. We've all done it all over the place. And am I channeling Michael Scott right now? Yes.

But I liked the book very much. Not brain-smashing, but the stories I loved, I motherflippin' loved. There were a few that could have really used a short trip to the barber, but overall I simply appreciate this brand of self-critical, dry, cynical but still caring, rumpled-hopeful tone. Yeah, people fucking suck. But they don't all suck. Try not to suck?

This is all up in that I think new-ish style of writing that sounds educated but straightforward, lacking pretense, not difficult to process, not really any schmancy city kid words, but super weird in tone. You know, the kind that mostly focus on examining psychological complexities in a blunt fashion involving human exchanges and the thoughts of those engaged in them, but - and here's the maybe newish part - frequently have tiny bizarro plot devices just sorta dropped in there, kicked around for a couple of pages, and then all the sudden, gone from you forever. Despite the stories being shorties, there is a fair amount of emotional roiling going on here. And the apocalypse and gene-therapy hair loss treatments and aliens are in there somewhere, too. For a minute, anyway.

Another neat thing specific to me was that a lot of the stories were set in Chicago, which I lived* in just long enough that I got a lot of the site references and could smell the air in the stories (gross), etc. And it's always fun when you know just where they are, right? In books and in movies, additional layers of self-slopped-on-story are inevitable when you can actually place yourself there visually with your memory brain-parts.

*Okay, it turned out that I didn't so much live there as have one of those 3 month long vacations like I was some poshy early 20th-century Euro-bohemian-type, except the poor people version of that where you end up washing your socks in the bathtub and worrying all the time.

Points for the Dr. Octagon reference. Love that man's twisted world. Supersonic bionic robot voodoo power!(less)

20 likes · like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Gretchen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction

The Universe in Miniature in Miniature is a collection of short novellas by award-winning author Patrick Somerville. I had to read it for my creative writing class because Somerville is coming to my college on Thursday to talk. After reading the book, I’m really excited to hear him talk.

Somerville has a fantastic grasp on how humans think and act. Every character is interesting and realistic, and Somerville add bits of fantasy to many of the stories that adds an extra level to the story. The sto...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 22, 2010 featherproof rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: we-published-it

In this genre-busting book characters, stories, and stray thoughts revolve around the “The Machine of Understanding Other People,” the story of a Chicago man who is bequeathed a supernatural helmet that allows him to experience the inner worlds of those around him. Through his lonely lens we peer into the mind of an art student grappling with ennui, ethics and empathy as she comes to terms with her own beliefs in a godless world. We telescope out to the story of idiot extraterrestrials strugglin...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 25, 2011 Storyville App rated it 5 of 5 stars

Patrick Somerville grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin and earned his MFA from Cornell University. His books include two collections of stories -- TROUBLE (2006) and THE UNIVERSE IN MINIATURE IN MINIATURE (Featherproof Books 2010) -- and a novel, THE CRADLE (2009), which was named one of the Ten Best Books of 2009 by Janet Maslin of the New York Times. His writing has appeared in One Story, Epoch, GQ, and Esquire. His latest story collection has been long listed for The Story Prize.

Sommerville had...more

like · see review

May 12, 2011 Genevieve rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories, favorites

I bought this book at a Borders sale, when everything was 60% off. It was there, sitting innocuously on a shelf, minding its own business, and I decided to buy it on a whim.

The stories in here are beautiful and varied. Some are short, some are long, some are funny, many are sad, all are thoughtful and thought-provoking. Each story has a unique and well-crafted narrator. They're wonderful to read aloud, to yourself, to your lover in bed. This collection of short stories and I were made for each...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2011 Lucia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-re-read, the-favorites

This book is A-ma-zing.
The best book I've read in a couple years.

Technically it's a collection of short stories (and a novella), but most or all of them are lightly linked.
I found it worked best to read it all in a row, as you would a novel; it's really kind of a "novel in stories." The stories all work alone, but work even better together.

Very inventive stuff. And he writes well as female and male characters of a variety of ages, which impressed me.

There's bits of sci fi and surrealism, but n...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 27, 2011 Gabbi rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is terrific. The stories deal with metaphysical, emotional 'big-picture' ideas against surreal but almost prosaic backgrounds. Somerville asks you to make pretty big leaps of faith with his premises--for example, the Earth has stopped spinning on its axis and the main characters are packing up to a rural cabin like self-respecting apocalypse victims--but once there, his characters are deeply human. Sometimes dark and comic, sometimes tragic, always touching--I loved each of these stori...more

like · see review

Jun 28, 2011 Ranee rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: sci-fi junkies

The Universe in Miniature in Miniature

A uniquely covered book with a large print of the word "universe" on its cover has caught my attention in Fully Booked. It was in the pile of the new releases, covered in plastic. Tricky, I can’t smell the book hence I have to rely on: 1) the cover design; 2) the blurb; and 3) gut feelings.

I waited for a month before I finally decided to remove the book from its packaging. The inspection was a fascinating experience. For starters, the book has a unique shap...more The Universe in Miniature in Miniature

A uniquely covered book with a large print of the word "universe" on its cover has caught my attention in Fully Booked. It was in the pile of the new releases, covered in plastic. Tricky, I can’t smell the book hence I have to rely on: 1) the cover design; 2) the blurb; and 3) gut feelings.

I waited for a month before I finally decided to remove the book from its packaging. The inspection was a fascinating experience. For starters, the book has a unique shape, for a paper back, it was more of a square than a rectangle. Its cover opens like a dust jacket, except it is not detachable and this feature is because, lastly, the book can turn into a planetarium . Well, its design had different planets with dotted edges to make it easier for the book owner to cut it out and hang the book along with its cut-out planets in the ceiling. Well, it's not my idea to do so, it was a deal the author wrote (along with the enumerated directions) on the inside back cover. If I did not like the book, I could turn it into a hanging fixture. Brilliant. I wonder if Somerville is utilitarian or a fan of Captain Planet. Maybe he was confident with this book or just plainly wacky and insane to come out ways to have his book any use other than a reading material. I could be weird (in some occasions) but not weird enough to hang a book in my ceiling. But like I normally do, I smell the book. Lo and behold, not a thousand streams of ink/hands/pressed paper/glue came across my olfactory nerve. The book's smell reminded me of embalmed cadavers I dissected back in medschool. For a time, I though Somerville was pressing small creatures (aliens maybe) in between the pages of the book that would serve as bookmarks. Well, it was not the case although, a part of me is wishing it was. I can't help imagining myself owning an unlimited edition bookmark. A far cry from the usual silverfish that lives in between the pages of my old(er) books. But embalming fluid stings my sense of smell, I have to wait for a few more weeks before I totally air out the smell so that I could enjoy the words. And when I did get to read it, again, I said brilliant, just the right sci-fi boost I need.

The machine of understanding another being. What would you do if someone invented something like this and entrusted it to you? Would wars actually be stopped by such a machine (knowing that wars root from misunderstandings)? And if I understood the mind of a psychopath, a killer, does that make his crimes lesser? What if you were given enough riches but you have to make a thesis on creating world peace but on the process have some big organization out there to kill you, would you accept it? Would you also enroll if you knew there is a university built solely to back such a theory of world peace. It meant no classrooms, no exams, just projects deemed relevant by the advisers to the theory. What if one of the projects involved watching your family on hidden CCTV, documenting everything for the sake of the theory, would you still agree? What if I told you it does exist and is happening right now, would you believe me? And , what if a group of scientists claimed to have a cure for baldness but are on an experimental phase, the off set may lead you turning into a monster. Would you risk your life just to restore your once proud crowning glory? What if there is really an Agent 007 but has his share of domestic problems, one that involves marital issues on top of his boss's persuasion for him to do a mission that could stop the world from changing, which do you think would he prioritize?

Somerville thought about this and wants his readers to think about it. It is a collection of short stories connected not obviously but implied magnificently. Like the story that tackled the boy's perspective on dying, another story that speaks of a mother's grief over her son's death by stabbing. And there's one that told the story from the point of a bystander. Each embedded in a stand alone short story. This book is not mainstream. It talked about the inner space. The realms beyond the senses, beyond the conscious and the conscience. It tasted American, the jokes and antics were Semi Fringe, half Frasier. There were influences of Kubrick somewhere. The stories in this collection were new to me, a delight for my senses. For whatever its worth, this book deserves to be more than a cut out hanging fixture but a book commendable for those willing to try something new.
(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Oct 31, 2010 Tim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories

Book publicity frequently is an exercise in the art (or artifice) of puffery. So, when a book is described as a "genre-busting" work, I tend to approach it with a bit of caution. Generally, though that term is a fair description of The Universe in Miniature in Miniature , Patrick Somerville's collection of short stories. Some of the stories could be described as science fiction while others defy categorization. Granted, genre-spanning could also be used to describe the stories. Despite their var...more Book publicity frequently is an exercise in the art (or artifice) of puffery. So, when a book is described as a "genre-busting" work, I tend to approach it with a bit of caution. Generally, though that term is a fair description of The Universe in Miniature in Miniature , Patrick Somerville's collection of short stories. Some of the stories could be described as science fiction while others defy categorization. Granted, genre-spanning could also be used to describe the stories. Despite their variety and at times unusual subjects, common elements and themes connect most of the stories.

For example, the opening tale, which gives the collection its name, introduces us to the School of Surreal Thought and Design. SSTD makes an appearance in other stories that do not involve the characters of the first. Similarly, the random stabbing of a young man on the street plays a role in at least three of the stories. Characters, meanwhile, make an appearance in seemingly unrelated stories, serving to provide a common thread. More important, virtually all of the stories are at heart about their characters, characters often broken in one way or another. Those who are damaged often are, as one says, "stuck in time" or, in the words of another, represent "the human mind trapped by itself in a vacuum but there's a very small window somehow within this empty and airless prison."

Thus, "People Like Me" is about a mercenary trying to return to normal family life but who is being recruited for another job (one which will play a crucial role in a later story). How far he's been removed from normal life is reflected by the fact that after returning home from an anger management class he sleeps in a closet holding an assault rifle. "Pangea," meanwhile, consists of the supposedly therapeutic journal ponderings of a man in a mental health facility. For Tom Sanderson, the central character in the novella "The Machine of Understanding Other People," self-hatred and a descent into alcoholism aren't as recent as his second divorce and losing his job as a corporate attorney.

On the surface, the book is somewhat reminiscent of Steven Millhauser's Dangerous Laughter: Thirteen Stories . Somerville's characters, however, provide an edge that gives his work its own character keeps the stories from becoming perhaps too precocious.

Although the book contains 30 stories (including a closing novella), a couple are vignettes of moments or events in two pages or less. That includes "Mother," on a per word basis perhaps the book's strongest piece. In it, a mother recalls the day her son was killed in that random stabbing. Not quite a stream of consciousness, the story traces her thought process from shock and dread to anguish and pain. (Later brief stories give the perspective of the son, a police officer who walks past the assailant shortly before the stabbing and the killer himself.) Immediately following "Mother" and nearly as strong is "The Wildlife Biologist," in which a high school girl learns through her parents' separation and her biology teacher of the failed dreams and compromises that can accumulate over the course of a life. In fact, Somerville's frequent reliance on generally strong female narrators helps give the collection a breadth of perspective one might not expect a male author to carry off quite so well (or well from the perspective of a male reader).

As with any collection, not everything in The Universe in Miniature in Miniature will not resonate with every reader. In fact, this is the type of work where a group of readers can quite legitimately differ on which are their favorites and which stories are stronger than others. The closing novella, though, will likely provoke every reader into considering which stories tie together and in what fashion. Some may also wonder about the significance to be attached to any perceived connection between or among any two or more stories. Combining a light touch of science fiction with greater emphasis on the characters, "The Machine of Understanding Other People" also helps epitomize Somerville's "genre-busting." Yet it also reminds us that the work as a whole may be its own machine of understanding other people, one that tends to give insight into not only the empty prison but, more important, the window.

(Originally posted at A Progressive on the Prairie.)(less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 29, 2012 Jason Pettus rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, stories, dark, subversive, funny, hipster, smart-nerdy, personal-favorite

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)

(IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: I am a personal friend of Jonathan Messinger, a co-owner of the small press that put this book out. It should be kept in mind while reading this review.) There's a good chance that I'll be meeting Chicago author Patrick Somerville for the first time later this week, during the tsunam...more (Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)

(IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: I am a personal friend of Jonathan Messinger, a co-owner of the small press that put this book out. It should be kept in mind while reading this review.) There's a good chance that I'll be meeting Chicago author Patrick Somerville for the first time later this week, during the tsunami known as the AWP literary convention starting tomorrow, essentially America's second largest gathering of industry professionals after the ABA's annual BookExpo; and I wanted to make sure I had read this latest by him before that moment, in that I found his debut novel The Cradle to be only so-so, despite this author being passionately loved among most of my friends here in the local scene. And indeed, it's easy to see why after reading this newest story collection by him, put out by our pals over at Featherproof Press (agh, so many local connections today, it make me brain hurt), because it's everything that The Cradle is not -- strange, dark, magical, written in a distinctive and mature voice, and free from the need for a 200-page three-act plot, which to be honest is looking more and more like the main thing that tripped Somerville up with his last book. Regular readers know that I'm not a big fan of unthemed story collections, but I have to confess that I would be if more of them were like this, full of pieces just long enough and strange enough to be memorable unto themselves, instead of the mishmash of similar characters and blurry plots that most story collections feel like in my head after I've finished them; and in fact about the biggest criticism I have is simply that Featherproof really misjudged what the cover image should've been, going with a cutesy, quirky design that tries to invoke the spirit of Miranda July when in fact most of the stories in this book range from obtuse to out-and-out pitch-black. A must-read for both McSweeney's fans and those who appreciate the short-story format, it comes strongly recommended to those specific readers.

Out of 10: 8.9, or 9.4 for short-story fans (less)

8 likes · like · see review

Dec 03, 2010 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars

A collection of intriguing, and often challenging stories. Many of the stories here are haunted by the burden of self-consciousness, a sensibility the characters and the stories themselves share that make them hard to warm up to, but which doesn't make them any less significant. But there are lots of them here, and the collection as a whole might've been stronger or more "impactful" were it a hundred pages shorter.

A fuller review in a forthcoming DIAGRAM.

like · see review

Dec 15, 2012 Kwinks rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am not a fan of short stories, but I enjoyed this imaginative collection. I think it helped that the stories are sort of connected. The title story was excellent. While I did not like the others as much, they were so uniquely different (some illustrated) that they were fun. Mostly, I was impressed with all of the ideas presented here, there is a great deal to think about.
I have to give a shout out to the designers of the cover, it is a work of in itself.

like · see review

Jan 10, 2011 Zac Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fantastic book of loosely connected short stories, some steeped in sci-fi and fantasy, others Munro-like slices of life with characters facing crises - some tiny and some enormous. Set in Chicago and written by a Chicago-based writer, geography is accurate and specific which, as a longtime Chicago resident, makes for delightful moments. If you like supporting small-press, somewhat off-the-radar authors check it out!

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2011 Blayne M rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Really fascinating collection of stories. I stopped reading after the second story, The Sun, because the apocalyptic vision therein was a little too frighteningly vivid, but it was so well written that after a couple days I had to keep going, and was well rewarded for doing so. Then I went on to read Somerville's two earlier books. Good stuff.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 06, 2013 X-ray Iris rated it 4 of 5 stars

heck of a set of interlocking short stories. light and funny, deep and dark. very reminiscent of douglas adams at the end - also echoes of margaret atwood, j.g. ballard, ray bradbury, stephen dobyns, kelly link, george saunders. i will reread. also enjoyed the book design.

like · see review

Feb 25, 2011 jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

The unfortunate thing about this collection is that my favorite story was the first. While there were other solid stories, and really wonderful writing throughout, it was tough to shake the feeling of things going downhill.

like · see review

Apr 04, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

A solid collection of short stories about characters facing insanity and evil, sometimes their own. *Very* surreal with great writing throughout.

Would easily have been star-star-star-star, but the most important story, tying together several of the previous ones, is not my favorite. There's also a stream-of-consciousness one I just couldn't take.

like · see review

Dec 09, 2010 Nico Vreeland rated it 5 of 5 stars

These stories are inventive and hilarious. Perfect for any fan of George Saunders or Donald Barthelme.

like · see review

Mar 15, 2012 Nathan Helgren rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked the author's style of writing, he was able to grab my attention with the individual short stories and I liked how they tangentally pieced themselves together in a non linear fashion. I highly reccomend this to my friends.

like · see review

Sep 28, 2011 Pete rated it 3 of 5 stars

Great imagination, very crisp writing, biting wit in places. But a bit precious overall.

like · see review

Jul 31, 2012 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

His best book but the one no one has heard of. Write more like this Patrick.

like · see review

Apr 27, 2011 Kaley rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you like Vonnegut and Tom Robbins, you'll love this!

like · see review

Jul 25, 2012 Nora rated it 5 of 5 stars

Spectacular.

like · see review

Apr 22, 2010 Zach rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Out of this world!

1 like · like · see review

Jun 20, 2012 Evan Kingston rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great mix of funny and affecting, imaginative and exacting, these stories range in length from short shorts to novellas, and each looks at similar question with impressively different voices.

like · see review

Jan 20, 2011 Annie rated it 5 of 5 stars

That's some good stuff, there.

like · see review

Dec 14, 2010 Benny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Everything you need to know: http://benjaminemmett.wordpress.com/2...

like · see review

Jan 05, 2011 Tom rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've never read anything else like this. It's a collection of short stories, separate and interwoven, with eloquent and ridiculously fun storytelling. Any of my friends interested in reading this book, I will buy you a copy. Seriously. You HAVE to read this. I can't lend you my copy because I have to read too many parts of it again.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 05, 2013 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars

I made some illustrations for this (http://goo.gl/W0pM) along with fellow artists Mark Rader and Alex Kostiw -- What I read to do so, I must say, was indeed good, and I was not surprised. Way to go, Mr. Somerville, looking forward to the rest!

like · see review

Oct 22, 2012 Charles Cohen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern-lit, science-fiction

Unbelievable. A solid story collection that's pulled together by the final, truly great story, "The Machine of Understanding Other People." Took my world and shook-it, snow-globe style. And today I see the world differently.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 22 23 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Short Stories

19 users

Literary Fiction

2 users

Adult Fiction

2 users

Fantasy

2 users

Science Fiction

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Daddy's
by Lindsay Hunter
Hiding Out
by Jonathan Messinger
Scorch Atlas
by Blake Butler
Museum of the Weird
by Amelia Gray
Unpossible and Other Stories
by Daryl Gregory

About Patrick Somerville

I'm a fiction writer from Wisconsin, living in Chicago.

More about Patrick Somerville...

Books by Patrick Somerville

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Universe in M...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Universe in Miniat...

“I don't think of love in terms of relationships. It happens in terms of seconds, but it goes away like that, too. I pass a nurse, I love her, it ends when I go around a corner; at a restaurant I see a forlorn man at the table next to me, and I love him, and the conversation pulls me back, and it's ended. A patient comes in, and she is sick, and I love her, and then she dies, and I never see her again. This is what I live for. Don't think that it's sad.” — 6 people liked it

“Nobody, anywhere, has any real sense what is actually going on." This doesn't seem to get a very good reaction from the crowd - no doubt I'm scowling as I say it, but still. I continue: "I don't either, but at least I know I don't. I'm sorry but you people aren't like me." This is me trying to take the edge off. Being friendly. "You haven't done the shit I've done.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Universe in Miniature in Miniature
avg rating	preview: The Universe in Miniature in Miniature Goodreads rating: 4.14 (210 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8079617-the-universe-in-miniature-in-miniature?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1271986514l/8079617.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8079617-the-universe-in-miniature-in-miniature?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Universe in Miniature in Miniature by Patrick Somerville[/url]

The Universe in Miniature in Miniature

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website