Patrick's review

Patrick's review

Special Topics in Calamity Physics Special Topics in Calamity Physics
by Marisha Pessl

137408 Patrick's review
rating: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
recommended for: easily impressed high school students

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 nor b

Questions
(1) __ I had heard good things about it
(2) __ I bought it on a whim
(3) __ If feeling extremely charitable, I might call it “frothy”
(4) __ It seemed sort of good in the beginning, but by the end I was like, “Blaahahhgajh. End, end, end.”
(5) __ Contains metaphors that go down like a junebug having lion sex in a bourbon mood
(6) __ Blue things totally dissed
(7) __ Nabokov rolling in his grave
(8) __ Authoritative blurb raises questions about agenda of blurber
(9) __ Handy pronunciation key for difficult-to-pronounce words like “açaí” or “pessl”
(10) __ “I’m confused about what editors, like, do?”
(11) __ “Maybe I don’t need this many a...more

Like this review?   yes   (65 people liked it)  flag




comments (showing 1-12 of 12)

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message 1: by Jessica
09/27/2007 11:54AM

221331 brilliant.

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message 2: by Siobhan
11/14/2007 09:06PM

132196 You and I gave this book the same number of stars. Which means we are both the same number of trying-to-be-nice-about-stuff-that-probably-doesn't-deserve-it.

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message 3: by Patrick
11/15/2007 07:48PM

137408 Is it because we are both sort of from Texas?

Based on this, I feel comfortable in saying to you: do not try Açaí juice. Down that path lies what the Germans in Texas call "Herzzerstörung".

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message 4: by Gerry
11/19/2007 08:45AM

149353 I think the publisher misunderstood Franzen's quote. A masterpiece "of sorts"? Faint praise. The perfect amount of praise, but faint nonetheless.

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message 5: by Jessica
01/01/2008 06:05PM

186838 This is the review I wish I could vote for about a thousand times.

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message 6: by Holly
01/02/2008 03:47PM

37088 I read this because of Jessica's comment.

a) Brilliant
b) Belongs here: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/link...

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message 7: by Xiola
03/29/2008 08:59PM

234070 Your review was by far more witty and entertaining than the book. Have you penned anything else for us to read?

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message 8: by Kevin
05/02/2008 08:10PM

1129679 I actually like acai juice.
Couldn't stand this book!!! Why oh why did I spend 5 hours of my life reading this pretentious drivel???
Great comment, BTW.


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message 9: by Honore
06/16/2008 11:55PM

179272 I agree wholeheartedly with everyone else -- I think this is the best review I've seen on goodreads, hands-down. Or many other places, for that matter.

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message 10: by Katie
06/23/2008 08:02PM

1223795 I bet the review is better than the book.
I bet the juice is better than the book, for that matter.
I bet the juice is cheaper than the book.

Be my reading muse, O Patrick...

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message 11: by Jessica
07/08/2008 02:44PM

225325 Best. Review. Ever.

I keep almost putting this book on my to-read list, but that Cadillac smile quote may have cured this urge for good.

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message 12: by Jessica
09/03/2008 12:20PM

683715 Brilliant! Best review I've seen.

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