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The Epiphany Machine
A searing alternative history of New York city, from the 60s to the near future, in which a tattoo machine is rumored to inscribe insightful assessments on its users’ forearms—with irreversible consequences.
Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too.
That’s the promise of Adam Lyon’s epiphany machine, or at least the headline of an original promotional flyer he uses in the 1960s. At that point, Adam is already hosting regular salon nights in his tiny New York City apartment, where his guests can offer up their forearms to his junky old contraption and receive important, personal revelations in the form of a tattoo.
Over the decades, Adam’s apparatus teaches John Lennon to love The Beatles, takes early blame for the spread of HIV, and predicts several violent crimes. But most significant to Adam may be the days on which he marks the arm of Venter Lowood’s mother, and then his father, and then Venter himself.
It’s Venter, a bright but lost young man, who becomes Adam’s protégé. It’s Venter who records the testimonials from epiphany machine users, who studies another writer’s history of the machine. And it’s Venter who reads Adam’s pamphlet, distributed into the 90s and aughts, that adds to his original oath:
There are absolutely no circumstances under which your epiphanies or any other personal information will be shared with law enforcement.
It’s Venter who will be forced to reconcile himself to this important caveat, when the government begins asking questions about a very specific tattoo that marks the arm of his best friend.
Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too.
That’s the promise of Adam Lyon’s epiphany machine, or at least the headline of an original promotional flyer he uses in the 1960s. At that point, Adam is already hosting regular salon nights in his tiny New York City apartment, where his guests can offer up their forearms to his junky old contraption and receive important, personal revelations in the form of a tattoo.
Over the decades, Adam’s apparatus teaches John Lennon to love The Beatles, takes early blame for the spread of HIV, and predicts several violent crimes. But most significant to Adam may be the days on which he marks the arm of Venter Lowood’s mother, and then his father, and then Venter himself.
It’s Venter, a bright but lost young man, who becomes Adam’s protégé. It’s Venter who records the testimonials from epiphany machine users, who studies another writer’s history of the machine. And it’s Venter who reads Adam’s pamphlet, distributed into the 90s and aughts, that adds to his original oath:
There are absolutely no circumstances under which your epiphanies or any other personal information will be shared with law enforcement.
It’s Venter who will be forced to reconcile himself to this important caveat, when the government begins asking questions about a very specific tattoo that marks the arm of his best friend.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2017
115 people are currently reading
2334 people want to read
About the author
David Burr Gerrard
3 books40 followersDavid Burr Gerrard is the author of THE EPIPHANY MACHINE (Putnam, July 2017) and SHORT CENTURY (Rare Bird, 2014). He teaches creative writing at the 92nd Street Y, The New School, and the Sackett Street Writers' Workshop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
December 10, 2017
New Entry into Pantheon of Cult Classics?
Words are like weapons: they wound sometimes.
Diane Warren, "If I Could Turn Back Time" (quoted in epigraphs to novel)
Prelim. review:*
Perhaps the initial hesitation of lit reviewers and literary readers to pick up this gem comes from the failure of the publisher to do any promotion and from the sci-fi element in an otherwise literary novel. The plot surrounds a contraption discovered by its owner in the 1960s that will tattoo your epiphany on your inner forearm, a sort of modern-day oracle in a way, whose customer list has included John Lennon and a number of other luminaries. Set in NYC, mainly from the late 1990s to the present, the sales pitch for the machine in its early years was "Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too." The idea, in theory, is that "once you know your biggest secret, you can accept it" and consider it as a revelation of self to help you go through life, or something like that.
For example, the epiphany of the protagonist Venter Lowood, both of whose parents were among the earliest recipients of epiphany tattoos, is "dependent on the opinion of others." Epiphanies can be much more vague though, such as that on Venter's best friend, "Likes to blow things up," who, as a budding playwright, the friend took to mean blowing up his mother's expectations of him becoming a physician and of him marrying a girl of his own faith.
Mr. Gerrard makes this centerpiece work as a believable machine that has a sort of cult stain to it in its early years and then an increasing demand in NYC, and he establishes a credibility to its growing importance in contemporary culture, much as he makes the characters seem real and true.
In any case, the sci-fi element in a literary book should be a reason for even more chatter rather than a cause for pause. Consider that quality sci-fi/lit genre-benders come along only every so often and the really good ones have actually rocked the world: See, e.g., Brave New World, 1984, Frankenstein, The Handmaid's Tale, the works of Franz Kafka, Slaughterhouse-Five, Fahrenheit 451 and The Road, and resulted in literary acclaim and/or moderate commercial successes of late such as Life After Life, The Plot Against America, Cloud Atlas, Never Let Me Go, Murakami's novels and The Time Traveler's Wife.
This fascinating and brilliantly inventive bildungsroman moves quickly and keeps up the interest with well-developed characters and strong, morally intricate storylines. The novel touches upon issues of accountability, truth, destiny, privacy, responsibility, our inability to see what is obvious to everyone but ourselves, and our susceptibility to our ancient enemy in the form of our self-rationalization of morally wrong actions. It is full of allusions and similarities in tone to Joyce, Kafka and Wm. Burroughs, as well as smart nods to literature and writing.
My one complaint--that the transition into the post-9/11 abuses didn't quite seem to fit--is far outweighed by the book's poignancy, its intriguing characters, its crystalline critiques of contemporary American culture, and the fun of reading it.
I highly recommend this one, which some are saying may end up a Cult Classic.
PS: For my Goodreads friends of a more Victorian persuasion, I should note here that the author (and thus his characters) seems especially preoccupied with the practice whereby a hetero couple simulates intercourse between the female's breasts, and with oral sex given by both the female and the male partner.
*This novel is somewhat similar to, and arguably even better than, 2016's The Nix. Mr. Gerrard, who teaches creative writing in NYC at the 92nd Street Y, The New School, and the Sackett Street Writers' Workshop, hits our contemporary culture right between the eyes, as did Nathan Hill in The Nix. Which begs the question: is Random House--whose imprint published The Nix--that much better at pushing their books than Penguin's for The Epiphany Machine? BTW, no one pitched me this novel, or gave me a free copy; I bought it after reading a few rave reviews.
Words are like weapons: they wound sometimes.
Diane Warren, "If I Could Turn Back Time" (quoted in epigraphs to novel)
Prelim. review:*
Perhaps the initial hesitation of lit reviewers and literary readers to pick up this gem comes from the failure of the publisher to do any promotion and from the sci-fi element in an otherwise literary novel. The plot surrounds a contraption discovered by its owner in the 1960s that will tattoo your epiphany on your inner forearm, a sort of modern-day oracle in a way, whose customer list has included John Lennon and a number of other luminaries. Set in NYC, mainly from the late 1990s to the present, the sales pitch for the machine in its early years was "Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too." The idea, in theory, is that "once you know your biggest secret, you can accept it" and consider it as a revelation of self to help you go through life, or something like that.
For example, the epiphany of the protagonist Venter Lowood, both of whose parents were among the earliest recipients of epiphany tattoos, is "dependent on the opinion of others." Epiphanies can be much more vague though, such as that on Venter's best friend, "Likes to blow things up," who, as a budding playwright, the friend took to mean blowing up his mother's expectations of him becoming a physician and of him marrying a girl of his own faith.
Mr. Gerrard makes this centerpiece work as a believable machine that has a sort of cult stain to it in its early years and then an increasing demand in NYC, and he establishes a credibility to its growing importance in contemporary culture, much as he makes the characters seem real and true.
In any case, the sci-fi element in a literary book should be a reason for even more chatter rather than a cause for pause. Consider that quality sci-fi/lit genre-benders come along only every so often and the really good ones have actually rocked the world: See, e.g., Brave New World, 1984, Frankenstein, The Handmaid's Tale, the works of Franz Kafka, Slaughterhouse-Five, Fahrenheit 451 and The Road, and resulted in literary acclaim and/or moderate commercial successes of late such as Life After Life, The Plot Against America, Cloud Atlas, Never Let Me Go, Murakami's novels and The Time Traveler's Wife.
This fascinating and brilliantly inventive bildungsroman moves quickly and keeps up the interest with well-developed characters and strong, morally intricate storylines. The novel touches upon issues of accountability, truth, destiny, privacy, responsibility, our inability to see what is obvious to everyone but ourselves, and our susceptibility to our ancient enemy in the form of our self-rationalization of morally wrong actions. It is full of allusions and similarities in tone to Joyce, Kafka and Wm. Burroughs, as well as smart nods to literature and writing.
My one complaint--that the transition into the post-9/11 abuses didn't quite seem to fit--is far outweighed by the book's poignancy, its intriguing characters, its crystalline critiques of contemporary American culture, and the fun of reading it.
I highly recommend this one, which some are saying may end up a Cult Classic.
PS: For my Goodreads friends of a more Victorian persuasion, I should note here that the author (and thus his characters) seems especially preoccupied with the practice whereby a hetero couple simulates intercourse between the female's breasts, and with oral sex given by both the female and the male partner.
*This novel is somewhat similar to, and arguably even better than, 2016's The Nix. Mr. Gerrard, who teaches creative writing in NYC at the 92nd Street Y, The New School, and the Sackett Street Writers' Workshop, hits our contemporary culture right between the eyes, as did Nathan Hill in The Nix. Which begs the question: is Random House--whose imprint published The Nix--that much better at pushing their books than Penguin's for The Epiphany Machine? BTW, no one pitched me this novel, or gave me a free copy; I bought it after reading a few rave reviews.
Want to read
August 8, 2017another subscription box for meeeee! this one comes to you from page habit: https://pagehabit.com/ and i say THANK YOU!
maggie may no longer with me to explore these book boxes as they arrive, but she's here in spirit, and cremains. this might seem grotesque, but i miss her and love her with all of the me that there is, so this is in honor of her and her investigative spirit and not some inappropriate "weekend at bernie's" disrespect of the deceased. she'd appreciate the gesture.
maggie may no longer with me to explore these book boxes as they arrive, but she's here in spirit, and cremains. this might seem grotesque, but i miss her and love her with all of the me that there is, so this is in honor of her and her investigative spirit and not some inappropriate "weekend at bernie's" disrespect of the deceased. she'd appreciate the gesture.
January 15, 2018
Update 15/1/18
The tale of a machine that mysteriously writes a message on your arm – a message that alerts you to something significant, a message that is seeking to steer you. Well that sounds interesting enough. The trouble is that the idea here is better than the execution. Well, in truth, I base this view on the first 50 pages only as this is as far as I got before something - no, not a tattoo on my arm - told me enough was enough.
Maybe it’s that I’ve got no staying power on maybe it’s just that this book is a load of drivel – I’m not sure. There are some good lines here and one or two interesting characters, but it all keeps jumping around and it’s full of literary references that are way too obscure and tangled for my uneducated brain.
I’ve picked it up read a few pages and put it down again half a dozen times, but eventually I didn’t want to pick it up again. It’s a pity, because there just might be a good story in here somewhere. No matter, time to move on. My first DNF of the year.
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31/12/17
I finally got around to starting this one - very kindly sent to me in a wonderful pagehabit box, along with various goodies. https://pagehabit.com
I'll post my thoughts on it in due course.
The tale of a machine that mysteriously writes a message on your arm – a message that alerts you to something significant, a message that is seeking to steer you. Well that sounds interesting enough. The trouble is that the idea here is better than the execution. Well, in truth, I base this view on the first 50 pages only as this is as far as I got before something - no, not a tattoo on my arm - told me enough was enough.
Maybe it’s that I’ve got no staying power on maybe it’s just that this book is a load of drivel – I’m not sure. There are some good lines here and one or two interesting characters, but it all keeps jumping around and it’s full of literary references that are way too obscure and tangled for my uneducated brain.
I’ve picked it up read a few pages and put it down again half a dozen times, but eventually I didn’t want to pick it up again. It’s a pity, because there just might be a good story in here somewhere. No matter, time to move on. My first DNF of the year.
-----------------------------------------
31/12/17
I finally got around to starting this one - very kindly sent to me in a wonderful pagehabit box, along with various goodies. https://pagehabit.com
I'll post my thoughts on it in due course.
July 1, 2017
"You already know what the machine will write on your arm. That lie you've been telling yourself—you know what it is. That blind spot is not really a blind spot—you're choosing to look away." The epiphany machine tattoos a statement on the forearms of people who want to find out something about themselves, some characteristic that they already know on some level but are afraid to face. Adam Lyons has been operating the machine for years, but where it came from and how it works is not clear. Is Adam directing the writing or is some force responsible? Are you fated to follow your message or do you alter your behavior to conform to the tattoo? Can the tattoo predict criminal behavior? Venter Lowood comes to get a tattoo and winds up working for Lyons while he is still in high school. Venter has a very conflicted relationship with Adam and the machine.
Inspired by the skin art of both "Moby Dick" and "In the Penal Colony", this book had a unique premise and raised some interesting questions, however I didn't really connect with either the writing style or the protagonist. The narration was periodically interrupted by interviews that were conducted by Venter with people who had used the machine and by chapters of a book written by someone who seemed obsessed with the machine. This made the rhythm of the book a little wonky for me. Also, the descriptions of the experiences with the machine got to feel repetitive. I think the book should have been 100 pages shorter. Venter was just such a limp, passive character that I didn't really care about him, even after he betrayed his best friend and suffered from the guilt that this caused. Ultimately, I thought this book was a good attempt at writing something out of the ordinary, I just wasn't crazy about the execution.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Inspired by the skin art of both "Moby Dick" and "In the Penal Colony", this book had a unique premise and raised some interesting questions, however I didn't really connect with either the writing style or the protagonist. The narration was periodically interrupted by interviews that were conducted by Venter with people who had used the machine and by chapters of a book written by someone who seemed obsessed with the machine. This made the rhythm of the book a little wonky for me. Also, the descriptions of the experiences with the machine got to feel repetitive. I think the book should have been 100 pages shorter. Venter was just such a limp, passive character that I didn't really care about him, even after he betrayed his best friend and suffered from the guilt that this caused. Ultimately, I thought this book was a good attempt at writing something out of the ordinary, I just wasn't crazy about the execution.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
August 7, 2017
The Epiphany Machine had an excellent premise, and the start of the book really hooked me. I was excited to read about these characters, how the epiphany machine would change their lives, and the truth behind the epiphany machine.
Unfortunately, the author decided to make the main character an unlikable boor, and spend the book having him make the wrong decision at every turn, and alienate every interesting character. Thus by the end we are only left with Venter and Rachel who are now extremely bitter and self-hating. You as a reader will share this sentiment.
It is also frustrating to never get any closure on what exactly the epiphany machine is, or how it worked. I can understand the desire to leave it as a mystery, but giving any evidence to Adam using it, or it being divine, or something else would have been entirely more satisfying.
Unfortunately, the author decided to make the main character an unlikable boor, and spend the book having him make the wrong decision at every turn, and alienate every interesting character. Thus by the end we are only left with Venter and Rachel who are now extremely bitter and self-hating. You as a reader will share this sentiment.
It is also frustrating to never get any closure on what exactly the epiphany machine is, or how it worked. I can understand the desire to leave it as a mystery, but giving any evidence to Adam using it, or it being divine, or something else would have been entirely more satisfying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2017
I leave this novel incredibly disappointed. The premise -- that a machine can tattoo truths about yourself on your arm -- was intriguing to me, and from the early moment in the book where we learn Venter (the protagonist)'s father's tattoo (SHOULD NEVER BECOME A FATHER), I was absolutely hooked. It's part mystery, part exploration, interweaving narrative with fictional testimonials, articles, etc. I tore through the first half of the book.
Then I came to a chapter that included page-long sex scene that was over-the-top, unnecessary for the plot and, in my opinion, physically impossible for most women. After that point, the book felt like a slog. The author seemed to bring up sex every five words (I read another review on here that said it was like a school boy giggling curse words and I agree with that sentiment). The narrator started the novel as the kind of person who annoys you but you put up with him anyway because he means well, but he finished the novel as this totally self-flagellating nightmare who, frankly, felt like he was channeling the author a little too much. The whole second half of the novel was navel-gazing -- basically all the characters turn out to be writers, which just seems like low-hanging fruit.
Probably worst of all, most of the major mysteries of the novel are never solved. When the author does tie up loose ends, he does it in the sloppiest deux ex machina fashion. I just wish the second half of this book didn't exist because the first half was so good.
Then I came to a chapter that included page-long sex scene that was over-the-top, unnecessary for the plot and, in my opinion, physically impossible for most women. After that point, the book felt like a slog. The author seemed to bring up sex every five words (I read another review on here that said it was like a school boy giggling curse words and I agree with that sentiment). The narrator started the novel as the kind of person who annoys you but you put up with him anyway because he means well, but he finished the novel as this totally self-flagellating nightmare who, frankly, felt like he was channeling the author a little too much. The whole second half of the novel was navel-gazing -- basically all the characters turn out to be writers, which just seems like low-hanging fruit.
Probably worst of all, most of the major mysteries of the novel are never solved. When the author does tie up loose ends, he does it in the sloppiest deux ex machina fashion. I just wish the second half of this book didn't exist because the first half was so good.
August 13, 2017
I was really looking forward to this book. It started out great. But then it stalled out and I got tired of reading the same self flagellation repeated ad nauseam. I didn't care for any of the main characters. I'm not even sure it was worth the effort put in to finish it. Disappointing for sure.
October 19, 2017
I loathed this book! It has an interesting idea about a truth telling tattoo that reveals the innermost self-opinion that we hold secret. By getting the tattoo, people expose this flaw [most of the time it appears to be a flaw] and it forces them to address it and either change or embrace. Okay, get by the idea of it and it is chock full of ridiculous characters who annoy, frustrate, make numerous plot only actions--how this is getting acclaim is beyond me. It is an absurd book about absurd people who do absurd things and have absurd conversations. The only reason I finished the book was I had to stand in a nearly two hour line to eat at Howlin' Rays [hot fried chicken!] and didn't want to resemble 95% of the other lines folk and stare at my phone...so I read this and hated pretty much every little thing about it.
July 3, 2017
"The Epiphany Machine" is not a light-hearted, fun, summer read. It is dark, complicated, frustrating, and as real as an alternative history should be. Although it is a very well written book, with an original and thought-provoking theme, it was not an enjoyable read for me. The characters are selfish and often unlikable. It was difficult to relate to the main characters, including Venter and Adam, which made it hard to care about the consequences that befell them. The interweaving of characters like John Lennon and the 911 terrorist Ziad were promising at first, but then dissolved as the story progressed. The frequent reference to Venter's tattoo as a label he is unable to escape feels repetitive and unchangeable, making for a bleak outlook for him. The story of the epiphany machine itself is unsatisfying and leaves the reader full of questions. The story does venture into reality with its description of treatment of "terrorists" after the 9/11 attacks, however even that feels incomplete. Gerrard creates an alternative world where a strange New York City cult rises and falls without much consequence. Likewise, "The Epiphany Machine" was capable of so much more than it delivers.
May 30, 2017
2.5 stars. This book didn't really have anything happen in it. When things did actually happen it left a lot of unanswered questions. We don't know if Adam was a fraud or not. If the machine actually worked. Where it came from. If it had divine power. The main character, Venter, was a useless and as bland as a character could be. He gets his friend arrested and then it's 150 pages of going back and fourth on if he did the right thing. Or if his friend really is innocent. By the way the friend WAS innocent. And he just never gets out of jail, totally glosses over that at the end. Because we have a big wedding to go to, Venter is marrying this girl that I don't think he even likes. Like honestly all they do is fuck and argue. That's it. But yay! She's pregnant and everything is going to be great. Oh yeah except that innocent man in jail that they did literally nothing to help rectify the situation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2020
If David Burr Gerrard had an epiphany tattoo, it would read:
DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FINISH A GOOD IDEA
DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FINISH A GOOD IDEA
December 24, 2017
The concept was cool, but that's all I really liked about the book. The Epiphany Machine is a strange machine that tattoos on a person's arm their essence. For example, on our milquetoast narrator's arm the machine inks "Dependent on the opinions of others". And before 9/11, on the arm of a brown Muslim man, the best friend of our narrator, it inks "Wants to blow up things".
And predictably, it went exactly where I thought it would go. The unfortunate fact is that as much as I hated poor Venter, I still didn't think he needed to be as vilified as he was. What would any of the others have done if Homeland Security turned up right after the biggest terrorist act committed in the country and asked them who had the same tattoo as one of the terrorists? Say you thought your friend didn't have anything to do with any of it, but do you really want the lives of innocent people on your head? The guy didn't volunteer any information, he was intimidated into giving it.
But anyway, people, like his own mother, call him vile and that he has lived his life abominably. The mother, by the way, abandoned him when he was little because she herself had "abandons what matters most" tattooed on her hand. No apologies from this lady, no sense of consequence for anyone except for our guilty narrator. It really felt like everyone around him manipulated his tattoo to get him to do what they wanted. And he seemed spunky and knew his own mind before he got his tattoo. At some points I felt sorry for him. However, the book doesn't really show that it's aware of this.
I didn't like the language either. Pretentious writing attributed to an acclaimed author within the book (which sounds really terrible, I have no idea why anyone would pay to read it), constant belittling of the narrator for no purpose, no clarity as to what the epiphany machine actually is, lots of unnecessary oral sex. Not something I cared to read.
And predictably, it went exactly where I thought it would go. The unfortunate fact is that as much as I hated poor Venter, I still didn't think he needed to be as vilified as he was. What would any of the others have done if Homeland Security turned up right after the biggest terrorist act committed in the country and asked them who had the same tattoo as one of the terrorists? Say you thought your friend didn't have anything to do with any of it, but do you really want the lives of innocent people on your head? The guy didn't volunteer any information, he was intimidated into giving it.
But anyway, people, like his own mother, call him vile and that he has lived his life abominably. The mother, by the way, abandoned him when he was little because she herself had "abandons what matters most" tattooed on her hand. No apologies from this lady, no sense of consequence for anyone except for our guilty narrator. It really felt like everyone around him manipulated his tattoo to get him to do what they wanted. And he seemed spunky and knew his own mind before he got his tattoo. At some points I felt sorry for him. However, the book doesn't really show that it's aware of this.
I didn't like the language either. Pretentious writing attributed to an acclaimed author within the book (which sounds really terrible, I have no idea why anyone would pay to read it), constant belittling of the narrator for no purpose, no clarity as to what the epiphany machine actually is, lots of unnecessary oral sex. Not something I cared to read.
June 26, 2017
Thank you to Penguin's First to Read Program for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. The Epiphany Machine, by new author David Burr Gerrard, is the story of a tattoo machine that inscribes one’s inner-most insights onto his or her forearm. The story is told through the eyes of its protagonist, Venter Lowood, and shares an alternative history of New York City from the 60’s through present time.
I thought the book was brilliant and it reminded me very much of Jonathan Safran Foer’s writing style, with its smart prose, imperfect characters, and unique plot. This book came along when I needed it to the most . . . I was in a rut reading the same story lines over and over again. The Epiphany Machine is unlike any story that I’ve ever read and I can honestly say that there will never be another book like it. The one chapter devoted to an examination of one of the 9/11 terrorist is one of the most intense (and uniquely written) chapters that I’ve ever read. This book may possibly be the next big thing, similar to how Foer’s “Everything is Illuminated” was for a similar new, young author.
I thought the book was brilliant and it reminded me very much of Jonathan Safran Foer’s writing style, with its smart prose, imperfect characters, and unique plot. This book came along when I needed it to the most . . . I was in a rut reading the same story lines over and over again. The Epiphany Machine is unlike any story that I’ve ever read and I can honestly say that there will never be another book like it. The one chapter devoted to an examination of one of the 9/11 terrorist is one of the most intense (and uniquely written) chapters that I’ve ever read. This book may possibly be the next big thing, similar to how Foer’s “Everything is Illuminated” was for a similar new, young author.
July 26, 2017
Read all my reviews at ouroborosfreelance.com.
What would my epiphany tattoo be? What would yours be?
“The worst possible thing you could think of to say about someone will almost certainly be your epiphany.”
The epiphany machine tattoos on the forearm a one-sentence “truth” about the person receiving the tattoo. You know, that one thing about someone that everyone knows – except the person themselves.
“Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too”
Venter Lowood is the POV character in this book. His fascination with the epiphany machine starts young; his mother abandoned him as a baby to work with Adam Lyon, the man who runs the epiphany machine. We follow Venter from childhood to middle age, and as the world changes around him, so does the public opinion of epiphany tattoos. John Lennon gets a tattoo, as does a 9/11 terrorist. The tattoos can be bought with $100 or with no monetary exchange and then commercialized epiphany tattoos are the norm. In the beginning, one tattooed person says of their unflattering epiphany:
“You should only feel shame before you feel shame. Once you feel shame, you know that you have to change. When you feel shame, you should really feel relief. You should say: ‘Hurray! Now I know that I have to change.”
By the end, another says,
“Shame is basically hypocrisy redirected against yourself-it’s holding yourself to a higher standard than you’re capable of meeting, rather than holding other people to a higher standard than you’re capable of meeting.”
This book is beautifully written in many distinct voices – the main narrative, short stories from a book about the epiphany machine, and accounts by those who have received epiphany tattoos.
As this is only Gerrard’s second novel, I predict you should expect further great reads from this writer!
Now – I want an epiphany tattoo.
Rating: 92/100
What would my epiphany tattoo be? What would yours be?
“The worst possible thing you could think of to say about someone will almost certainly be your epiphany.”
The epiphany machine tattoos on the forearm a one-sentence “truth” about the person receiving the tattoo. You know, that one thing about someone that everyone knows – except the person themselves.
“Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too”
Venter Lowood is the POV character in this book. His fascination with the epiphany machine starts young; his mother abandoned him as a baby to work with Adam Lyon, the man who runs the epiphany machine. We follow Venter from childhood to middle age, and as the world changes around him, so does the public opinion of epiphany tattoos. John Lennon gets a tattoo, as does a 9/11 terrorist. The tattoos can be bought with $100 or with no monetary exchange and then commercialized epiphany tattoos are the norm. In the beginning, one tattooed person says of their unflattering epiphany:
“You should only feel shame before you feel shame. Once you feel shame, you know that you have to change. When you feel shame, you should really feel relief. You should say: ‘Hurray! Now I know that I have to change.”
By the end, another says,
“Shame is basically hypocrisy redirected against yourself-it’s holding yourself to a higher standard than you’re capable of meeting, rather than holding other people to a higher standard than you’re capable of meeting.”
This book is beautifully written in many distinct voices – the main narrative, short stories from a book about the epiphany machine, and accounts by those who have received epiphany tattoos.
As this is only Gerrard’s second novel, I predict you should expect further great reads from this writer!
Now – I want an epiphany tattoo.
Rating: 92/100
December 26, 2020
I've sat, trying to think of how to review this book, and come up short. Every description fails to capture the experience I had when listening to The Epiphany Machine--and I highly recommend the audio version of this novel, with excellent narration by Ari Fliakos--and I'm not surprised to see that other reviews seem to have missed the point, missed the experience entirely. For those looking to see neat answers, tidied threads snipped off and packaged for the reader, this is not the book for you. For those looking to take a deeper look into humanity, into self-knowledge and what that means and how we might achieve it, and accompany a protagonist who is beautifully flawed and therefore the epitome of humanity itself in its self-loathing and regret, this is the novel you need.
I wasn't sure where to shelve this, as it says it's science fiction, but it isn't. Not really. Which is part of the reason I love it. There are fantastical elements but the book, the characters, the dirty apartments and the streets of New York, are grounded and do not let you fool yourself into thinking this could never happen. So much of it did. But if you're looking for a space odyssey or an alternate universe, this is not the book for you.
Stylistically, the interwoven narratives, interviews, selections from fiction within a fiction worked for me; if someone has trouble following anything other than a perfectly linear narrative, then this is not the book for you. But nothing about it was ever hard to follow: interviews are labeled with dates and peppered with references that make it easy to know exactly who is speaking, and when, and the storyline itself has a natural progression that never confused me or left me behind.
If you're looking for a book that refuses easy categorization, other than to be labeled as the best book I read in 2020, then this is the book for you.
I wasn't sure where to shelve this, as it says it's science fiction, but it isn't. Not really. Which is part of the reason I love it. There are fantastical elements but the book, the characters, the dirty apartments and the streets of New York, are grounded and do not let you fool yourself into thinking this could never happen. So much of it did. But if you're looking for a space odyssey or an alternate universe, this is not the book for you.
Stylistically, the interwoven narratives, interviews, selections from fiction within a fiction worked for me; if someone has trouble following anything other than a perfectly linear narrative, then this is not the book for you. But nothing about it was ever hard to follow: interviews are labeled with dates and peppered with references that make it easy to know exactly who is speaking, and when, and the storyline itself has a natural progression that never confused me or left me behind.
If you're looking for a book that refuses easy categorization, other than to be labeled as the best book I read in 2020, then this is the book for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2024
"The Epiphany Machine" presents an intriguing premise with its titular device that promises to reveal individuals' deepest truths.
"Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too." That is the slogan with which the Epiphany Machine draws its crowds. Wouldn't you like to know what life has in store for you...?
It offers a promising start with a very unique premise that doesn't veer too deeply into dystopian tropes. The first half of the story captivates with its exploration of the mystery surrounding machine and its creator.
The main character, Venter Lowood, burdened by the truth (the 'epiphany') he receives from the machine, delves into the intriguing question of whether fate can be altered.
However, as the narrative progresses, the story takes an unexpected turn, shifting focus to a side character and delving into themes of terrorism and racial prejudice. This diversion from the initial premise feels jarring and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the novel. While the exploration of terrorism may have been timely at the time of writing, it fails to deliver on the promise established in the first half of the book.
"The Epiphany Machine" sparks thought on the limits of destiny and the consequences of attempting to defy it, however, readers may find themselves wishing for more exploration of the machine and its enigmatic creator, rather than the themes introduced in the latter half of the novel.
"Everyone else knows the truth about you, now you can know it, too." That is the slogan with which the Epiphany Machine draws its crowds. Wouldn't you like to know what life has in store for you...?
It offers a promising start with a very unique premise that doesn't veer too deeply into dystopian tropes. The first half of the story captivates with its exploration of the mystery surrounding machine and its creator.
The main character, Venter Lowood, burdened by the truth (the 'epiphany') he receives from the machine, delves into the intriguing question of whether fate can be altered.
However, as the narrative progresses, the story takes an unexpected turn, shifting focus to a side character and delving into themes of terrorism and racial prejudice. This diversion from the initial premise feels jarring and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the novel. While the exploration of terrorism may have been timely at the time of writing, it fails to deliver on the promise established in the first half of the book.
"The Epiphany Machine" sparks thought on the limits of destiny and the consequences of attempting to defy it, however, readers may find themselves wishing for more exploration of the machine and its enigmatic creator, rather than the themes introduced in the latter half of the novel.
June 4, 2017
A fantastic novel about growing up, fate and morality. Like his earlier novel, Short Century, Gerrard tells an slightly-alternative version of American history. Though the Epiphany Machine takes a seemingly outlandish concept, a machine that writes a deep truth about people on their arms, and embeds it in the heart of late 20th and early 21st centuries. The Epiphany Machine has a uncertain provenance, with many theories as to its origins. In the end (for the novel) it ends up in the hands of a Adam, a man living in New York who operates it illegally out of his apartment, where nobodies and celebrities alike congregate to await their mystical message. Venter, the protagonist, has a strange link to the machine and Adam. His mother, who disappeared from his life, was Adam's assistant and his father, forbids him to even read about the machine...which clearly draws him to it. He ends up working for Adam and starting a project of interviewing the many users of it, to learn how the machine changed (or didn't change) their lives. Through these testimonials and Venteer's own life, Gerrard deftly explores the many complex themes while keeping up an engaging story where I often found myself forgetting that the Epiphany Machines isn't actually a real device. A great read, one of the rare books that is both entertaining and intellectually engaging at the same time.
September 23, 2024
Along with the quest to find one’s purpose in life, the next biggest challenge a human can face is to figure out who they are and find a way to live with themselves. In David Burr Gerrard’s The Epiphany Machine, we see that struggle over and over as Venter Lowood deals with the fallout from several lifetimes of bad decisions and misunderstandings. At the heart of all these decisions and misunderstandings is the eponymous machine, which tattoos an epiphany on the forearm of anyone who uses it. The epiphanies reveal truths, prophecy fates, and generally disrupt everything. And yet, for a book about figuring things out, The Epiphany Machine is a very satisfying read because it answers so many of the questions posed in its pages...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
July 9, 2021
The central premise is fascinating, and there is a strong cast of characters. Sadly the author seems to have used this novel for free therapy and has a protagonist who seems to be a wildly unflattering version of himself. It’s exhausting to be with such a miserable protagonist.
Also it can be exhausting to read a story where it seems like everyone is worried about their art and people admiring their art being the most important thing in the world. This book made me retroactively like “Rent” less, and I am very upset with it for that.
Also it can be exhausting to read a story where it seems like everyone is worried about their art and people admiring their art being the most important thing in the world. This book made me retroactively like “Rent” less, and I am very upset with it for that.
August 13, 2017
Reading this I experienced the raw excitement I got reading something great when I was a teenager (like Vonnegut, Brautigan, The World According to Garp). I read every day and like most of what I read but I rarely have that feeling that I am reading something both brilliant and transformative. But I guess I'm not too old and mentally sedate for that feeling, so thank you Epiphany Machine!
Read
July 24, 2025DNF
I really could not get into this book for the life of me. I’ve had this book in my collection for years now and have never reached for it (it makes sense why). I don’t think I would have ever reached for it if it wasn’t for me randomly picking it.
I really could not get into this book for the life of me. I’ve had this book in my collection for years now and have never reached for it (it makes sense why). I don’t think I would have ever reached for it if it wasn’t for me randomly picking it.
June 1, 2017
Received galley for free from FirstToRead.com
Kind of reminded me of a couple of Twilight Zone episodes. I was entertained but the ending left me unsatisfied. Everything was left unresolved. Sometimes I don't mind that.
Kind of reminded me of a couple of Twilight Zone episodes. I was entertained but the ending left me unsatisfied. Everything was left unresolved. Sometimes I don't mind that.
August 25, 2017
I am reviewing my own personal copy of this book, of my own free will. :-)
I guess you could call the POV of this story an "unreliable narrator," although it's a little bit of a stretch. I say that because there's a lot of mythology surrounding the actual Epiphany Machine, so most of the backstory is theory, and not rooted in any sort of fictionized factual information. I also enjoyed seeing our real history woven into this parallel universe. A kind of 'what-if' scenario, if someone had done what Adam Lyon had.
Past that, I found the characters to be wholly intriguing.
Ventner is our protagonist, although he's no hero. We learn about his world, which is ours, except it's tainted by a machine that gives you a clue about one aspect of your personality. Nobody really knows how the machine gets it's information. Is it from a divine being? Does it work based on some sort of ESP? Or is Adam Lyon using his own kind of "cold reading," to make it work? Again, no one knows. There are many theories, and we get to read about several over the course of the book.
We also learn, through Ventner's experiences, several perspectives of it's usage. Both of his parents have experienced a prediction, and they both associated with Adam Lyon. He feels distant from both of them in different ways, and that makes him curious enough to find out more.
He becomes Adam's protégé, so much more becomes clear after that point. At the same time, Ventner's life is made up of stilted acquaintances, friends, and lovers. (okay, lover). He begins to interview the regulars at Adam's "Salon" nights, and receive more information about the machine, the relationships between the people around him, and his parents.
As time progresses, events that have happened in our timeline also happen in Ventner's parallel universe. We see them through their eyes, and although they usually end up in a similar fashion, the impetus may be much different. Some of the chapters are quite disturbing, but I found them fascinating. To see those events through the eyes of the people involved, after using the Epiphany Machine... it was like understanding why it happened.
As the story climaxes, Ventner does something he cannot undo. He's riddled with indecision and doubt, and a TON of guilt. It lives with him until the very end of the story, and the book goes on a roller-coaster from there as well.
Mind you, it's not the fast-moving kind, nor a kiddie ride - no, it's the kind that makes you queasy. You wonder if you should ride it again. But you know you should continue. There's a need to go on, because not finishing is worse than letting the dizzyness take over.
Four and a half "He liked Dylan better" stars.
I guess you could call the POV of this story an "unreliable narrator," although it's a little bit of a stretch. I say that because there's a lot of mythology surrounding the actual Epiphany Machine, so most of the backstory is theory, and not rooted in any sort of fictionized factual information. I also enjoyed seeing our real history woven into this parallel universe. A kind of 'what-if' scenario, if someone had done what Adam Lyon had.
Past that, I found the characters to be wholly intriguing.
Ventner is our protagonist, although he's no hero. We learn about his world, which is ours, except it's tainted by a machine that gives you a clue about one aspect of your personality. Nobody really knows how the machine gets it's information. Is it from a divine being? Does it work based on some sort of ESP? Or is Adam Lyon using his own kind of "cold reading," to make it work? Again, no one knows. There are many theories, and we get to read about several over the course of the book.
We also learn, through Ventner's experiences, several perspectives of it's usage. Both of his parents have experienced a prediction, and they both associated with Adam Lyon. He feels distant from both of them in different ways, and that makes him curious enough to find out more.
He becomes Adam's protégé, so much more becomes clear after that point. At the same time, Ventner's life is made up of stilted acquaintances, friends, and lovers. (okay, lover). He begins to interview the regulars at Adam's "Salon" nights, and receive more information about the machine, the relationships between the people around him, and his parents.
“You’re coaxing people to talk about what the epiphany machine has meant to their lives. That’s important, and nobody wants to talk about what’s important. The only way to get people to talk about something important is to leave them with no other option.”
As time progresses, events that have happened in our timeline also happen in Ventner's parallel universe. We see them through their eyes, and although they usually end up in a similar fashion, the impetus may be much different. Some of the chapters are quite disturbing, but I found them fascinating. To see those events through the eyes of the people involved, after using the Epiphany Machine... it was like understanding why it happened.
As the story climaxes, Ventner does something he cannot undo. He's riddled with indecision and doubt, and a TON of guilt. It lives with him until the very end of the story, and the book goes on a roller-coaster from there as well.
I could now claim the distinction of having been definitively rejected by both of my parents, one in infancy and one in adulthood—a stronger indication than anything else in my life that I was marked for the great, special destiny of which I desultorily dreamed.
Mind you, it's not the fast-moving kind, nor a kiddie ride - no, it's the kind that makes you queasy. You wonder if you should ride it again. But you know you should continue. There's a need to go on, because not finishing is worse than letting the dizzyness take over.
Four and a half "He liked Dylan better" stars.
August 10, 2017
An object that looks like a sewing machine can inscribe a truth about you on your forearm that you probably already knew but it makes clear. It has the power to change your life - or destroy it.
"The Epiphany Machine" is part science fiction, part thriller that's all cautionary tale.
Some people love the message the machine gives them, others don't. Even when given the message on their arm, many can take its meaning in a variety of different ways.
Teenager Venter Lowood gets the tattoo "Dependent on the Opinion of Others". His friend Ismail gets "Wants To Blow Things Up". As Venter starts to work for the enigmatic Adam Lyons, the man who discovered the epiphany machine one day and starts to let people use it in his apartment, he also searches for information about his mother who left him and his father years ago, after working for the same man. Under the pretense of gathering interviews to create a record of the machine's users, Venter is drawn into a world where ethics and the truth blur.
Growing up under the cloud of the machine, Venter has to make a decision whether his tattoo is something that can set him free or something that will define him forever in one way or another whether he likes it or not. As the world starts to work its way past the machine being just an illegal tattoo parlor trick and into an intelligence weapon, Venter gets swept up in the hysteria that takes one of his friends along with it.
As Venter grows up, lives his life, wrecks his life, puts it back together, then repeats the process, Adam is always in the background, the enigmatic guru who in one way or another is trying to save mankind while at the same time blurring those lines of ethics that Venter starts to also do as the stakes get higher.
"The Epiphany Machine" is much more than just what you think it is. It's a question downright to our motivations, our privacy and whether we have it, and the possibly illusionary choice we have in our fate and destiny. For anyone who has read "The Circle" by Dave Eggers, it's theme rings loud again here about what we lose when we let others define the truth for us.
Highly recommended and downright scary, but a marvelous read for those who want something new and fascinating to read.
"The Epiphany Machine" is part science fiction, part thriller that's all cautionary tale.
Some people love the message the machine gives them, others don't. Even when given the message on their arm, many can take its meaning in a variety of different ways.
Teenager Venter Lowood gets the tattoo "Dependent on the Opinion of Others". His friend Ismail gets "Wants To Blow Things Up". As Venter starts to work for the enigmatic Adam Lyons, the man who discovered the epiphany machine one day and starts to let people use it in his apartment, he also searches for information about his mother who left him and his father years ago, after working for the same man. Under the pretense of gathering interviews to create a record of the machine's users, Venter is drawn into a world where ethics and the truth blur.
Growing up under the cloud of the machine, Venter has to make a decision whether his tattoo is something that can set him free or something that will define him forever in one way or another whether he likes it or not. As the world starts to work its way past the machine being just an illegal tattoo parlor trick and into an intelligence weapon, Venter gets swept up in the hysteria that takes one of his friends along with it.
As Venter grows up, lives his life, wrecks his life, puts it back together, then repeats the process, Adam is always in the background, the enigmatic guru who in one way or another is trying to save mankind while at the same time blurring those lines of ethics that Venter starts to also do as the stakes get higher.
"The Epiphany Machine" is much more than just what you think it is. It's a question downright to our motivations, our privacy and whether we have it, and the possibly illusionary choice we have in our fate and destiny. For anyone who has read "The Circle" by Dave Eggers, it's theme rings loud again here about what we lose when we let others define the truth for us.
Highly recommended and downright scary, but a marvelous read for those who want something new and fascinating to read.
July 29, 2024
ok mom sorry if ur reading this.
this book has SO MUCH promise. the premise is so cool and the first half feels like it is building up to something really cool. it feels like a shift will occur. except, that never happens! our main character is hated by everyone and so bland that you can’t help but hate him too. he makes terrible decisions and every character is completely unlikeable. also, literally every single character is a writer. all they do is sit around and talk about writing and speak these horrible, gloomy perspectives on life as Absolute Truths that just left me kind of depressed.
while i have the space, i need to touch on the obsession with sex in this book. it is not thought provoking or profound, it is ugly and delusional and, i hate to be the one to say it, degrading. and not in a sexy way. it was weird and uncomfortable, and since the main character lacks a single personality trait, (which he incessantly reminds us of) there is nothing personal or soulful about it. also, there is a scene where the main character’s girlfriend is shoving vegetables up her vagina and rubbing herself on furniture that is clearly just a fantasy the author has and it is one of the worst things i’ve ever read. don’t think i need to say more.
this book has SO MUCH promise. the premise is so cool and the first half feels like it is building up to something really cool. it feels like a shift will occur. except, that never happens! our main character is hated by everyone and so bland that you can’t help but hate him too. he makes terrible decisions and every character is completely unlikeable. also, literally every single character is a writer. all they do is sit around and talk about writing and speak these horrible, gloomy perspectives on life as Absolute Truths that just left me kind of depressed.
while i have the space, i need to touch on the obsession with sex in this book. it is not thought provoking or profound, it is ugly and delusional and, i hate to be the one to say it, degrading. and not in a sexy way. it was weird and uncomfortable, and since the main character lacks a single personality trait, (which he incessantly reminds us of) there is nothing personal or soulful about it. also, there is a scene where the main character’s girlfriend is shoving vegetables up her vagina and rubbing herself on furniture that is clearly just a fantasy the author has and it is one of the worst things i’ve ever read. don’t think i need to say more.
July 5, 2022
A fascinating premise with a story that didn't hit the mark for me.
I was only really able to finish the book due to a sunk cost fallacy.
In general, this book felt like it constantly wanted to be something that causes people to engage critically and recontextualize their thinking. Unfortunately, it failed, for me at least, to really spark any desire to delve into that kind of introspection.
What I think I was the most underwhelmed by was the titular epiphanies. The idea had a lot of potential but the execution seemed clunky. People's reactions in the story never seemed organic or rational. A big issue too was that all of those reactions were filtered through the POV character, who I really couldn't force myself to tolerate. He is like a typical unreliable narrator but also comes across as an unlikable character. Normally, I like the way flaws are displayed in these types of characters but because of the weird, inorganic reactions the flaws just became irritating.
I do want to add that, despite the rather harsh tone I've used in this review, I'd really like to read other books by this author because I did enjoy his writing style, despite this particular story.
I was only really able to finish the book due to a sunk cost fallacy.
In general, this book felt like it constantly wanted to be something that causes people to engage critically and recontextualize their thinking. Unfortunately, it failed, for me at least, to really spark any desire to delve into that kind of introspection.
What I think I was the most underwhelmed by was the titular epiphanies. The idea had a lot of potential but the execution seemed clunky. People's reactions in the story never seemed organic or rational. A big issue too was that all of those reactions were filtered through the POV character, who I really couldn't force myself to tolerate. He is like a typical unreliable narrator but also comes across as an unlikable character. Normally, I like the way flaws are displayed in these types of characters but because of the weird, inorganic reactions the flaws just became irritating.
I do want to add that, despite the rather harsh tone I've used in this review, I'd really like to read other books by this author because I did enjoy his writing style, despite this particular story.
April 29, 2019
The book's premise is quite interesting: A machine tattoos you with a truth you may or may not want to hear. The mystery about whether or not the machine writes these "truths" is fascinating until you realize that the mystery is never answered. By this point, I was halfway into the book and I lost interest. Venter is not a great character at all. He is dull, petty, annoying and overall a character I could care less about. I just honestly feel like the story could have been better if Venter was not the main character.
July 23, 2018
What begins as an innocently intriguing story of a Cronenbergian sewing machine that tattoos a truth about your self in ALL CAPS onto your arm becomes larger and larger as you read on. My smart-assy "heh, I knew it was going to address XYZ" was very swiftly thumped down by additional explorations into literary meta, psychology, and topics I did not see coming until we got there.
It's a novel that deserves multiple visits.I was so enthralled by the story and the characters that I knowingly dismissed interesting morsels of commentary about literature, proverbially pointing my finger at the passages as I flew by, saying, I'm not finished with you just yet, mister!
This novel breaks hearts and minds, with a mischievous cackle. I loved it.
It's a novel that deserves multiple visits.I was so enthralled by the story and the characters that I knowingly dismissed interesting morsels of commentary about literature, proverbially pointing my finger at the passages as I flew by, saying, I'm not finished with you just yet, mister!
This novel breaks hearts and minds, with a mischievous cackle. I loved it.
October 26, 2017
The Epiphany Machine by David Burr Gerrard has a wonderful premise that grapples with philosophical questions. Can a machine write what is embedded in a an individual or does the writing cause the person to believe that about themselves and make decisions in that light, forever altering the course of their lives? Unfortunately, for me, the books turns in too many directions, never fully addressing any one – philosophical, historical, or personal.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017...
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017...
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read.
January 17, 2018
Pretty interesting book. I really liked the concept. Sometimes it's hard to enjoy a book when you find yourself disliking the main character, but I still wanted to read this one even as Venter annoyed me more and more. There's a fair amount of sex discussion and description in this book, so if that really bothers you, I'd skip it. I think there was more than necessary, anyway... The ending felt a little too perfect and thrown-together, but otherwise it was a solid story.
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