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Theater of the Stars: A Novel of Physics and Memory
Lucienne Kundera, an astrophysicist, has uncovered a black hole as mysterious as the secrets in her life. Lucienne's mother, Hlne, is a scientist as well, who was captured during World War II. She eventually escaped and disappeared, reappearing years later in New Mexico with Lucienne. Hlne claims to have no recollection of these past events, but when she and Lucienne visit Paris, the city of Hlne's youth, Hlne is overcome by memories and secrets, and attempts suicide. Lucienne becomes dangerously obsessed with uncovering her mother's past, while at the same time attempting to solve a celestial mystery so dark and dense that its nature cannot be revealed. Theater of the Stars is a finely crafted novel sure to establish Kelby as a storyteller of unique sensitivity and wisdom.
- GenresFiction
274 pages, Hardcover
First published July 3, 2003
About the author
N.M. Kelby
10 books89 followersDr. Nicole Mary Kelby is the critically acclaimed international author of seven novels including THE PINK SUIT, WHITE TRUFFLES IN WINTER and the New York Times bestseller IN THE COMPANY OF ANGELS. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Bush Artist Fellowship in Literature, Florida Book Award, and both the Florida and Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship. She is toured and translated worldwide. Her forthcoming novel, A SMALL HISTORY OF THE KNOWN WORLD, is based on the lives of Mark Twain and his epileptic daughter Jean. Set the day before Christmas Eve, throughout the course of a meal, these two broken mercurial creatures inch towards love, disaster, and the tragic secret of the angels of Venice. Kelby lives with Irish sculptor Alan Milligan. With their wee dog in tow, they divide their time between their two countries.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 19, 2008
Me reading about physics? I do when physics is written like poetry:
The lock clicks and echoes down the cool hallway, as does the click of the heels of her perfect Italian pumps. Nothing can escape the gravitational field of darkness, she thinks over and over again. The world feels as if it's spinning out of control. The tapping of her heels sound like a heartbeat. Nothing can escape the gravitational field of darkness.
And there's:
She sits down on the bed and closes her eyes. So tired. And then she feels it: the black hole. Feels as if she is falling into it, as if she is a huge wingless bird, and all around her there are the others. Ethan and Josh. Marie. Her mother. And those from the tower.
But they do not shimmer in harmony, a perfect pitch.
They scream.
And, of course:
The street is filled with so many people she could be in Boston or New York. The longer she stands there, the faster they seem to go. They hum...She concentrates on the hum of them, as if the frequency were originating from a black hole. There'something similar, she thinks, the particular sound of the moment. It's somehow the same. Beautiful. The beep and static of morning...Lucienne feels the hum of all these people run through her as if she were a tuning fork. It's the same sensation she has when she loops through the black hole. Maps it. And when she dreams of it. And now these days, when she thinks of it.
E=mc² Entertainment = more celby². I'm still working on the formula, but you get the idea.
The lock clicks and echoes down the cool hallway, as does the click of the heels of her perfect Italian pumps. Nothing can escape the gravitational field of darkness, she thinks over and over again. The world feels as if it's spinning out of control. The tapping of her heels sound like a heartbeat. Nothing can escape the gravitational field of darkness.
And there's:
She sits down on the bed and closes her eyes. So tired. And then she feels it: the black hole. Feels as if she is falling into it, as if she is a huge wingless bird, and all around her there are the others. Ethan and Josh. Marie. Her mother. And those from the tower.
But they do not shimmer in harmony, a perfect pitch.
They scream.
And, of course:
The street is filled with so many people she could be in Boston or New York. The longer she stands there, the faster they seem to go. They hum...She concentrates on the hum of them, as if the frequency were originating from a black hole. There'something similar, she thinks, the particular sound of the moment. It's somehow the same. Beautiful. The beep and static of morning...Lucienne feels the hum of all these people run through her as if she were a tuning fork. It's the same sensation she has when she loops through the black hole. Maps it. And when she dreams of it. And now these days, when she thinks of it.
E=mc² Entertainment = more celby². I'm still working on the formula, but you get the idea.
Want to Read
April 3, 2007A lit-blog reviewed this book, and it sounded like something very different from what I usually read (mostly because of the science element). Since I'm trying to expand my brain, I want to take a crack at it. Here's the synopsis:
Lucienne Kundera, an astrophysicist, has uncovered a black hole as mysterious as the secrets in her life. Lucienne's mother, Hélène, is a scientist as well, who was captured during World War II. She eventually escaped and disappeared, reappearing years later in New Mexico with Lucienne. Hélène claims to have no recollection of these past events, but when she and Lucienne visit Paris, the city of Hélène's youth, Hélène is overcome by memories and secrets, and attempts suicide. Lucienne becomes dangerously obsessed with uncovering her mother's past, while at the same time attempting to solve a celestial mystery so dark and dense that its nature cannot be revealed.
Lucienne Kundera, an astrophysicist, has uncovered a black hole as mysterious as the secrets in her life. Lucienne's mother, Hélène, is a scientist as well, who was captured during World War II. She eventually escaped and disappeared, reappearing years later in New Mexico with Lucienne. Hélène claims to have no recollection of these past events, but when she and Lucienne visit Paris, the city of Hélène's youth, Hélène is overcome by memories and secrets, and attempts suicide. Lucienne becomes dangerously obsessed with uncovering her mother's past, while at the same time attempting to solve a celestial mystery so dark and dense that its nature cannot be revealed.
January 12, 2023
Somewhat hard to follow with the back and forth of time frame as well as double usage of names. Pulled me and kept me guessing.
I’m a little taken aback about the ending and a sort of intertwine family tree situation but I’ll let it go.
What hit me was I’ve had an idea for a novel for some time.. and it looks like a huge theory of it has already been written here. That’s a bit disheartening for an aspiring writer. But I guess there’s very few true original untapped ideas out there. I’ll just have to make mine my own and try to forget some of the brilliance I read here.
I’m a little taken aback about the ending and a sort of intertwine family tree situation but I’ll let it go.
What hit me was I’ve had an idea for a novel for some time.. and it looks like a huge theory of it has already been written here. That’s a bit disheartening for an aspiring writer. But I guess there’s very few true original untapped ideas out there. I’ll just have to make mine my own and try to forget some of the brilliance I read here.
August 23, 2015
Lucienne Kundera is an astrophysicist visiting Paris to accept an award being given to her for her discovery of a black hole. An award that is slated to be presented by her mother, Helene Kundera, a physicist with a secret past. While in Paris, memories of her past overwhelm Helene, and she makes an attempt at suicide. While in the hospital with her mother, Lucienne meets Dr. Assam, who may be able to help her uncover her mother's secret past.
The book intertwines the present day story of Lucienne with the history of Helene, which made for a few difficult transitions. Outside of that, the prose was beautifully crafted and the physics behind the story was well researched.
The book intertwines the present day story of Lucienne with the history of Helene, which made for a few difficult transitions. Outside of that, the prose was beautifully crafted and the physics behind the story was well researched.
November 27, 2011
Theater of the Stars is very different from Whale Season but is characterized by the same fluid writing style and engaging character development. The former is tragic and the later richly comedic. In terms of entertainment, I enjoyed the comedy more than the tragedy. If either book had a deeper message, I missed it.
October 5, 2007
The historical settings were interesting, but otherwise this book was a bit contrived and the writing was inconsistent.
November 22, 2007
I was told this book was tops!
September 30, 2008
An absolutely wonderful story about science, war, sucide and love. It is written beautifully.
April 16, 2009
I found this book to be gorgeous, weaving science and memories, past and present together effortless and in beautiful prose.
April 7, 2015
This story was poetry.
July 23, 2013
It was good - an interesting story - but nothing to write home about.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews