Identify Books In Favor Of Special Topics in Calamity Physics
| Original Title: | Special Topics in Calamity Physics |
| ISBN: | 067003777X (ISBN13: 9780670037773) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Blue van Meer, Victor Moats, Fayonette Harper, Smoke Wyannoch Harvey, Natasha Alicia Bridges van Meer, Pa Havermeyer, Howie Valerio, Frank Fletcher, Jefferson Whitestone, Ms. Simpson, Wilson Gnut, Norvel Owen, Arnie Sanderson, Ms. Gershon, Alfred Johnson, Roy Withers, Eugenia Sturds, Violet May Martinez, Lonny Felix, Andreo Verduga, Lee Sanjay Song |
| Setting: | Stockton, North Carolina(United States) |
| Literary Awards: | John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Prize (2006), PEN/Hemingway Foundation Award Nominee (2007), The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize (2006) |
Marisha Pessl
Hardcover | Pages: 514 pages Rating: 3.71 | 38468 Users | 5202 Reviews
Interpretation Conducive To Books Special Topics in Calamity Physics
Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age novel and a richly plotted suspense tale told through the distinctive voice of its heroine, Blue van Meer. After a childhood moving from one academic outpost to another with her father (a man prone to aphorisms and meteoric affairs), Blue is clever, deadpan, and possessed of a vast lexicon of literary, political, philosophical, and scientific knowledge—and is quite the cineaste to boot. In her final year of high school at the elite (and unusual) St. Gallway School in Stockton, North Carolina, Blue falls in with a charismatic group of friends and their captivating teacher, Hannah Schneider. But when the drowning of one of Hannah's friends and the shocking death of Hannah herself lead to a confluence of mysteries, Blue is left to make sense of it all with only her gimlet-eyed instincts and cultural references to guide—or misguide—her.
Specify Epithetical Books Special Topics in Calamity Physics
| Title | : | Special Topics in Calamity Physics |
| Author | : | Marisha Pessl |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 514 pages |
| Published | : | August 3rd 2006 by Penguin Books Ltd |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Mystery. Contemporary. Literary Fiction. Novels. Young Adult. Coming Of Age |
Rating Epithetical Books Special Topics in Calamity Physics
Ratings: 3.71 From 38468 Users | 5202 ReviewsAssessment Epithetical Books Special Topics in Calamity Physics
I was about one-quarter of the way through this book when I had a strange revelation. It was, basically, kind of formulaic. And yet, the formula was rare and unpredictable. See, several years ago, I read Donna Tartt's The Secret History, a dark book about a group of preciously sophisticated, murderous wacked-out Classics majors at a small liberal arts college. I was captivated. Six months ago I read Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket's) The Basic Eight, about a group of precociouslyThis one is going back on the pile. I made it over 100 pages this time. That's something, right?My problems with this book are the glacial pace and overwritten sentences. It's like an even more wordy Donna Tartt book. I don't need literary references cited in every paragraph and overblown dialogue and flowery language for the sake of flowery language don't impress me at this stage in the game. The pretentious, pompous tone of the book is also a turn-off. Picking up the book to read it began
This first bit is my initial reaction to the book. I'm keeping it up because I still think it's valid. However, see bellow for my post-reading thoughts. Oh, how I hate this book. The parenthetic statements are making me homicidal. The dad is a jackass of unparalleled proportion, and I have yet to see Hannah do ANYTHING that warrants Blue's fascination. Sure, she picks up strange men in diners, but really, who hasn't? The writing is way too fond of its own wit, and I'm sick of all the figurative
Brilliant rendition of an unforgettable brainy teen who feels compelled to leave her world of books to solve the mystery of a teachers death. Many will find the book too long with not enough meaningful human action, but I found the world of the lead characters mind grew on me as a doomed, but attractive, refuge from the narcissistic void facing many youth today. Sixteen year old Blue van Meer moves to a small town in North Carolina with her political science professor dad and recounts her senior
Let me start by saying that I did like this book. I did. Ms. Pessl is probably too smart for her own good, but that's never stopped me before. That said, as with most over-intelectualized writings, I had trouble getting close to her, to her work. There's such a lot of time spent obfuscating, demonstrating how clever she is, developing stacked metaphors and allusions, that the story is difficult to get lost in. You are constantly reminded that you are reading a novel by a very smart young lady.
Theres a special cold black place in my heart for writers under thirty who come out of nowhere with a best-selling much-praised first novel for which they receive huge advances and instant fame. The feeling is called jealousy - deep, shoulda-been-me jealousy that clouds my ability to judge the book itself.Which brings us to Marisha Pessl and Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Every big review I read of it was glowing and every writer under thirty I talked to said it was a piece of steaming shit
I tried with this book. I gave it 150 pages, and at this moment in time I just can't get into it. The constant literary allusions and pop culture references, mixed with the didactic and wordy writing style kept pushing me out of the story. I'd skim whole paragraphs just to find the important, plot-moving parts of the sentences. I held out hope for this one because I chose it for book club (sorry, friends!) and it's been on my shelf for 2+ years, so I felt like I had to conquer it. But it's only
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