Anyone read "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessl?

Asked by Jack79 (11027

) January 30th, 2009

I heard all these great things about this book (someone here also said it was one of the best they had read). So I bought it, read a couple of chapters, and hated it. Sure, the writer is smart and has all these little easter eggs everywhere, but unless something really exciting happens later on, this book is BORING. I am not asking anyone to agree with me here. But I am truly trying to understand. What is it that I don’t get? How come so many people liked it? Were the reviews fake, or is there really something great about this book that I am missing?

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3 Answers

I read it and really enjoyed. I definitely took a while to hook me in, so I suspect you never made it past the tipping point.

I remember enjoying the self-aware narrative style, and the overall vibe of the main character. If she turns you off, that could also ruin the fun of the book.

In response to your description: yes, tons of exciting stuff happens “later on.” I found the second half hard to put down.

ben (9085

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I read it and enjoyed it also. It is hard for me to say what attracts a reader to a novel. I loved “Life of Pi,” which many people didn’t, for example. I love Joyce’s Ulysses; I dislike all the works of Creighton, John Grissom, Robert Ludlum, and Stephen King.

gailcalled (54647

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Been giving it another chance. I still don’t get it, but I decided to go through it to the end, just to see what all the fuss was about. Maybe I’m just too stupid.

Jack79 (11027

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