Theodore Mead Fegley has always been the smartest person he knows. By age twelve he was in high school, and by fifteen he was attending a top-ranking university. And now, at the tender age of eighteen, he's on the verge of proving the Riemann hypothesis, a mathematical equation that has mystified academics for almost 150 years. But only days before graduation, Mead suddenly packs his bags and flees home to rural Illinois. What caused him to flee remains a mystery to all but Mead and a classmate, whose quest for success has turned into a dangerous obsession.
At home, Mead finds little solace. His past ghosts haunt him, his parents don't understand him, and his dreams seem crushed forever. As he embarks on a new life's journey—learning the family business of selling furniture and embalming the dead—he disappoints and surprises all who knew him as "the young Fegley genius."
Equal parts academic thriller and poignant coming-of-age story, Life after Genius follows the remarkable journey of a young man who must discover that the heart may know what the head has yet to learn.
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"This book kept me on edge during the first section, and I thought the author did a nice job of teasing the line between reality and insanity. I finished the book wondering if the main character had indeed learned anything from all of his misadventures." — Emily (4 out of 5 stars)
"This book kept me on edge during the first section, and I thought the author did a nice job of teasing the line between reality and insanity. I finished the book wondering if the main character had indeed learned anything from all of his misadventures."
“Filled with colorful characters, all winning and wonderful, even in their pain.”
“Seductively absorbing…Jacoby has succeeded in uniting the traditional coming-of-age narrative with a distressing and effective account of the private cruelties that can flourish amid the turmoil that ensues when anyone attempts to take credit for the genius of another person.”
“Refreshingly offbeat…the elements of mystery are tantalizing.”
“Part mystery, part coming-of-age, and entirely engaging.”
" I would have given this a higher rating if the ending had an epilogue. Herman's character is not tied up nor is Mead. And why walk out with nut case Herman when Dr. Alexander just got there, without even 2 minutes of conversation? bizarrely awful ending but I did enjoy the book till then as I have a son who skipped the 6th grade recently. However, he is not being picked on at all, and it makes no sense that Mead would not mention something about his school life to his dad or Percy or someone. "
" Good book. Easy to read with a pleasant but subtly unsatisfying conclusion. Which, is what life is really like. "
" while seemingly formulaic, the complexity of the relationships between characters is interesting "
" Somewhat ambigious story done in confusing timelines. I think Mead was an interesting person during a coming of age period but I could identify with the misunderstood mother who only wanted the most for her son. "
" I just couldn't finish it. Normally I will push through in the hopes it might get better but I just couldn't do it any more. "
" Positively and surprisingly delightful. "
" A whole lot of meh. The ending was a huge let down, characters are weak, the resolutions don't produce any catharsis. but It's well written at least and producing a nonlinear storyline in present tense narrative is challenging, but done effectively here. Read it if its free. "
" This is an interesting story, with lots of mathematical trivia (great for geeks like me). I learned far too much about mortuary services, however, and I found the ending somewhat unsatisfactory, hence the lower rating. "
" A really interesting story with an intriguing main character, but the ending was very disappointing. Nothing was resolved. "
" The beginning of the book really drew me in and I ended up reading more than half of it in an evening. Then the ending came about and I closed it with a disappointing "oh...."I wanted something more after that crazy storyline, but instead the ending felt like a cop-out. "
" This book was the longest, more boring, must muddled and "ugly" book I have ever read! Agck! "
" Read this in one night. Pushed through the end because I really wanted to see the resolution of the plot. Moved somewhat quickly. Humorous vignettes woven with a compelling plot. Wish the end had been more of a "pow". "
" A book with a good middle, a mediocre beginning, and an unlikeable ending. A somewhat predictable coming-of-age book, but an OK read overall. "
" Can't put it down when you start so clear your calendar for a couple of days. I won't tell you the ending but I thought it should have continued, or been less abrupt. "
" I ended up skimming a lot of this book. As if the issues I had weren't bad enough, it ended abruptly and the ending left me feeling more confused. Don't pick this one up! "
M. Ann Jacoby has been an art director at Penguin Group USA for over twenty years. Life after Genius is her first novel.
Richard Powers has published thirteen novels. He is a MacArthur Fellow and received the National Book Award. His book, The Overstory, won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.
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