Percival's Planet: A Novel Audiobook

" fascinating historical fiction. i passed this one on to my husband which doesn't happen often. i did think it was longer than it needed to be with a lot of side stories that didn't necessarily add to the core story. "

" I was disappointed. I was hoping for more astronomy and discussion of what happened after the discovery. It wasn't a bad book, but it was not what I was expecting. "

" Percival's Planet calculates the moral dimensions of scientific investigation, noted the Washington Post. It is this "breadth of Byers's field of vision [that] is a saving grace." If Byers's technical descriptions and research slowed down a few critics, they agreed that his wide scope--he tells many stories, with his characters exhibiting all-too-human motives and emotions--is his greatest success. A few felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of subplots, and the Washington Post thought that Byers's contemplative prose dulled an otherwise exciting tale. However, Byers' tale should be universally appealing--"just an endearing story of underdogs, both the ragtag crew of astronomers and the tiny celestial body they're hoping to find" (Entertainment Weekly). This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine. "

" Historical fiction is quite possibly my most favorite genres. This novel tells the story of some of the people responsible for the finding of Pluto. "

" Eh, it was okay and the story was interesting enough to carry to the end. But it was odd in its execution and I probably won't read any more of this author's books. "

" So far I love this novel. His language is fresh and snappy, his characters well drawn. Sometimes I get lost in his dialog. "

" Decent novel. Fascinating depiction of mental illiness in one character. Otherwise It was fair. Would rather read a non-fiction account of Pluto's discovery. This clouds the history. "

" Maybe a 3.75; fascinating story and characters, plus I learned a bit about astronomy! "

" Really enjoyed this fictional account of the discovery of Pluto. Richly-drawn characters in pursuit of chimerical goals, burdened by their eccentricities and society's judgement of them, all come together in the Arizona desert. "

" Haven't finished yet, but so far I'm enjoying it very much. It took awhile to hook me, but the dreamy scene descriptions and realistic yet engrossing internal monologues really grew on me. "

" A little confusing as to who is who but in the end it was (is...based on a true story) tale. "

" Also read the British edition of MB's long story/novella, "The Broken Man." Both brilliant. "

" 3.5 stars. Loved some of the characters and found some others not as intriguing. Alan Barber's storyline totally steals the show for me. "

" Not quite what I was expecting but I enjoyed it and learnt a lot. Some odd characters in it though ! "

" A fabulous book. Unbelievable creativity and smarts, and great dialogue in the bargain. "

" A pretty light weight, average, uninspiring narrative for the bourgeoisie faux intellectuals....not a waste of time...a nice, light, unperceptive read. Good summer fare ... for the beach or summer house ... but no weight...no gravitas. "

" Brilliantly written. What a genius cast of characters! I enjoyed the individual stories and eventually learning how their lives wove together. Dinosaur fossils, mental illness, planetary science, astronomy, the list goes on. I loved it "

" I finished the book. There are lots of images that I think will stick with me. But I wouldn't recommend the book. "

" This is a wonderful little portrait of pre-depression America. The search for Planet X (Pluto) is very much secondary to the stories of each character who present a well drawn cross-section of classes from the late 20's. A bit slow in parts but overall very well crafted. "

" Slow getting into it, and I might have arranged things slightly differently, but an interesting read. "

" Ok Really enjoyed this book. Especially since I have visited Lowell observatory, Flagstaff, Sedona, and Grand canyon. Well written descriptions of desert. Good characters with story weaving the lives together. "

" Novel inspired by the story of the discovery of Pluto. "

" So far I love this novel. His language is fresh and snappy, his characters well drawn. Sometimes I get lost in his dialog. "

" It was okay, though the author seemed to take a lot of liberties with the real story. "

" Also read the British edition of MB's long story/novella, "The Broken Man." Both brilliant. "

" Not quite what I was expecting but I enjoyed it and learnt a lot. Some odd characters in it though ! "

" Eh, it was okay and the story was interesting enough to carry to the end. But it was odd in its execution and I probably won't read any more of this author's books. "

" Maybe a 3.75; fascinating story and characters, plus I learned a bit about astronomy! "

" It's that rare book that manages to probe with equal skill pursuits of the mind and matters of the heart. In Byers's hands, the search for understanding what lies in the universe eloquently mirrors a more basic desire to understand what makes us human. "

" Good read! Character-driven, the story of finding Planet X (Pluto) is interesting, but you want to know what happens to the people. "

" A pretty light weight, average, uninspiring narrative for the bourgeoisie faux intellectuals....not a waste of time...a nice, light, unperceptive read. Good summer fare ... for the beach or summer house ... but no weight...no gravitas. "

" Decent novel. Fascinating depiction of mental illiness in one character. Otherwise It was fair. Would rather read a non-fiction account of Pluto's discovery. This clouds the history. "