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Special Topics in Calamity Physics Audiobook
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(3.00) - 20,192 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The mesmerizing New York Times bestseller by the author of Night Film Marisha Pessl’s dazzling debut sparked raves from critics and heralded the arrival of a vibrant new voice in American fiction. At the center of Special Topics in Calamity Physics is clever, deadpan Blue van Meer, who has a head full of literary, philosophical, scientific, and cinematic knowledge. But she could use some friends. Upon entering the elite St. Gallway School, she finds some—a clique of eccentrics known as the Bluebloods. One drowning and one hanging later, Blue finds herself puzzling out a byzantine murder mystery. Nabokov meets Donna Tartt (then invites the rest of the Western Canon to the party) in this novel—with visual aids drawn by the author—that has won over readers of all ages.
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"So far, one of the best contemporary novels I have read. She is a master of the English language...pretty impressive, given her age. The only thing I somewhat dislike is her laborious use of metaphor. Other than that, brilliant (so far)."
— Mary (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The joys of this shrewdly playful narrative lie not only in the high-low darts and dives of Pessl’s tricky plotting, but in her prose, which floats and runs as if by instinct, unpremeditated and unerring…This skylarking book will leave readers salivating for more.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Hip, ambitious, and imaginative…It’s always refreshing to find a writer who takes such joy in the magical tricks words can perform.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Blue’s cross-referencing mania can be surprisingly enjoyable, because Pessl is a vivacious writer who’s figured out how to be brainy without being pedantic.”
— Washington Post -
“Witty and exuberant…Pessl’s pyrotechnics place her alongside young, eclectic talents like Dave Eggers, Jonathan Safran Foer, and Zadie Smith.”
— Vogue -
“A frisky, smarty-pants debut…An escapist extravaganza packed with literary and pop culture allusions, mischievous characterizations, erotic intrigue, murders, and unstoppable narrative energy.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“Extravagant, witty, and dark, Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a sprawling campus novel, an intricate murder mystery, a coming-of-age tale, and a sly satire of intellectualism and academia. Her prose is…vivid, erupting in a freefall of wordplay, wisecracks, encyclopedia tidbits, and a barrage of cultural references…Her enthusiasm for language is a delight.”
— Miami Herald -
“There is a voice here to like, part Huck Finn, part Holden Caulfield, part Fran Leibowitz, and part Nora Ephron.”
— Harper’s -
“A real novel, one of substance and breadth, with an arresting story and that rarest of delights, a great ending.”
— Salon -
“Gripping and dark, funny and poignant.”
— USA Today -
“Beneath the foam of this exuberant debut is a dark, strong drink.”
— Jonathan Franzen, National Book Award-winning author of The Corrections and Freedom -
“Special Topics in Calamity Physics made me stay up all night reading; in the morning it seemed like one of those parties where everyone is too cool for you but you desperately want to know them anyway. It reminded me of my lost, bad-girl days. I loved this book.”
— Audrey Niffenegger, New York Times bestselling author of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry
Awards
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A 2006 New York Times Book Review Top 10 Book of the Year
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A New York Times bestseller
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A 2007 PEN/Ernest Hemingway Foundation Award Nominee
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One of the 2006 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Fiction
Special Topics in Calamity Physics Listener Reviews
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" Great story. If you haven't read it you should. Just wondering when she will publish her next book. "
— Gary, 2/2/2014 -
" I loved this book. The writing style is imaginative, with the main character living her life through other books. A quick read, I was disappointed when it was finished. "
— Lindsey, 1/29/2014 -
" Good, though not terribly weighty. Also quite long. "
— Briylee, 1/26/2014 -
" Brilliant structure, so many cultural references! Really well thought out so far. Only on chapter 4 though, so I'll hold off a bit on judging the story. "
— Mju, 1/23/2014 -
" Read this book a while ago - remembering that I really enjoyed the book. Great writing and a very clever story line. "
— Cheryl, 1/16/2014 -
" Waaay too roundabout way of getting to the point. Hyper-stylized to the point of being boring - many parts were overly drawn out without providing a satisfying "reward". Plowed through it just to get to the end and was more than mildly disappointed. "
— Aya, 1/14/2014 -
" Made me remember what I liked about my English major. "
— Jeff, 1/6/2014 -
" I listened to this on tape and really enjoyed the book and the reader "
— Darcy, 1/3/2014 -
" Reading this book gave me a headache and I had to resort to speed reading to skim through the rest of the content because I am one who likes to complete a book whether I liked it or not. "
— Jane, 12/25/2013 -
" The BEST book I have read in the past 10 years "
— Malia, 12/16/2013 -
" I thought "wow". And then my mind and I were speechless. "
— Andrea, 12/10/2013 -
" I felt it was a bit overrated, and the chapter titles slightly too smarty-pants for its own good. I'd sooner recommend Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History' as the Real McCoy instead. "
— Josh, 9/7/2013 -
" Author had an interesting style of referencing other books. It was very long and the payoff wasn't there for me (no spoiler). "
— Kellynj, 8/8/2013 -
" One of the very few books, I started and put down after less than a chapter - too hard to follow and with characters that weren't developed well, no reason to see what happened to them. "
— Therese, 7/18/2013 -
" I want to be Blue van Meer. This book leaves you trying to figure out the characters long after you've put it down. A fast-paced mystery with an open-ended conclusion. "
— Missy, 2/12/2013 -
" So far it is interesting and funny in a quirky way. I am waiting for something big to happen. "
— Courtney, 12/17/2012 -
" Its definitely a different kind of read, but I am loving it. "
— Caity, 7/21/2012 -
" Took me about 250 (out of 600) pages to really get into this book, but then I couldn't stop reading anymore! The last part is refreshing, not too trivial and leaves room for your imagination! "
— Nieke, 5/9/2012 -
" At first off-put by the never-ending highbrow references, but by the end, the neurotic protagonist won my heart and admiration. "
— Kristina, 4/28/2012 -
" Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Well written, thoughtful, and hard to put down. Especially enjoyed the play on academic references. A very satisfying read. Looking forward to her next effort. "
— Sherry, 4/8/2012 -
" Surprising narrative style which reminded me a little of GOON SQUAD. Many surprises at the end. "
— Rachel, 2/15/2012 -
" Completely pretentious. In the vernacular of my junior high days, the author is "trying to act hot" but only manages to annoy the reader with her endless cultural and literacy references. "
— Tamela, 12/31/2011 -
" I found this book to be very uneven. Parts of it were absorbing, and parts of it were examples of Author Trying Too Hard. "
— Ellie/Anton, 6/4/2011 -
" would have to be one of thee best books i have ever read "
— Danielle, 5/11/2011 -
" Absolutely fascinating. I was constantly intrigued and surprised. "
— Julia, 4/27/2011 -
" Can't put my finger on what I loved so much. Very memorable characters. "
— Katrina, 4/26/2011 -
" Like a spin-off of Donna Tartt's The Secret History. "
— Kitzyl, 4/25/2011 -
" It was hard for me to get through because it mentioned many books, authors, and events that I don't know. But I really liked the book and the ending came as quite a surprise. "
— Sally, 4/21/2011 -
" Loved this book. The ending will throw you for a loop! "
— Lorie, 4/16/2011 -
" I loved this book. It took some concentration to read it, as it's full of (fictional) literary allusions, but the characters and plot are worth it! "
— Sarah, 4/15/2011 -
" I loved this book. I read it on a trip to London and remember thinking that the author was amazing. So dense and yet easy and enjoyable to read. "
— Louise, 4/11/2011 -
" Such a quirky and entertaining read. What makes this books so enjoyable are the plentiful references to other works, most of them being non-existent. "
— Aech, 4/11/2011 -
" Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Well written, thoughtful, and hard to put down. Especially enjoyed the play on academic references. A very satisfying read. Looking forward to her next effort. "
— Sherry, 4/7/2011
About Marisha Pessl
Marisha Pessl’s bestselling debut novel, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, won the John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize and was selected as one of the 10 Best Books of the Year by the New York Times Book Review. She grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and currently resides in New York City.
About Emily Janice Card
Emily Rankin is an audio narrator and winner of two AudioFile Earphones Awards.