Imprisoned aboard a zeppelin that floats above a city reminiscent of those of the classic films Metropolis and Brazil, the greeting card writer Harold Winslow is composing his memoirs. His companions are the only woman he has ever loved, who has gone insane, and the cryogenically frozen body of her father, the devilish genius who drove her mad. The tale of Harold's decades-long thwarted love is also one in which he watches technology transform his childhood home from a mere burgeoning metropolis to a waking dream, in which the well-heeled have mechanical men for servants, deserted islands can exist within skyscrapers, and the worlds of fairy tales can be built from scratch. And as he heads toward a final, desperate confrontation with the mad inventor, he discovers that he is an unwitting participant in the creation of the greatest invention of them all—the perpetual motion machine. The Dream of Perpetual Motion is a memorable debut that will be one of the most talked-about books of the year.
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"This was a tough read; the story is interesting and there were some great literary devices used by the author that I won't spoil, but everything in the book, both characters and world, inspire the most intense feelings of loneliness I've ever felt from a book. I can't say I _like_ the book, so much as I think it gets four stars of respect for bringing out that kind of emotional response." — Vasily (4 out of 5 stars)
"This was a tough read; the story is interesting and there were some great literary devices used by the author that I won't spoil, but everything in the book, both characters and world, inspire the most intense feelings of loneliness I've ever felt from a book. I can't say I _like_ the book, so much as I think it gets four stars of respect for bringing out that kind of emotional response."
This mind-bending alternate history is a veritable showcase for...Palmer's creativity and intellectual ambition.
“Plangent, tender and sui generis: a steampunk The Tempest with the grim and rippling beauty of a fairy tale.”
“Palmer takes elements from Nabokov, Neal Stephenson, Steven Millhauser, and The Tempest…The result is a singular riff on steampunk—sophisticated, subversive entertainment that never settles for escapism.”
“This imaginative tale of love is both heartbreaking and head-twisting. Dufris provides a sure and steady delivery.”
“This mind-bending alternate history is a veritable showcase for…Palmer’s creativity and intellectual ambition.”
" This book was very odd. It had The Tempest all mixed up in it, and the style was similar to Haruki Murakami but the language didn't have the power that his does and the women (Miranda and Astrid) didn't seem to be as clearly drawn as they should have been. Astrid especially seemed incomplete as a character. "
" This is a strange and beautiful story. Essentially, it's a steampunk re-imagining of The Tempest, set in a world that has replaced miracles with technology. I wanted more Astrid though. "
" A genuinely wonderful debut novel, methinks. Just creepy enough to leave an impression. "
" I'm a bit conflicted at what I really think of this one... need to give it a few days to marinate before book club. "
" This is one of the best books I have ever read. It's so hauntingly beautiful. Probably the first book I have read that actually scared me. Not scared as in terrified, but that kind of twinge at the back of your psyche that really... Ah jeez, this book is completely indescribable. Read it. "
" this started out somewhat interesting, though the "tempest" thing was quite annoying, but quickly devolved into a bunch of random goings-on concerning character who were crazy, or indifferent, or both. "
" Only vaguely SF, even though its set in an advanced steam punk world. Yet the book still manages to acheive a lyrical meditation on our personal relationship to technology. "
" Adult fiction. Steam punk with a dash of existentialism? Sort of interesting, but drags a bit through the last 1/3. "
" For whatever reason--and it could just be my state of mind over the past six months--but I believe mainly due to its writing style, I wasn't able to immerse myself in this novel. I've tried to read it on three occasions and only made it to page 102 before giving up. :( "
" I loved this bizarre book despite the fact that it lagged at times...looking forward to more from Dexter Palmer and I hope he continues in this bizarre steampunk fashion. "
" Well written with interesting ideas, but I had to force myself to finish it because I wasn't really enjoying it. "
" Maybe 3.5 stars. An enjoyable read, but another where the ending let me down a bit. "
" I kept waiting for this book to get interesting. I've finished it and am still waiting for that. "
" outstanding, meandering, funny, sci-fi (slightly steampunky) novel of fragments. "
Dexter Palmer holds a PhD in English literature from Princeton University, where he completed his dissertation on the work of James Joyce, William Gaddis, and Thomas Pynchon. His first novel, The Dream of Perpetual Motion, was selected as one of the best fiction debuts of 2010 by Kirkus Reviews.
William Dufris attended the University of Southern Maine in Portland-Gorham before pursuing a career in voice work in London and then the United States. He has won more than twenty AudioFile Earphones Awards, was voted one of the Best Voices at the End of the Century by AudioFile magazine, and won the prestigious Audie Award in 2012 for best nonfiction narration. He lives with his family in Maine.
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