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The Thanatos Syndrome Audiobook
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(3.00) - 961 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
When Dr. Tom More (of Love in the Ruins) is released on parole from state prison, he returns to Feliciana, Louisiana, the parish where he was born and bred and where he practiced psychiatry before his arrest. Upon arriving, he notices something strange in almost everyone around him: unusual sexual behavior in women patients, a bizarre loss of inhibition, a lack of complexity in speech—even his own wife's extraordinary success at bridge tournaments, during which her mind seems to function like a computer.
With the ingenious help of his attractive cousin, Dr. Lucy Lipscomb, More begins to uncover a criminal experiment to "improve" people's behavior by drugging the local water supply. But beyond this scheme are activities so sinister that even Tom More wouldn't believe them if he hadn't witnessed them with his own eyes.
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"Most excellent, and most deceptively sneaky as it crawls up behind you through its Southern slow, and Percy's teetering taut narrative."
— C.j. (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Spins along at a brisk thriller pace, laced with escapes and chase scenes and risky, ingenious detective work.”
— Gail Godwin, New York Times Book Review -
“What a pleasure it is to read a real novel…The Thanatos Syndrome has the ambition and purposefulness to take on the world, to wrestle with its shortcomings, and to celebrate its glories.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“He is a dazzlingly gifted novelist…Percy stages a lively medical mystery…that no serious reader will want to miss.”
— USA Today -
“Shimmers with intelligence and verve…The Thanatos Syndrome is highbrow hilarity all the more discerning for distinguishing its tears behind lots of laughs.”
— Newsday -
“There is ample evidence of Percy’s brilliance in The Thanatos Syndrome—the droll Dixie anthropology, the pitch-perfect dialogue, the sheer intelligence everywhere on the page…It is splendidly, uproariously catholic, as well.”
— Atlantic Monthly -
“As usual, Percy’s ear for language—especially the layers of meaning in even the most casual conversation—is superb.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“In crisp, masterful prose Percy delivers a relentlessly compelling tale.”
— Library Journal
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
The Thanatos Syndrome Listener Reviews
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" A hard book to recommend, but one filled with truth and depravity "
— William, 2/18/2014 -
" I debated about giving this just one star, but I'm giving the author the benefit of the doubt. I found the book rather tedious and without much to keep the reader interested (except to wonder if it would get better). In fairness, it did pick up a little at the end, but not nearly enough. This is the only work by this author I have read. I'm led to believe this is not one of his typical novels. Perhaps I should try a different one. "
— Scott, 2/8/2014 -
" Great book but the end dragged on a bit. I know it's intentional but still.. "
— Karla, 2/5/2014 -
" Great writing style and curious story with the biting criticism of utopian humanism and how evil it really is. "
— Paul, 2/4/2014 -
" A thoughtful, powerful examination of scientism and its dangerous implications for human society. A little too content-heavy for my tastes, though. "
— Amanda, 1/25/2014 -
" Maybe I should have started with another of his books, because I thought this book was just awful. "
— Richard, 1/12/2014 -
" Whoa-how... so that's what's different about the South. Gotta get that sodium out of the water... "
— Molly, 1/6/2014 -
" This book was worth reading, but I thought it was verbose and somewhat confusing. Percy suggests the frightening logical conclusion of the cheapening of the value of life. "
— Barb, 12/30/2013 -
" I thought I'd try another Percy after The Moviegoer. Alas, this one went a bit awry. Interesting plot that gets off-track and ventures into la-la land. "
— Charlaralotte, 12/25/2013 -
" Disturbingly good, but lacks the substance and depth of Love in the Ruins "
— Jamespcoleman, 12/17/2013 -
" I've struggled to find enough time (with a newborn) to really acquaint myself with Percy's style. Nonetheless, I have found every 20 minute window of time I've spent with this book enjoyable. That's a good sign. "
— Justin, 12/13/2013 -
" very disappointed. I was expecting something to happen and nothing did. In the end all odd and ends are tied up in some sort of new age understanding of the world. "
— Michael, 8/16/2013 -
" An unusual mystery with a great main character and often witty. "
— Woodge, 5/4/2013 -
" Just starting reading this for fun and am loving the questions it raises about the mind and the soul. "
— Amber, 4/25/2013 -
" Ages ago, just remember I loved the writing - tiny little details about the characters that revealed so much. "
— Andrea, 2/26/2013 -
" Not a particularly well (or poorly for that matter) written book with a premise that was just barely interesting enough to finish. I do not recommend. "
— Dwight, 2/16/2013 -
" Not as good as Love in the Ruins. But still prophetic. "
— Daniel, 2/3/2013 -
" One of the stupidest books ever. Not even worth the title of glorified comic book plot ... (actually, I hear that's what they say about Kavalier & Clay and I actually want to read that one). This book, on the other hand, is just dull, twisted in a lame kind of way, and thoroughly a waste of time. "
— Becca, 2/1/2013 -
" interesting. gripping. philosophical. "
— Katie, 12/28/2012 -
" If I wasn't traveling with limited books, I would have dumped this one and not finished it. It was eh. Leaving it behind in the hotel. "
— Amy, 12/11/2012 -
" This seemed really slow to start despite the exclamations to the contrary printed on the cover. That will teach me to read the "hype" before starting a book. "
— Keith, 11/16/2012
About Walker Percy
Walker Percy (1916–1990) was the author of nine books of fiction and nonfiction, including the award-winning The Moviegoer and the New York Times bestsellers The Thanatos Syndrome, Love in the Ruins, and The Second Coming . He is considered one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. He went to medical school, intending to be a psychiatrist, until he had a bout with tuberculosis. He married and converted to Catholicism. He became a writer, and his first novel, The Moviegoer, won the National Book Award and has never been out of print.