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The Visible Man: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 3,079 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Austin, Texas, therapist Victoria Vick is contacted by a cryptic, unlikable man who insists his situation is unique and unfathomable. As he slowly reveals himself, Vick becomes convinced that he suffers from a complex set of delusions: Y__, as she refers to him, claims to be a scientist who has stolen cloaking technology from an aborted government project in order to render himself nearly invisible. He says he uses this ability to observe random individuals within their daily lives, usually when they are alone and vulnerable. Unsure of his motives or honesty, Vick becomes obsessed with her patient and the disclosure of his increasingly bizarre and disturbing tales. Over time, it threatens her career, her marriage, and her own identity.
Interspersed with notes, correspondence, and transcriptions that catalog a relationship based on curiosity and fear, The Visible Man touches on all of Chuck Klosterman's favorite themes—the consequence of culture, the influence of media, the complexity of voyeurism, and the existential contradiction of normalcy. Is this comedy, criticism, or horror? Not even Y__ seems to know for sure.
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"I'm not sure this book is exactly great, but I really, really enjoyed it. It's some how both very cliched and turns those cliches on their ear. And I loved that the therapist never seemed to get that Y____ liked her because she was so much like him.Good characterization. "
— Betsy (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Richly drawn and dryly funny…Klosterman is terrifically expressive, funny company…Klosterman’s unique voice is never less than right out in the open.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“ The Visible Man is a rich, fast-paced and funny novel made to entertain lovers of literary metafiction, sci-fi and thrillers.”
— Dallas Morning News -
“Hidden beneath The Visible Man’s kaleidoscopic structure and high-wire stunts in an irrefutable narrative logic. And like Y__, Klosterman knows when to get out of the way…All fiction should be so sly.”
— NPR -
“Klosterman’s deadpan humor is on full display in this tour de force exploration of intimacy and voyeurism…A vibrant mix of thriller, sci-fi, and literary fiction genres.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
The Visible Man Listener Reviews
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" I used to think being invisible would be awesome. Now, not so much. "
— Cheryl, 2/18/2014 -
" It thrilled quite fairly and entertained nicely. Some parts of the novel conveyed interesting parallels to Elie Wiesel's "A Mad Desire to Dance." "
— Herb, 2/15/2014 -
" This book is pretty hilarious and not just a little unnerving. While the actual story being told is crazy, I am almost more impressed by Klosterman's ability to voice a rather sedentary middle aged woman - so lifelike. "
— Michelle, 1/27/2014 -
" I thought that this book was incredibly interesting. I think I prefer it to his first novel, but more for its peculiarity than for the actual writing. In fact, I think this novel will stay with me for awhile, because it is so weird and borderline disturbing. "
— Remy, 1/23/2014 -
" I loved it. As a therapist it intrigued me to read about a person so caught up in an obsessional thought; or was it? "
— Kelly, 1/20/2014 -
" Really engaging book with a lot of interesting discussion. I absolutely loved it, but was definitely underwhelmed by the ending. Very anti-climatic. "
— Mark, 12/19/2013 -
" This book surprised me and became quite a page-turner... it was pretty close to earning that 4th star, but overall I'm not convinced it will be memorable for me a year from now. The plot is a bit odd, but it is a plot which allows Klosterman to creatively include his typical social/cultural commentaries in a unique style. I imagine that he really enjoyed letting his mind run wild. I'd recommend this book as a pretty quick and entertaining read for anyone who is already a fan of Chuck. "
— Austin, 12/12/2013 -
" This is my second time through. Looking for loopholes! "
— Bob, 12/8/2013 -
" The book showed potential, but never got anywhere for me. There were a series of build ups that ended up flat. "
— Justin, 11/30/2013 -
" enjoyable. fast read. I'm not gonna overanalyze it. y'know. there were a lot of little quotable insights, too. like he built a novel around some amazing tweets. "
— Jenny, 10/10/2013 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Suspenseful and a little creepy but not too much! "
— Shelly, 9/20/2013 -
" Really enjoyed this.....but, I really love Klosterman...always have. His pop culture references are always interesting and funny. He makes me think about what you would think would be insignificant things. Great read! "
— Casey, 6/25/2013 -
" 2nd best book of the year ! "
— Michael, 6/10/2013 -
" A fun book with some interesting observations about identity and privacy. "
— Kari, 3/22/2013 -
" I like Klosterman a lot -this story is super strange but I enjoy the oddness of this author "
— Sasha, 10/14/2012 -
" Not his best work, less funny considering the somewhat creepy subject, but still insightful as always. And the questions it raises about voyeurism, identity and self-awareness could feed discussions and reflections well after its short page count. "
— Brian, 8/17/2012 -
" Unique book with an interesting premise. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. "
— Carrie, 7/18/2012 -
" Ingenious structure and perfectly paced. Even the philosophical navel-gazing held my interest (most of the time) because the visible man is such a compelling character. Klosterman is deft. I read a chapter of the book on the blog, "Grantland," and was hooked. "
— Glennchuck, 7/7/2012 -
" I was bored with the therapist's personal life/issues and more interested in the people who the Visible Man was spying on (we didnt get quite enough of that). Overall an interesting read. "
— Bridget, 6/1/2012 -
" Enjoyable but not his best effort. "
— Mike, 3/2/2012 -
" Cute premise of the invisible man in therapy that started off pretty bland but grew more interesting towards the climax. Disposable but not reprehensible. "
— Kit, 11/4/2011 -
" As with CK's other "novel", this is mostly another forum for his ideas and views on pop culture and modern living. Still a good read but don't expect a whole lot in the way of plot or character development "
— Steven, 11/1/2011 -
" fantastic- Klosterman's ability to grip you with his science fictional social commentary is inhuman. "
— Allie, 10/27/2011 -
" I thought that this book was incredibly interesting. I think I prefer it to his first novel, but more for its peculiarity than for the actual writing. In fact, I think this novel will stay with me for awhile, because it is so weird and borderline disturbing. "
— Remy, 10/26/2011 -
" Intriguing idea for a book but I just couldn't get into it at all. "
— Kelley, 10/25/2011 -
" only halfway through - astonishing - mindblowing, best thing I've read this year so far "
— Dianne, 10/20/2011 -
" I found this exciting to read. I like glimpses into the lives of ordinary people and this provided a fictional account of what that would be like. It made me wish I had a suit that made me invisible! And as always, I enjoy Klosterman's writing and sense of humor. "
— Heather, 10/15/2011 -
" Chuck Klosterman is standing on the corner where pop culture and pop psychology intersect secretly analyzing all who walk past. "
— Jim, 10/15/2011
About Chuck Klosterman
Chuck Klosterman is the bestselling author of eight nonfiction books, two novels, and a short story collection. He has written for the New York Times, The Washington Post, London Guardian, Billboard, GQ, and more. He served as the ethicist for the New York Times Magazine for three years, appeared as himself in the LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits, and was an original founder of the website Grantland with Bill Simmons.
About the Narrators
Annabella Sciorra was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, as Annabella Gloria Philomena Sciorra. She is an actress and producer, known for her roles in the films What Dreams May Come, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Jungle Fever. She was previously married to Joe Petruzzi.
Scott Shepherd is best known for his work with two internationally celebrated theater companies, the Wooster Group and Elevator Repair Service. He was the narrator of Gatz, a seven-hour staging of the entire text of The Great Gatsby, for which he won an Obie and an Elliot Norton Award.