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kassabitte's review
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really loved the first half of this book, but the second half felt like coming down from a haze back to reality. Perhaps that was intentional - it almost certainly was.
jonjeffryes's review against another edition
4.0
In this book a psychoanalyst returns home one day and discovers that his wife has been replaced by a look-a-like. Adventure ensues as he travels to Argentina and Patagonia in search of his real wife and the man he thinks is behind the disappearance (or his last ally) a meteorologist who published an article on atmospheric disturbances that speaks to the main character.
This book is weird...it maybe goes on a little too long, but Galchen doesn't sacrifice real feeling in her attempts to portray a fractured mind. She has a way with words that makes the sentences a joy to read, even when you're not certain what's happening.
This book is weird...it maybe goes on a little too long, but Galchen doesn't sacrifice real feeling in her attempts to portray a fractured mind. She has a way with words that makes the sentences a joy to read, even when you're not certain what's happening.
wilsonthomasjoseph's review against another edition
I thought about putting this down 100 pages into it. Galchen is certainly good at creating the language of a boring psychologist; although, her prose sometimes gave me chuckles and eyebrow raises. There is no plot. This is just a snapshot into the life of a man with a very rare psychological disorder. I can see the diving board for the deep, profound end of the characterization and plot pool, but no jumper in sight. I had to push my way through the scientific and clunky prose. The final three pages would certainly work better after page ten.
lauramariani's review against another edition
4.0
I genuinely enjoyed this first novel from Rivka Galchen. Her unreliable narrator takes us on a strange journey through meteorology, psychiatry, pastry, and dog-walking, but the real premise of the story is very simple -- he's looking for love in all the wrong places. We can interpret his plight in a clinical way -- Leo's experiences evoke Capgras' syndrome, which Dr. Galchen surely learned about in her medical training, in which people believe that their loved ones have been replaced by imposters -- or as an extreme form of the pain that we all suffer as our loved ones grow and change through their lives, sometimes moving apart from us.
Galchen makes some clever turns of phrase, and although they can come off as unnatural, it's hard to be sure whether that represents the awkwardness of the narrator or the showiness of the author. Either way, she kept me reading. My main complaint is that she's trying a bit too hard to be like Thomas Pynchon (I mean, look at that big "49" on the cover!), but there are worse writers to emulate.
Galchen makes some clever turns of phrase, and although they can come off as unnatural, it's hard to be sure whether that represents the awkwardness of the narrator or the showiness of the author. Either way, she kept me reading. My main complaint is that she's trying a bit too hard to be like Thomas Pynchon (I mean, look at that big "49" on the cover!), but there are worse writers to emulate.
jrl6809's review
challenging
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
daisyface's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
embaranovich's review against another edition
2.0
Really interesting concept, but I just couldn't finish it. Will try another time
sungyena's review
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
mmaguire's review against another edition
4.0
Read all of my reviews at: http://meagan-maguire.blogspot.com
Galchen’s Atmospheric Disturbances reads like a breath of fresh air. The novel is equal parts mystery and philosophy. Her writing style is breezy. She walks the fine line between sparse and overly-descriptive with ease. Most importantly, the plot is highly original.
The novel follows the misadventures of Dr. Leo Liebenstein, an aging New York psychiatrist/hipster. One day Leo comes home to a woman who looks just like his beautiful Argentinian wife Rema. She has all the same memories and mannerisms but nothing can convince Leo that this is his real wife. He believes she has been replaced by a double but has no idea who did this or why they would do this. Forsaking this “simulacrum,” as her calls her, he travels to Argentina to seek the truth and to finally meet her estranged mother.
Tied up with this mystery is meteorological intrigue started off by one of Libenstein’s patients. Harvey is convinced he is part of a secret society that controls the weather. Although he is rather low on the secret society’s totem pole, Harvey frequently absconds to different parts of the country in order to perform the important weather control tasks given to him by the secret society. In a harebrained attempt to keep Harvey from taking off again, Rema and Leo set up a scam to give Harvey instructions using the name of meteorologist Tzvi Gal-Chen. Gal-Chen soon becomes a sort of conspirator in the plot, though no one has ever met him and there are plenty of obituaries in his name. Despite the complex nature of the plot, none of it ever seems silly or rushed. This is quite a feat considering the novel finished in less than 250 pages.
When Tzvi appears things get really interesting. It doesn’t take much to realize there may be a connection between “Tzvi Gal-Chen” and “Rivka Galchen.” Tzvi is actually a real person; in fact he is the father of Rivka. All of the research and personal information in the book is the real Gal-Chen’s. Also, Gal-Chen passed away unexpectedly. In many ways this book is a form of grieving. Like Leo, Rivka Galchen was trained as a psychiatrist. She also woke up one day to find someone important in her life missing. Atmosopheric Disturbances relates the states of panic, grief, and denial experienced during mourning as well as the way it can turn a life upside down. At the same time, it is not at all pushy about this theme. The focus remains on the mystery and never becomes preachy or over philosophical.
Rivka Galchen is a writer to watch. With a debut novel as well-written and exciting as Atmospheric Disturbances Galchen has the potential to be one of the best fiction writers working today.
Galchen’s Atmospheric Disturbances reads like a breath of fresh air. The novel is equal parts mystery and philosophy. Her writing style is breezy. She walks the fine line between sparse and overly-descriptive with ease. Most importantly, the plot is highly original.
The novel follows the misadventures of Dr. Leo Liebenstein, an aging New York psychiatrist/hipster. One day Leo comes home to a woman who looks just like his beautiful Argentinian wife Rema. She has all the same memories and mannerisms but nothing can convince Leo that this is his real wife. He believes she has been replaced by a double but has no idea who did this or why they would do this. Forsaking this “simulacrum,” as her calls her, he travels to Argentina to seek the truth and to finally meet her estranged mother.
Tied up with this mystery is meteorological intrigue started off by one of Libenstein’s patients. Harvey is convinced he is part of a secret society that controls the weather. Although he is rather low on the secret society’s totem pole, Harvey frequently absconds to different parts of the country in order to perform the important weather control tasks given to him by the secret society. In a harebrained attempt to keep Harvey from taking off again, Rema and Leo set up a scam to give Harvey instructions using the name of meteorologist Tzvi Gal-Chen. Gal-Chen soon becomes a sort of conspirator in the plot, though no one has ever met him and there are plenty of obituaries in his name. Despite the complex nature of the plot, none of it ever seems silly or rushed. This is quite a feat considering the novel finished in less than 250 pages.
When Tzvi appears things get really interesting. It doesn’t take much to realize there may be a connection between “Tzvi Gal-Chen” and “Rivka Galchen.” Tzvi is actually a real person; in fact he is the father of Rivka. All of the research and personal information in the book is the real Gal-Chen’s. Also, Gal-Chen passed away unexpectedly. In many ways this book is a form of grieving. Like Leo, Rivka Galchen was trained as a psychiatrist. She also woke up one day to find someone important in her life missing. Atmosopheric Disturbances relates the states of panic, grief, and denial experienced during mourning as well as the way it can turn a life upside down. At the same time, it is not at all pushy about this theme. The focus remains on the mystery and never becomes preachy or over philosophical.
Rivka Galchen is a writer to watch. With a debut novel as well-written and exciting as Atmospheric Disturbances Galchen has the potential to be one of the best fiction writers working today.