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cathyatratedreads's review against another edition
3.0
This could easily be seen as pretentious, but I am fascinated by quantum physics and enjoyed reading about thought experiments, so I had no problem being drawn in to the story and all of its interesting detail. Unfortunately, I only could get halfway through before I just had to quit because it was SO vulgar. The half I read had dozens of uses of strong language and a number of scenes of casual sex, some somewhat detailed and others not. There are a lot of vulgar sexual references. The last straw for me was a scene where the main character gets into the mind of a neighbor who’s been in a homosexual relationship and reflects for several pages in great and crude detail about sex with the other man and details a brief and ugly sexual encounter with a stranger in a restroom. I’d be curious to see what the writer does with the rest of the novel, but I had no desire at all to wade through the very crude content any longer.
4 stars for story but 1 for grossness.
4 stars for story but 1 for grossness.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
Scarlett Thomas's unusual fantasy-rich novel is outside of my usual wheelhouse. I'm glad it ended up in my hands, because it was an utterly enjoyable book. Ariel is a graduate student whose advisor has disappeared. She finds a copy of a book that supposed didn't exist anymore, The End of Mr Y, that both she and her academic advisor had been interested in. She is then drawn into an odd world called the Troposphere, while being hunted by some unsavory men claiming to be with the CIA and helped by an ex-priest. It's an imaginative tale, studded with odd bits of philosophy and physics. It's kind of The Night Circus meets Sophie's World.
shesagift's review against another edition
5.0
The End of Mr. Y... what to say about The End of Mr. Y?
First things first, this plot is crazy. It's wildly inventive and highly original. Though the science and philosophy may not hold water, I didn't study physics or philosophy, so I don't really give a damn. The pseudo/fringe science really appealed to me, especially because I only vaguely understood it (and I think that was the point). I understood enough that I went along with the characters' choices and rooted for them from beginning to end.
However, I think part of the reason this book got a 5 rather than 4 star rating from me is by having such an amazing narrator. Ariel is by no means the Strong Female Character cliche; she has plenty of problems, and she's very real (if not always relatable). She gets through life by the skin of her teeth, sometimes sinking to questionable practices to do so. She's a penniless academic, but she really knows her stuff. I was 100% on her side from page 1 to page 502, and I was sad to say goodbye when I closed the book. She had the same questions, doubts and fears that I would have in her situation, and that made the weird science and mind-boggling philosophy more palatable.
I loved the book-within-a-book structure of much of part 1, and the three act structure was sort of meta, given that Ariel herself commented on a relationship with a particular lover as being a three-act relationship. I felt that Thomas's book was very self-aware, but not in a weird, hokey way. I found the mega-intellectualism of some/most of the characters to be fun and crazy interesting, even if some of the statements were somewhat questionable. Overall, the pacing was fantastic. I stayed up way too late several nights in a row because I just couldn't put it down. Even without cliffhangers, chapter breaks left me with questions that I desperately wanted answered.
The End of Mr. Y is a wild ride, and if you can put aside any reservations about Thomas's likely loosey-goosey approach to the science/philosophy, you'll find yourself whisked away to a world almost as enticing as Ariel's Troposphere.
First things first, this plot is crazy. It's wildly inventive and highly original. Though the science and philosophy may not hold water, I didn't study physics or philosophy, so I don't really give a damn. The pseudo/fringe science really appealed to me, especially because I only vaguely understood it (and I think that was the point). I understood enough that I went along with the characters' choices and rooted for them from beginning to end.
However, I think part of the reason this book got a 5 rather than 4 star rating from me is by having such an amazing narrator. Ariel is by no means the Strong Female Character cliche; she has plenty of problems, and she's very real (if not always relatable). She gets through life by the skin of her teeth, sometimes sinking to questionable practices to do so. She's a penniless academic, but she really knows her stuff. I was 100% on her side from page 1 to page 502, and I was sad to say goodbye when I closed the book. She had the same questions, doubts and fears that I would have in her situation, and that made the weird science and mind-boggling philosophy more palatable.
I loved the book-within-a-book structure of much of part 1, and the three act structure was sort of meta, given that Ariel herself commented on a relationship with a particular lover as being a three-act relationship. I felt that Thomas's book was very self-aware, but not in a weird, hokey way. I found the mega-intellectualism of some/most of the characters to be fun and crazy interesting, even if some of the statements were somewhat questionable. Overall, the pacing was fantastic. I stayed up way too late several nights in a row because I just couldn't put it down. Even without cliffhangers, chapter breaks left me with questions that I desperately wanted answered.
The End of Mr. Y is a wild ride, and if you can put aside any reservations about Thomas's likely loosey-goosey approach to the science/philosophy, you'll find yourself whisked away to a world almost as enticing as Ariel's Troposphere.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
4.0
There's a slightly odd feeling about sitting down to read a book that if somebody asked you why you were reading it - the best explanation you could come up with was ... well ... "it sort of sounded slightly mad - and besides the central character wants to become part of a book.... ". You've got to be intrigued by that premise.
THE END OF MR Y doesn't telegraph what sort of a book it is from the cover blurb - it sounds a bit like a mystery, it could be fantasy, there's even some elements that sound a bit like traditional science fiction. It's all of those things and a lot more because at the basis of everything else in this book there is the story of somebody's life that is fascinating, there are characters that you can care about. There's a story of disaffection and alternative ways of living your life that is intriguing. THE END OF MR Y is unpredictable, brash, exciting, slightly edgy and ever so slightly odd.
At the centre of the book is Ariel. Ariel's a great character and narrator - she's very much in control (sort of), she's very focused (sometimes) and she's somebody who knows where she's going (okay now I'm stretching...) Ariel's engaging, she's fascinating, she's also slightly crazy, but what she really has is acute self-awareness. She's an impoverished PhD student from a decidedly dodgy background, she's got a very active sex life - many might say it's a very dangerous and unorthodox sex life. Some people might find a building dropping into a hole in the ground a bit unexpected but Ariel can let that roll, just as she can discover a copy of a mythical long lost book and not question where it could have come from. She can find a way to handle her odd sex life with her married lover becoming increasingly risky. She can even develop an attraction to Adam, the ex-priest forced to share her University office because of the collapse of the other building. And finally she can enter the Troposphere and find it threatening and comforting all at the same time. But Ariel is used to the unexpected. In fact she really doesn't know what is supposed to be normal - life is just what happens. There's a great quote on the back of the book which explains her attitude perfectly:
"Real life is regularly running out of money, and then food. Real life is having no proper heating. Real life is physical. Give me books instead, give me the invisibility of the contents of books, the thoughts, the ideas, the images. Let me become part of a book".
It's impossible to read THE END OF MR Y and not consider the possibility of the Troposphere. And compare the possible absurdity of the idea of an alternative reality with a current day obsession like Second Life. Fantasy and science fiction blurring into reality in a very intriguing way?
Along the way Ariel must try to find out about the two strange men and their two childish offsiders pursuing her. She must find her PhD supervisor - Professor Burlem - because he alone also seems to understand the ramifications of the Troposphere. She must work out what she wants with the equally troubled Adam. She must also decide how or where she wants to live her life.
THE END OF MR Y doesn't telegraph what sort of a book it is from the cover blurb - it sounds a bit like a mystery, it could be fantasy, there's even some elements that sound a bit like traditional science fiction. It's all of those things and a lot more because at the basis of everything else in this book there is the story of somebody's life that is fascinating, there are characters that you can care about. There's a story of disaffection and alternative ways of living your life that is intriguing. THE END OF MR Y is unpredictable, brash, exciting, slightly edgy and ever so slightly odd.
At the centre of the book is Ariel. Ariel's a great character and narrator - she's very much in control (sort of), she's very focused (sometimes) and she's somebody who knows where she's going (okay now I'm stretching...) Ariel's engaging, she's fascinating, she's also slightly crazy, but what she really has is acute self-awareness. She's an impoverished PhD student from a decidedly dodgy background, she's got a very active sex life - many might say it's a very dangerous and unorthodox sex life. Some people might find a building dropping into a hole in the ground a bit unexpected but Ariel can let that roll, just as she can discover a copy of a mythical long lost book and not question where it could have come from. She can find a way to handle her odd sex life with her married lover becoming increasingly risky. She can even develop an attraction to Adam, the ex-priest forced to share her University office because of the collapse of the other building. And finally she can enter the Troposphere and find it threatening and comforting all at the same time. But Ariel is used to the unexpected. In fact she really doesn't know what is supposed to be normal - life is just what happens. There's a great quote on the back of the book which explains her attitude perfectly:
"Real life is regularly running out of money, and then food. Real life is having no proper heating. Real life is physical. Give me books instead, give me the invisibility of the contents of books, the thoughts, the ideas, the images. Let me become part of a book".
It's impossible to read THE END OF MR Y and not consider the possibility of the Troposphere. And compare the possible absurdity of the idea of an alternative reality with a current day obsession like Second Life. Fantasy and science fiction blurring into reality in a very intriguing way?
Along the way Ariel must try to find out about the two strange men and their two childish offsiders pursuing her. She must find her PhD supervisor - Professor Burlem - because he alone also seems to understand the ramifications of the Troposphere. She must work out what she wants with the equally troubled Adam. She must also decide how or where she wants to live her life.
artsygirlamy's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting ideas, thought provoking concepts, irritating pace, frustrating loose ends, annoying repetitive references, engaging love story, disappointing choices...seemed at times more like the author was showing off then actually moving the story along. At times it was so slow I thought it was never going to end
saroz162's review against another edition
2.0
This was a fascinating premise for a book that simply became less and less pleasant to read. The science-fantasy aspects remained interesting, and I managed to get used to the constant name-dropping of philosophers and theorists (in fact, the book made me want to become better acquainted with Jacques Derrida). What I couldn't get beyond was the extremely unlikable protagonist, Ariel, who also narrates the book in first person.
I suspect that Thomas' motivations in making her lead so damaged was to suggest that she has "nothing left to lose," which allows Thomas to justify some pretty extreme actions as the book goes on. But there's nothing to even invite you to identify with Ariel's point of view; instead, she's just cynical, bitter, and hard from the moment we meet her. Worse, you're left reading the story of a deeply self-destructive individual who routinely serves herself up for violent sex with self-absorbed men, apparently only to motivate the ever-increasing "tailspin" of the plot - and frankly, that's not what I meant to sign up for with a mind-bending fantasy novel. It just feels so unnecessary; it has almost no bearing at all on the SF/F aspects of the story, and there are other, more subtle ways to bring a sympathetic character to desperation. It's been a few weeks since I finished the book, and I'm still at a loss as to why Thomas chose this method. It left me feeling - well, icky - and as a result, a novel of otherwise interesting world-building will remain unrevisited (and in fact, I plan to get rid of my copy).
I suspect that Thomas' motivations in making her lead so damaged was to suggest that she has "nothing left to lose," which allows Thomas to justify some pretty extreme actions as the book goes on. But there's nothing to even invite you to identify with Ariel's point of view; instead, she's just cynical, bitter, and hard from the moment we meet her. Worse, you're left reading the story of a deeply self-destructive individual who routinely serves herself up for violent sex with self-absorbed men, apparently only to motivate the ever-increasing "tailspin" of the plot - and frankly, that's not what I meant to sign up for with a mind-bending fantasy novel. It just feels so unnecessary; it has almost no bearing at all on the SF/F aspects of the story, and there are other, more subtle ways to bring a sympathetic character to desperation. It's been a few weeks since I finished the book, and I'm still at a loss as to why Thomas chose this method. It left me feeling - well, icky - and as a result, a novel of otherwise interesting world-building will remain unrevisited (and in fact, I plan to get rid of my copy).
mehitabels's review against another edition
3.0
Not really sure what to say. Not really sure I am real, present, or fully conscious anymore.
Mind-bending book, with very awe inspiring science and philosophy. What I loved in the book lead to deep internal introspection, various late-into-the-night conversations with friends, and a few despairing moments of realizing missed opportunities in my own life and education.
What I found monotonous, repetitive, or just seemed like-drug induced automatic writing, well, I skimmed a bit.
Definitely interesting. Crazy cool science, math, philosophy. Some fun literary and doctoral scenes. But I ended feeling meh. Perhaps because of timing, perhaps because of my lack of comprehension, or perhaps just because I missed fast-action, instant gratification.
Mind-bending book, with very awe inspiring science and philosophy. What I loved in the book lead to deep internal introspection, various late-into-the-night conversations with friends, and a few despairing moments of realizing missed opportunities in my own life and education.
What I found monotonous, repetitive, or just seemed like-drug induced automatic writing, well, I skimmed a bit.
Definitely interesting. Crazy cool science, math, philosophy. Some fun literary and doctoral scenes. But I ended feeling meh. Perhaps because of timing, perhaps because of my lack of comprehension, or perhaps just because I missed fast-action, instant gratification.
ckjaer88's review against another edition
3.0
I have very mixed feelings about this story; on the one hand I find it very high-brow and theoretical, and on the other hand it's a basic love story of a lost girl finding a boy who is lost like her.
The world and idea of the story is like nothing I've ever read before and I get what she wants to say with it, but it just never captured my attention all that much. It never became one of those books I just couldn't wait to get home to and read.
In the end the word coming to mind when thinking about the story is: Meh.
It's not bad, but I'm not impressed.
The world and idea of the story is like nothing I've ever read before and I get what she wants to say with it, but it just never captured my attention all that much. It never became one of those books I just couldn't wait to get home to and read.
In the end the word coming to mind when thinking about the story is: Meh.
It's not bad, but I'm not impressed.