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A review by nytephoenyx
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
When I read this book a decade ago, I remember feeling like it was unique and interesting, but a bit dense. Don’t get me wrong – I liked it. Special Topics in Calamity Physics is, for me, a captivating and curious novel. I was so thrilled to pull this one out of my TBR Jar and read it again, because even though my last read was ten years ago… I still find myself thinking about it sometimes. It’s that kind of book.
Calamity Physics won’t be for everyone. It’s pretentious. The writing is erudite and dense, packed with references to everything from foreign films to scholarly essays. I knew very few of the cited references, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. Still, if you were to read the first page of this novel and find exhausting… you won’t like this book. Because the writing style doesn’t change. For me, I like it because it’s different and interesting… but even I couldn’t read it everyday.
I think that time and growth made Calamity Physics more palatable for me. Where I struggled to be interested in Blue in my previous reads, I now found her interesting. A bit lost and definitely angry. The characters surrounding her are dramatic and real in many ways. I kept expecting one of the Bluebloods to reveal secret – whether it was a plot device or a side of themselves that was kinder and softer… Pessl delivers real characters with real reactions. You are more likely to see the worst of people than the best of them. It’s well done.
The story follows Blue Van Meer in her senior year at St. Gallway’s school. She and her father have travelled all over the country, rarely staying in one place for even a year What is supposed to be an uneventful year with an easy path to Valedictorian turns into a year of discovery and changing, inspired by Hannah Schneider, a teacher at the school. Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a coming-of-age story, a mystery, a thriller, literary fiction, and a conspiracy book rolled all together.
For all that I liked it, I really hesitate to recommend Special Topics in Calamity Physics. The ending will annoy many people and the writing style is so unique and… honestly, pretentious is really the best word…. that I think many people would be turned off by the writing alone. But the people who like it will be captivated. Special Topics in Calamity Physics is sort of a “go at your own risk” recommendation. You will either love it or hate it. For me? I love it.
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Original Review: February 2011, 4 Stars
I'm still wrapping my head around this book. It's very detailed, incredibly well-researched. I'm impressed. It's not the type of book where you feel good walking away from. The ending didn't feel like an ending, more like an ending interrupted, but I think that is exactly what the writer (Marisha Pessl) intended. In that way, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the ending. The reader is left thinking and wondering. We can fill in the blanks for ourselves.
In some ways, it was difficult to read this book just because it was set up like an incredibly long MLA essay. I found myself skimming over things when they got incredibly scientific. Only once did I feel like I had missed something when I skipped sections, and the time that I did feel as though I missed something, going back and re-reading it twice, thoroughly didn't give me any more closure. I think those who read this book very closely will have it figured out long before I did.
I found the writing to be very careful and very deliberate. I think this book is an excellent example to aspiring writers about the importance of relevant information and careful editing - every word in this book was there for a reason. Regardless of whether or not it was an enjoyable book, it was an excellent piece of writing.
As for the characters, they were remarkably real-to-life. If you're looking for a happy ending or beautiful, romantic characters, there isn't a single one to be found. All the characters are either depressingly shallow people (note: I said people, not characters. The characters are very round.) or else they are a lying caricature of themselves. It's difficult to find a single character to sympathise with, to care about. Mostly, as the reader, I found that I wanted answers. That was why I kept reading. But I didn't read the last chapter, which was in the format of a "final exam". I had read enough, and I think that even without that supposedly knowing the deepest, darkest secret that chapter may reveal, I know enough.
Original Review: February 2011, 4 Stars
I'm still wrapping my head around this book. It's very detailed, incredibly well-researched. I'm impressed. It's not the type of book where you feel good walking away from. The ending didn't feel like an ending, more like an ending interrupted, but I think that is exactly what the writer (Marisha Pessl) intended. In that way, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the ending. The reader is left thinking and wondering. We can fill in the blanks for ourselves.
In some ways, it was difficult to read this book just because it was set up like an incredibly long MLA essay. I found myself skimming over things when they got incredibly scientific. Only once did I feel like I had missed something when I skipped sections, and the time that I did feel as though I missed something, going back and re-reading it twice, thoroughly didn't give me any more closure. I think those who read this book very closely will have it figured out long before I did.
I found the writing to be very careful and very deliberate. I think this book is an excellent example to aspiring writers about the importance of relevant information and careful editing - every word in this book was there for a reason. Regardless of whether or not it was an enjoyable book, it was an excellent piece of writing.
As for the characters, they were remarkably real-to-life. If you're looking for a happy ending or beautiful, romantic characters, there isn't a single one to be found. All the characters are either depressingly shallow people (note: I said people, not characters. The characters are very round.) or else they are a lying caricature of themselves. It's difficult to find a single character to sympathise with, to care about. Mostly, as the reader, I found that I wanted answers. That was why I kept reading. But I didn't read the last chapter, which was in the format of a "final exam". I had read enough, and I think that even without that supposedly knowing the deepest, darkest secret that chapter may reveal, I know enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide