A review by 2kerrymehome
Atmospheric Disturbances by Rivka Galchen

funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.5

I love how Leo's intellectual ego is the source of his misogyny, his delusion, and his self regard. Like so many selfish smart men, his irreproachable intelligence blinds him to the point of not being intelligent at all, and I left the book feeling sorry for him. He reminds me a bit of Pnin in Pnin, or Ben Chang in the episode of Community when he pretends to be a noir detective. I just found myself wishing Rema would find someone else, he clearly has such a limited appreciation of her. But the book's weirdness and navel-gazing descent into madness was a fun exercise in proving myself more sane than someone else.