Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Fans of LOST will recognize many familiar themes: mysterious islands, enduring connections between people, baffling mysteries. This book by Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams though is rather more surrealist than any TV show j.J. has helmed and at times the novel-within-a-novel part (Ship of Theseus) made me quite cranky. It was very Kafka-esque and less about any particular plot than The Meaning of It All. I really enjoyed the margin story happening between Eric and Jen though and quickly caught on to the different time lines identified in the book as different color pens used to write on the margins. Still, it's confusing and a bit weird--would anyone really be out to get two college students for attempting to identify a long dead author? You will have to suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride. The themes of unionization and fighting back against corporate power and evil remain current, but there were many times I just wanted to give up on the novel. I read enough Upton Sinclair for a lifetime. The ultimate theme is love, but whether you can hold on to get there is up to your patience level.