Comments on: Special Topics in Calamity Physics, Marisha Pessl

By: Poléo

Poléo — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:57:38 +0000

I find myself agreeing with what you say; I like reading most genres myself too, and I generally finish whatever I start; though there have been deviances to this rule. I don’t necessarily regret finishing STiCP, it was an insight into current American writing and also valuable as such a acclaimed debut and so forth. However, had I known what I know now, I do believe I wouldn’t have started it, even though it’s good to read a bad book once in a while.

By: Brenda

Brenda — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:05:04 +0000

I read the ‘unputdownable’ quote by The Guardian, I read the book, I read your review…The ‘unputdownable’ part, while partly true, was a little misleading…I didn’t put the book down because I really, really wanted to get to the point where the actual story started. Took me 100’s and 100’s and 100’s of pages to get there, but when it did, I enjoyed it. I am not a snob when it comes to books, I will read anything, I like all genres. There was a book I read, Trading Up by Candace Bushnell, 548 pages of lost time. Time I could have spent reading something decent or playing WoW or going to the gynocologist, just because anything would have been better than reading that book, with characters I absolutely hated. But once I start a book, it must be finished…If you felt the same way about STiCP that I felt about TU, I am sorry for you, very very sorry. I can’t change your mind, but would just like to let your other readers know that not everyone felt so strong a dislike for this book.

By: tedmgreijer

tedmgreijer — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:10:54 +0000

Perhaps not your most developed analysis ever, though I appreciate the reading. Our motto being ‘legible’, after all, I appreciate the non-pretense of it, and as always, the humour. You obviously hating this book, however, and I not having read it, opens little space for a debate, though that may not necessarily be the point.