Special Topics in Calamity Physics

By: Marisha Pessl

Narrated by: Emily Janice Card

Length: 21 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age novel and a richly plotted suspense tale told through the distinctive voice of its heroine, Blue van Meer.

After a childhood spent moving from one academic outpost to another with her father (a man prone to aphorisms and meteoric affairs), Blue is clever, deadpan, and possessed of a vast lexicon of literary, political, philosophical, and scientific knowledge. And she is quite the cineaste to boot. In her final year of high school at the elite (and unusual) St. Gallway School in Stockton, North Carolina, Blue falls in with a charismatic group of friends and their captivating teacher, Hannah Schneider. But when the drowning of one of Hannah's friends and the shocking death of Hannah herself lead to a confluence of mysteries, Blue is left to make sense of it all with only her gimlet-eyed instincts and cultural references to guide - or misguide - her.

Structured around a syllabus for a Great Works of Literature class, Pessl's debut novel is complex yet compelling, erudite yet accessible. It combines the suspense of Hitchcock, the self-parody of Dave Eggers, and the storytelling gifts of Donna Tartt with a dazzling intelligence and wit entirely Pessl's own.

©2006 Marisha Pessl (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“The joys of this shrewdly playful narrative lie not only in the high-low darts and dives of Pessl’s tricky plotting, but in her prose, which floats and runs as if by instinct, unpremeditated and unerring.... This skylarking book will leave readers salivating for more.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“Gripping and dark, funny and poignant ... Pessl’s talent for verbal acrobatics keeps the pages flipping.” (USA Today)

“Witty and exuberant ... Pessl’s pyrotechnics place her alongside young, eclectic talents like Dave Eggers, Jonathan Safran Foer, and Zadie Smith.” (Vogue)

Probably better in print

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

most interesting aspect was the story once it got going. Least interesting was the lengthy quotations.

What three words best describe Emily Janice Card’s performance?

grating
mispronounced words

Was Special Topics in Calamity Physics worth the listening time?

first part was pretty slow going. Picked up at the end.

Any additional comments?

Some random comments: This book was probably better read on paper than listened to. The narrator refers to the visuals that are in the print copy, so listeners miss that aspect. Author went overboard on the citations: I realize they play a part in the structure of the book, (the chapter titles were literary references too), but I just felt there was so much use of the references that it became much too heavy-handed. I also got pretty tired of the constant use of idiomatic expressions. Instead of adding to the narration it ended up really bogging it down. The story seemed to go nowhere at all until the last third, when it suddenly developed a plot, as though the author had finally figured out where she was going with it all.

A delight to listen to, even if nothing happens

I just wish more dark clues were planted near the beginning. This book felt like the rug got swept out from under me, but not in a good way.

Wryly Amusing

Pessl has not met a metaphor, simile or obscure literary reference that she doesn't like, and she liberally sprinkles her novel with literary and pop cultural references. This mystery/coming of age tale, narrated by the precocious teen, Blue van Meer, follows a clique of popular students and their glamorous and mysterious film studies teacher. Although amusing, the novel becomes a bit tedious towards the middle, but is saved by a tongue-in-cheek "final exam" that puts into question all of Blue's conclusions. The narration is fabulous -- the reader sounds exactly as one would imagine Blue to sound.

Fun Tragic Ingenious

Of every 20 or 30 books I commit to, perhaps one will fully engage my mind. 'Special Topics' is 1 in 50!

I was hugely entertained by Blue's free-association-cross-referencing. Rather than distracting from the story, her eidetic memory and OCD-like tendency to see a thing and be reminded of a book, quote, painting, factoid or other imagery expanded it. I wondered if this would wear thin after a bit but Pessl was absolutely consistent in this aspect and I quickly began to rely on it.

The story was smart, the whodunit was a surprise and the ending would have pleased Gareth's Italian film sense.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics is as original as The Life of Pi, as well-read as Assassination Vacation, as melodious (in it's own linguistic way) as Annie Dillard and as fun as Chabon, but still original.

Not for readers who enjoy their endings neatly braided.

Simply Amazing!

I enjoyed every hour, every minute, and every second. The audiobook form was so convenient!

Jaw-dropping writing

This book is the most engrossing and original I've heard or read in years. I bought a paper copy after listening, just to open randomly and re-enjoy the language. The prologue didn't pull me in, but a friend urged me to stick with it. Suddenly, I was hooked and just couldn't get enough. The plot creeps up on you by surprise. Right from the start you know someone died, but -- with no gimmicks -- my "certainty" about what was behind it changed repeatedly as the tale unfolded. The ending amazed me. It completely hung together, yet I in no way predicted it. In that way, my reactions were the same as the main character's, the endearing and wonderful and true and new Blue. The writing itself is like another character, strong, witty, perfectly nuanced to reflect the plot at the time. I kept asking myself how an author can even conceive of such interwoven complexities, never mind pulling it off so masterfully. An absolute re-read. I did not like the narrator. Too unvarying. Not enough differentiation among characters. This book deserved a masterful narrator but was able to withstand someone far less due to its own inherent wonders.

Marisha Pessl is fascinatingly twisted as always.

The narrator was a perfect representation of Blue. She gave great life to the story and handled all the references with realness.

Delightful, an entertaining listen

I really did enjoy this story, I am a huge fan of Marisa Pessl and I also thought Emily the narrator did an excellent job. The only reason I did not give 5 stars on everything is because I thought the middle was drawn out. It was all important information for building the plot but it did lose my full attention for a short time. Specifically regarding the blue blood group. Maybe it just brought back my own high school issues.
The ending definitely helped it all make sense which is something I do appreciate.
Enjoy! I certainly did

a great new voice

Marisha Pessl is wonderfully attuned to the nuances of relationships, solitude, and life in this world. She brings a clever twist to the use of metaphor. Humorous, lively, smart as heck, you will not bored for a second.

So descriptive I was there....

What did you love best about Special Topics in Calamity Physics?

I didn't feel so much as I had listened to a book but that the book had hurled itself at me.

That being said, it was fantastic. I felt like I was walking around a high school track with the author and she was telling me the story as we went - first person, hands dancing, eyes rolling, and full of teenage duhs and as-ifs. There was never a dull moment.

The performance amazed me as well. The characters were alive and well delivered. I could tell who was speaking as the line was read. Crazy when you think of all of the characters in this story.

So, to sum up - loved it, loved it, loved it. Plan to get it from the library and read it at my leisure.