The Anomaly

A Novel

By: Hervé Le Tellier, Adriana Hunter - translator

Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman

Winner of the Prix Goncourt, this dizzying literary page-turner ingeniously blends crime, fantasy, sci-fi, and thriller as it plumbs the mysteries surrounding a Paris-New York flight.

In June 2021, a senseless event upends the lives of hundreds of men and women, all passengers on a flight from Paris to New York. Among them: Blake, a respectable family man, though he works as a contract killer; Slimboy, a Nigerian pop star tired of living a lie; Joanna, a formidable lawyer whose flaws have caught up with her; and Victor Miesel, a critically acclaimed yet commercially unsuccessful writer who suddenly becomes a cult hit.

All of them believed they had double lives. None imagined just how true that was.

A virtuoso novel where logic confronts magic, The Anomaly explores the part of ourselves that eludes us. This witty variation on the doppelgänger theme, which takes us on a journey from Lagos and Mumbai to the White House, proves to be Hervé Le Tellier’s most ambitious work yet.

Psychological sci-fi

Taut and lovingly crafted mystery that explores the meaning of consciousness through many eyes.

Philosophical sci-fi

The Anomaly should be a new sub genre. Original, culturally broad, scientifically detailed, philosophically plausible makes for an excellent story.

Just Ok

The premise is cool, but most of it is not really sci-fi. Lots of characters I don’t care about.

It will make you question

Not sure why would anyone call this book myopic. The level of profoundness is astonishing. It touches on every aspect of the world we live in… but it’s a “light” read. I couldn’t stop listening. One of the best books I read recently.

Mixed bag

This was a good listen. Some parts of the plot were derivative. I can make a list of books and movies that predate the novel with similar concepts. That being said, parts of it were really original with interesting thinking. I could've done without (SPOILER ALERT) the business about the dead dog. Some of the philosophical/scientific conversations/diatribes took me back to college with much of the same coma inducing effect. These bits required a double listen. Overall, I recommend. Confession: I did have to Wikipedia the ending to confirm that it ended the way I thought.