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Special Topics in Calamity Physics cover art

Special Topics in Calamity Physics

By: Marisha Pessl
Narrated by: Emily Janice Card
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Publisher's Summary

Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a mesmerizing debut, uncannily uniting the trials of a postmodern upbringing with a murder mystery, heralds the arrival of a vibrant new voice in literary fiction. It has received rave reviews around the world and was shortlisted for the 2007 Quills Awards.

As teenager Blue van Meer tells her story we are hurled into a dizzying world of murder and butterflies, womanizing and wandering, American McCulture, The Western Canon, political radicalism and juvenile crushisms. Structured around a syllabus for a Great Works of Literature class, Blue's wickedly funny yet poignant tale reveals how the imagination finds meaning in the most bewildering times, the ways people of all ages strive for connection, and how the darkest of secrets can set us free.
©2007 Marisha Pessl (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.
Literary Fiction Amateur Sleuths Suspense Literature & Fiction
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Critic Reviews

"Made me stay up all night reading. I loved this book." (Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife)
"This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive debut novels I have ever read...It is, perhaps, Pessl's level of precision, coupled, of course, with her ability to create a plot that stops you doing anything apart from read it, that makes her such an exciting writer." ( Independent on Sunday)

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Profile Image for Angharad Thompson Rees

Spellbinding

A sprawling, enigmatic, and a little bit strange read - in the best possible way. Blown away, again, by the author’s writing and storytelling. Story, prose, and characters are all utterly unique and so real. Just read the book, or listen - the narration is FABULOUS!

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