The Visible Man (novel)
Author | Chuck Klosterman |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Fiction |
Publisher | Scribner |
Publication date | October 4, 2011 |
Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
Pages | 240 |
ISBN | 978-1439184462 |
OCLC | 837624462 |
813/.6 | |
LC Class | 2010047309 |
Preceded by | Eating the Dinosaur |
Followed by | I Wear the Black Hat |
The Visible Man: A Novel is a novel written by Chuck Klosterman, first published by Scribner in 2011.[1] It is the seventh book and second novel released by Klosterman.[2] Thematically, The Visible Man touches on the way media transforms reality, the meaning of culture, and the dissonance of self-perception.[3] It became a New York Times bestseller the month of its release.[4]
Plot synopsis
The story is told by an Austin, Texas, therapist named Victoria Vick and centers around one of her clients, Y___, a man whose name the reader never learns.[2] Y___ professes to be a scientist working on an aborted secret government project he calls "cloaking technology." With a combination of futuristic fabric and light-refracting cream, Y___ says he's able to make himself invisible. With his cloaking technology, Y___ claims to observe many people who think they are alone or otherwise believe they are not being watched, which he insists is essential to completing his research.[5] Y___ recounts stories from his observational research across numerous sessions, and Vick attempts to diagnose and treat him while her life unravels.[6]
Reception
The Visible Man has received favorable reviews, with Entertainment Weekly giving it an A-.[7][8][9][10] The Dallas Morning News said of the book, "[It] is a rich, fast-paced and funny novel made to entertain lovers of literary metafiction, sci-fi and thrillers."[11] When asked about the book, Klosterman has said, "If somebody asked me, 'What is this book about?' and I know that I only have one sentence to tell them, I would say, 'Well, it's how it would be to be the invisible man's therapist.' But if I read a review that said that and simplified it down, I would be like, 'That's totally wrong!'"[2]
References
- ↑ Parker, James Badfellas: Chuck Klosterman’s ‘I Wear the Black Hat’ New York Times. March 30, 2016
- 1 2 3 Ray, Austin L. Writer Chuck Klosterman presents 'The Visible Man' CNN. March 30, 2016
- ↑ Singer, Matthew Q&A: Chuck Klosterman Willamette Week. March 30, 2016
- ↑ Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction: Sunday, October 23rd 2011 New York Times. March 30, 2016
- ↑ Carey, Ryan The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman Paste Magazine. March 30, 2016
- ↑ Gregory, Alice 'Visible Man' Asks: What If No One Were Watching? NPR. March 30, 2016
- ↑ Lee, Stephan The Visible Man Entertainment Weekly. March 30, 2016
- ↑ The Visible Man Publishers Weekly. March 30, 2016
- ↑ Barton, Chris 'The Visible Man' review: Chuck Klosterman is in sly form Los Angeles Times. March 30, 2016
- ↑ Rizov, Vadim Chuck Klosterman: The Visible Man A.V. Club. March 30, 2016
- ↑ Duhr, David Book review: The Visible Man, by Chuck Klosterman Dallas Morning News. March 30, 2016
External links
- The Visible Man at Simon & Schuster
- Chuck Klosterman on Twitter