The Visible Man (novel)

The Visible Man
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

  1. Parker, James Badfellas: Chuck Klosterman’s ‘I Wear the Black Hat’ New York Times. March 30, 2016
  2. 1 2 3 Ray, Austin L. Writer Chuck Klosterman presents 'The Visible Man' CNN. March 30, 2016
  3. Singer, Matthew Q&A: Chuck Klosterman Willamette Week. March 30, 2016
  4. Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction: Sunday, October 23rd 2011 New York Times. March 30, 2016
  5. Carey, Ryan The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman Paste Magazine. March 30, 2016
  6. Gregory, Alice 'Visible Man' Asks: What If No One Were Watching? NPR. March 30, 2016
  7. Lee, Stephan The Visible Man Entertainment Weekly. March 30, 2016
  8. The Visible Man Publishers Weekly. March 30, 2016
  9. Barton, Chris 'The Visible Man' review: Chuck Klosterman is in sly form Los Angeles Times. March 30, 2016
  10. Rizov, Vadim Chuck Klosterman: The Visible Man A.V. Club. March 30, 2016
  11. Duhr, David Book review: The Visible Man, by Chuck Klosterman Dallas Morning News. March 30, 2016
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