The breadth of Ms. Pessl's talent makes me sick-- feverish with delight.

I am amused by the criticism of the distinguished Post critic, the calling into question, in the words of one writer here, of the "excessive loquatiousness of the narrator's expression". Well, as the author herself acknowledges in the last two paragraphs, that *is* the point. If as you read you find yourself as annoyed as you are impressed, consider yourself in good company.

(If you think about it, there's only one character to suspect. That Ms. Pessl manages to make the story rewarding anyway is no small feat.)

While many of the characters are interesting-especially the main character-the author's use of allusions and citation beomes cumbersome after a short while. I thought it was only going to be used in the beginning of the book. When it continued, it was somewhat frustrating; on the one hand, you wanted to know the source but after a short while you began to not care but you were hooked.(Initially, one does feel superior when you can name the source before it is cited. It gets old quickly though.)
The story gets lost in the author's long narrative descriptions of a character's mood, way of speaking, manner of dress. It's just too pedantic.
If you are looking to expand your knowledge of mostly modern allusions in literature this book is very helpful. It does not read smoothly, however. You feel like you are stuck in rush hour traffic with its stops and starts.
Hope this was helpful.

This novel reminds me of a snowball rolling down a hill, slow at first but then speeding to the end--but it's a good thing. The story starts slow, building the background of Blue van Meer and her father, but then expands into a murder mystery. While the mystery aspect is less than half the book, the earlier part of the book has set up all the information we need to figure out the truth...if the truth can really be found.
While it is a story of Blue's coming-of-age, it is so much more. Don't let the size of the book scare you; it starts out slow, but then you get sucked into Blue's story. I couldn't tear myself away. The ending had me gasping, rereading parts of the book and dreaming about it at night. This book is so unusual, a book to savor. Pessl's writing can be wordy, but I didn't have any problem with it. Just expect an unusual book and enjoy it.

Since this novel was on many "Best Of" lists for the year, I was curious. While this certainly isn't the best book that I've ever read, I did appreciate its boldness. Not many novelists attempt to tackle the entire Western Canon in the way that Pessl has. Yes, the references are annoying at times, but mostly they reveal more about the main character, Blue Van Meer, and reveal a scathing commentary on modern academia. My biggest criticism of the novel is that the plot doesn't really pick up until the end. I would have enjoyed more of the momentum earlier in the novel.

If you are a fan of literary fiction or of experimental fiction, pick up this novel and enjoy.

When Blue van Meer's father, a peripatetic college professor, agrees to let her spend her entire senior year at the same school, instead of moving each semester while he accepts visiting professorships all over the country, she quickly settles in at Stockton, NC. Enrolling at St. Gallway School, where she is expected to become the valedictorian, Blue finds herself inexplicably becoming part of "the Bluebloods," a group of five other students, all of whom have various family problems. This group moves in the orbit of Hannah Schneider, a charismatic teacher of film, who invites the group to her home each Sunday and serves as a sounding board for whatever problems they want to discuss.

Not really part of the group, Blue tries to fit in, often doing what Jade Vine wants to do, and eventually experimenting with alcohol, drugs, and sneaking into places where none of them have been invited. When a death occurs at a party at Hannah Schneider's house, Blue and the group decide to investigate. Since the story is a flashback from the opening chapter, the reader knows from the outset that Blue will eventually discover Hannah Schneider hanging, an electrical cord around her neck.

Using the name of a famous piece of world literature as the title of each chapter, author Marisha Pessl shows absurd parallels between the action of the novel and that of the famous literature. She packs her long novel with sensational plot elements--murder, lies, secret identities, betrayals, and dramatic parent/child issues--keeping the reader involved, even as her bright and breezy style sometimes alienates. With a penchant for over-writing, Pessl incorporates more unique imagery into one chapter than most writers do in an entire book, often turning nouns into verbs, and vice versa--"hair ivying over the armrest," "lettuce fireworked into the air"--and creating unique similes and metaphors--"the root canal hallway," "sleep as likely as phoenix eggs," and a woman who is "a walking wedge of Camembert."

Pessl is immensely talented, with the ability to handle complex plots, multiple characters, and important themes (who we are, how we become who we are, and how much we can control who we are), but she is like an explosion, her energy going off in all directions, her power not under control. As she satirizes people, their activities, and their self-consciousness, she also involves the reader in their actions, thereby creating confusion about whether the novel is serious or not. This debut novel is astonishing, however, chock full of fascinating plot and style elements, and Pessl leaves the reader hoping for her future success--and more effective editing and control. n Mary Whipple