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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