Miss Subway is a novel that makes you think, it is not a predictable story, but a literary puzzle in which the protagonist lives three different love stories with the same man, and in which gods from different cultures intervene: Irish, Jewish, African...
A refreshingly strange story with a novel and incomparable plot written by the talented and multifaceted David Duchovny.

In Miss Subways, Duchovny gives reads an interesting and well-written domestic drama. (All of his novels are quite different, and at times a little odd.) There's a lot going on, and it dips into a number of genres and sub-genres in interesting and engaging ways.

DNF @ 10%

This one is exceedingly quirky and extremely verbose and while that's not to say it's a bad thing, it's just not my thing. There's no doubt that Duchovny can write (I had no idea he got a Master's in English Literature from Yale?!) and while I've wanted to read something of his for ages solely because in my mind David Duchovny and Fox Mulder are definitely the same person, this wasn't what I was expecting and I'll just go watch some X-Files re-runs instead.

Miss Subways for me is a mix of American Gods and Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. It’s thrilling and captivating. It’s a story that runs in different dimensions, it’s about religions and beliefs and gods and goddesses and new chances to live ones life like the previous life never happened, but the most important aspects still will find you, if they are important enough. Here is humor and interesting information about myths and mythical creatures and same time it’s a wonderful love story, that will survive what ever the faiths throw at it.

Absolutely brilliant book!!!

I was hesitant to read this, as the premise seemed a bit out there for me. However, David Duchovny proved to be an amazing storyteller. There were times during this love letter to New York that I was thinking, "what was he thinking when he wrote this?" and then the writing would grab me back into the story. You definitely have to read this with an open mind, but if you do, you will enjoy it!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this book and who the author was, I thought, nah, it can’t be the same David Duchovny. I requested it anyway, because, even if they weren’t one in the same, he reminded me of the actor that I’ve adored since childhood. And what do you know, X-File, Californication actor David Duchovny is also an author, and a good one! Mind blown. Although I have to admit, there were parts of the book that brought me back to Hank Moody and his Fucking and Punching work.
Anyways, enough gushing. The book. This book is like taking a trip on the psychedelic train and it’s a modern rendition of the myth of Emer and Cuchulainn while incorporating some of my favourite beasties from myths and legends. It reminded me of a much better version of a Haruki Murakami story that actually made sense at the end. It depicted many versions of this myth, each with different timelines and endings with Emer as the star. The language, the philosophical thinking, and the amount of research that probably went into making this book is incredible. If you read this while having an open mind, you’re in for a treat.
I can’t end this review without mentioning my favourite character. Sid is fantastic! His metaphors, his bluntness, the way he speaks, even his ending in the story made me laugh. I would love to see a book just based on this guy.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. I’d definitely recommend this book and I plan on picking up the authors other books as well. I’m still holding out for a book or novella all about Sid lol.

I love the X-Files. And I'm aware that Duchovny attended both Harvard and Yale for English degrees. So obviously the guy is no slouch. But one is always wary of "celebrities" writing novels; there's a treasure trove of self-important garbage out there. But Duchovny, if nothing else, is just a superb storyteller, and this is one of his best (of the three thus far). I'll simply say if you're going to pick up one of his books and give it a read, I'd make it this one. Recommended!!

Miss Subways is an interesting piece of fiction, but definitely not for those who want to stay grounded in reality while enjoying it. The tale is loosely based on a Yeats play that I've never heard of, but this story incorporates ancient mythical characters that have the ability manipulate the realities of the characters within the book.

What I like most about this novel is that it has plenty of wit. It doesn't talk down to the audience, though if you are familiar with literary fiction in general, it conforms to that style, such as including obscure references to things that readers may or may not be aware of--but that's just par for the course in literary fiction. Overall it's a fun read and can keep most readers entertained until the end.

I found Duchovny's Miss Subways to be a very unique read. I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading, but I certainly enjoyed the journey. I have already ordered several copies for the library I work for and can't wait for patrons to start reading it. Thank you so much!

DNF @ 31%. I know I'm in the minority here, but this is just not my cup of tea. Too strange, and I'm not in the mood for strange.

I may come back to this someday.

Finally, Sophie picked up David Duchovny’s latest book, Miss Subways. Although generally rather dubious of celebrities penning books, Sophie hugely enjoyed Duchovny’s previous novel Bucky F*cking Dent (that Masters and partially completed English Literature PhD probably helped him quite a bit) and was hoping for more intimate New York storytelling. Instead, Miss Subways tries to be a mashup of Neverwhere and American Gods but falls short of both.

Emer Gunnels once had a brain tumor that caused her to experience vivid hallucinations. One evening she is approached by a “strange little man” who shows her a video of her boyfriend Cuchulain (the pair are named for figures from Irish folklore) being pushed in front of a car by a woman named Nancy/Anansi whom he met that evening. The man offers Emer the opportunity to save Con’s life but in doing so the world will change, Con and Emer will have never known one another and must never meet. Emer accepts the offer and saves Con’s life, waking up in a new reality with no memories of her old life, but things do not go smoothly from here as Gods and monsters begin entering her life causing her to wonder if her experiences are real, or more hallucinations and the universe seems determined to bring Emer and Con back together.

This was a very weird book. Think elderly people having an orgy in the Central Park reservoir while chanting their allegiance to a Chinese food delivery service God level weird. In fact, Sophie’s favorite line came from one of the sex scenes (all written in the worst kind of 12-year-old fanfiction style): “his lips were like that sci-fi tool in the movie Men in Black that make you forget everything.” True genius.

Sophie couldn’t say she enjoyed it as much as Bucky F*cking Dent, but it’s certainly one of the most bizarre books she’s read in a long while, and sometimes that burst of “WTF am I reading here?” is just what the doctor ordered.

Maybe I am late to the David Duchovny as writer train, but this was such and enjoyable read. Imaginative and approachable.

Can you know nothing about something but intuit from fractured firsthand experience? This book asks you to suspend belief and do just this but maybe it is just mystery?

Sliding doors, parallel experiences a question asked: Would you give up your love for someone if it means saving your loved one’s life? To prove your love you have to let go of your love. This is the premise all mixed together with Irish mythology, the New York Subway System, a 41 year old elementary school teacher, and what is really reality?

David Duchovny is a skilled writer using more multi syllable words than I have come across in one book in a very long time. I admire the mind that can conjure this story. I liked the book I just wasn’t over the moon about it.

Thank you NetGalley and Farrah, Straus and Giroux for an ARC.

Disclaimer: This is one of the most peculiar and eccentric books you’ll ever encounter; it’ll flip your mind, you have been warned. Read at your own risk!

Miss Subways is inspired by the Irish mythology of Cuchulain, a warrior who has the love of all women, but none of them is good enough for him, intellectually. Until, Emer. She challenges him that he has to earn her love and prove it. In Miss Subways, however, it doesn’t seem like that when you first start reading the book. Most of the time, I found myself asking “Why the hell does Emer want to save Con? Why does she want him back?” Her character is so much more intricate, her brains deserve a match of her own, and I honestly couldn’t find that in Con at all. Con was more of an ass than anything when he was first introduced, and yet, they clicked! Perhaps, one of the things that Duchovny was trying to convey is that love doesn’t make sense, it just happens! I’m quite certain of that because that literally happened.

Seriously though, Miss Subways is not what I had expected at all when I first read the synopsis. It’s New York City with all its leprechauns, demons, fairies and a great sense of nonsense that makes sense. But when I read the synopsis, it reminded me of that movie Sliding Doors and I thought it was going to be a light read on a woman who is living two realities and trying to save the man she loves in a mythical New York setting, you know, the usual!

While this remains true, it’s not exactly the story, because the story is so much more than that. This is a character-driven story, and the main character Emer—in my opinion—is the story herself; it was almost like an autopsy of a mind. Throughout the story, I was intrigued by Emer’s thoughts, analysis, and behavior. It was both equally natural and complex. The more you read Emer’s mind, the more you understand the meaning of being human. You don’t get a straight answer; you get an amalgamation of ideas, conflicts, emotions, and doubts that your mind starts twirling because you can’t grasp a thread of sense; of one true thing. Miss Subways is thought-provoking, intellectual and a challenging read. It makes you question reality; why we do things in certain ways and why do things happen in a certain way?!

One of the things that I really admired about the book is how bold and brave the writing is, it just proves that the book can not only be read as a modern fantasy but as a reflecting mirror of the world today. The author is honest and straightforward about giving his opinion on all things that matter; religion, politics, and social behaviors. Whether or not you agree with them, it is refreshing to put the walls down and stop censoring yourself. Miss Subways is quite a read you don’t want to miss, and it hits bookshelves on May 1st 2018.

Duchovny is obviously a brilliant, intelligent person who can put on paper outlandish stories and make them sound feasible. I like the way he compares mythical and religious themes with those of current times.

This is a wild, crazy book totally unlike my usual reading choices but I enjoyed the change of pace,.

Oh, to be David Duchovny - handsome, successful actor and a brilliant writer! Miss Subways was really just a delicious romp through New York and if mythology interests you at all, you will love this book! Duchovny's grasp of language is amazing; some of his phrases just blew me away. I highly recommend this book, especially to readers who enjoy Neil Gaiman.

I received an advanced reading copy of David Duchovny's 'Miss Subways', thanks to publishers Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley.

The book does not fall into the category of my preferred genre. However, owing to my love for X-Files and curiosity on what Mulder/Duchovny can produce, I picked it up. Unlike the cliche associated with celebrities wielding the pen, Duchovny's writing is actually good.

The story is quirky in style and substance and makes an interesting read. What is unique about Duchovny's style is the humour he employs. He spares nothing and smartly paints a satire of society, its beliefs, practices, self-importance and whatnot! I was also quite impressed with the vast pop and ancient culture knowledge that Duchovny possesses and weaves in this fantasy tale with ease.

Miss. Subways is the tale of Emer, a schoolteacher whose seemingly mundane life takes a twist when she encounters a mythical creature, Bean Sidhe. What follows is a tale that is part sci-fi, part fantasy with a generous helping of romance and its share of happily-ever-after concepts. While this sounds like a crazy combination and it is, Duchovny makes the ride memorable and filled with surprises. Most of the times, I had to remind myself that it was a male author portraying a female protagonist. Duchovny is that convincing while voicing Emer!

While I found the beginning a bit patchy in narration, I persevered and did not regret giving it a chance. The meaty middle is where all the goodness of the book lies. The resolution towards the end was a bit of a let down for me since I felt Duchovny became a bit restless and quickly tied up all loose threads. The irreverence and boldness he portrays through the rest of the book somehow feel absent here and it seems as if he succumbed to some sort of audience-pleasing pressure.

Overall, it's quite an interesting read. Turns out, Fox Mulder has more up his sleeve than I'd imagined!

Miss Subways is a just-less-than-riveting read with a plot and theme that surpass both the adequate writing and the inadequate initial character development. The theme of old world gods coming to the new world is not entirely original (Duchovny took a page or three from Neil Gaiman's American Gods), but it does lead to the most interesting part of the book: the idea that a person could not only live a different life based on one choice or one accidental encounter (in this case, with a god or gods), but that a person could also be living one, two, or three different lives all at the same time. And this, I believe, posits a provocation discussion; after all, who's to say that the life you're living now is the true one?

Yet, the execution was far from perfect. The magical realism the feel, the gods, and the parallel universes didn’t always seem to fit cohesively. Plus, there were a few little issues that may initially seem small—such as the way Duchovny described a few people of other races, the repetitive anti-PC message, and even the incongruent way in which Emer’s Christianity and belief in multiple gods existed simultaneously—but these lines took me right out of the novel each time they appeared, and ultimately made the book less believable. But my main problem with this novel was how one dimensional Emer's character was for the first half of the book. I understand what Duchovny was going for: in the first life, Emer is the sidekick; in the second life, she grows into her own; and in the third, she's the protagonist, with opening scene reversed, this time in Emer's favor. But, just because she's not the star in the beginning and middle, doesn't mean she has to be one dimensional. Many of Emer's thoughts and actions--including passively agreeing that her boyfriend flirt with other women because he needs to feel like a king--were so-off putting (and not because I personally disagreed with them, but because many of them were too stereotypical), and they took a lot of the magic away from the book.

Despite all this, the novel was well-written, with intriguing descriptions of New York City and delightfully alluring side characters whose unique traits and dialogue often stole the show. Though not without it flaws, Miss Subways is a great accomplishment of a novel, and I’m impressed (though not surprised) that Duchovny, as an actor, created such a skilled and readable novel.

'But her senses were too acute to be failing- she could feel everything around her, smell the grass and the musky standing water of the pond, see the moon and make out the face that always looked aghast to her- as if the moon, in its slow orbit, were watching Earth the way drivers slow down at the scene of an accident. Each long night was a new, slowly unfolding catastrophe.'

Emer spends most of her days as a New Yorker riding the subway, above ground and under (not unlike Persephone). Never without a book in her hand, she harbors her own literary aspirations but focuses her energy in supporting Con as he works on his “opus”. Exhaustively fanning the flames of his passion, making him seem successful to others, she herself is collecting dust, ah the things we do for love. Delighted by the placards of random literary quotes and philosophy that catch her eye on the subway, her mind whirls with musings. Losing herself in her own curiosity, Emer is the dreamer and often touches the old scar on her head to ground herself in the now. She lives with her boyfriend Con, and is very much in love, but that life is about to go to the Gods, whichever Gods they may be. Enter a story rich in myths and religion and Gods that are bored by us diluted mortals. Emer seems to be their latest victim, either that or she’s losing her mind.

Love divided, Con and Emer are split apart and upon the threat of death, she proves her love by erasing him from her current life. Delete, fate is unfair! She wakes up new, with a niggling feeling that something is misaligned. Con is nothing but a man from her dream, but how real it feels. She throws herself in her job teaching second grade at St. Margaret’s Catholic School on the Lower East Side. A treasured teacher, she still manages to muck up her reputation by introducing a myth about a crow and forbidden fruit, a watermelon. As I write this the crow I feed is outside cawing, I can’t make this stuff up! A crow is just the latest strange creature that has entered her life. She’s always been a waking dreamer of sorts, so is it all just her overactive imagination, fed by all the books she’s devoured or does it have to do with the difference in her brain? Is it her secret seizures that make her sense things that probably aren’t there?

If her mind is attuned to parallel lives and beings, then her father’s is a stark contrast, suffering from Dementia. It isn’t long before even he seems to be making appearances in her lucid dreams. There is no way to know if any of it is real, his mind scattered to the wind with the disease, how can she question him and trust the answers? What about the Polaroid of Emer with a man, is this proof that her dreams exist as a real life? Things are getting curiouser and curiouser. The story is about Emer’s love for Con, but more than that it is about Emer finding her strength and power. Emer’s tepid love is not enough, it is through the meddling of the gods and mythical beings that the brew of her heart grows stronger. It is when Con is caught in the West African trickster Spider God Anansi’s web, that everything becomes twisted. To what ends? Are Con and Emer just pawns in a game, begun long before they were born? Why does Anansi want Con? Why not? Why is one of the mythical Irish Bean-Sidhe (who is definitely not a leprechaun!) paying her visits, tormenting her? Is she losing her mind?

This is one of the strangest stories I’ve read in a long time. It is full of clever humor, and a nod at what likely many travelers on this polluted earth of ours are pondering from time to time. At the start of the novel Emer is as average as any of us come, going through the motions, loving on automatic as we do but one difference, she has a bridge between the two halves of her brain that is maybe a supernatural gateway, or maybe it’s just a rich imagination. You decide.

This is the first novel I’ve read by David Duchovny, I was pleasantly surprised, his writing is solid and thought-provoking. I enjoyed the aftermath of Emer’s incident in the lunchroom with her three students, the ‘weird sisters’. It’s not earth shattering, unless you’re a teacher in this time where students have more power than the teacher. At time when teaching children about other cultures verges on criminality, how can you not laugh, uncomfortably of course, at Emer being in ‘trouble’ for daring to tickle children’s imaginations with a story? How did we become so ridiculous, so bland, so numb?

Out today! May 1, 2018

Farrar, Straus, Giroux

A twisted mythology interspersed with clever wit and wise observances on life and love. Miss Subways is a conglomeration of old and new world mythologies, beginning with the Irish legend of Emer and Cuchulain. Emer is an elementary school teacher in New York who loves her mildly narcissistic boyfriend and riding the subway. But she has unknowingly angered the gods with her lukewarm, but supportive love, and it is being removed from her reality by an ancient Irish being, a Sidhe. Little does she know, there are many realities she will be flung through, many chances offered to decide if she's willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the man she loves, leave him to save him. Forget him and allow him to forget her, to save him. Part hilarious, honest observances of life in New York as a middle aged woman, part love story, part fairy tale, Miss Subways is the most accurate foray into the female mind since John Green’s works.