An Elegant Theory

This is a novel that starts off like a science textbook and proceeds like a mad existential trip and yet somehow never ceases to be as elegant as the title. In fact it's such a strange book it would be difficult to describe and even more so to recommend, but I found it to be terrific and by far one of the most original works of recent fiction. If you're into linear narrative and reliable narrators, don't even try this one...it's all over the place, narration alternates from first to third person, timelines alternate with easy and frequency varying times and realities. Yes, realities, this is, after all, a book about quantum physics, specifically strings theory. The protagonist is an ambitious scientist, who might just make the most important discovery since Einstein's theory of relativity, if he manages to deal with his troubled marriage and equally challenging family life. It's a dizzying ride of a book, it really is, and not the easiest of reads, but a very rewarding one. Milligan doesn't just get the science right, he also succeeds tremendously with the dramatic writing, his relationship depictions are visceral, stunning and strikingly emotionally intelligent. If you can wrap your mind around 11 dimensions and in the mood to try something different, this is just the book. Awesomely impressive debut. Enthusiastically recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This book was incredible. It reminded me of two movies that I watched a couple of years ago, "Mr. Nobody" and "The Butterfly Effect".

One thing I loved about this book was the unconventional writing style that was used to build the plot. It accurately captured the state of confusion that stems from being unable to determine what is real and what isn't. The plot consisted of time warps, where the story would jump in to the future, in to the past or to an alternate reality altogether, all the while keeping the readers at the edge of their seats! All of the characters in the book felt real and their actions and motives were easily understandable.

I liked how the writer related choice to the concept how we, as conscious observers in this universe, continuously alter reality through the mere act of observation (aka the Observer Effect in Quantum Mechanics). As long as you don't choose, anything remains possible!