Atmospheric Disturbances, Rivka Galchen
Atmospheric Disturbances, Rivka Galchen
3 Rating(s)
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Atmospheric Disturbances

Author: Rivka Galchen

Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner

Unabridged: 7 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/27/2008

Synopsis

When Dr. Leo Liebenstein’s wife disappears, she leaves behind a single, confounding clue: a woman who looks, talks, and behaves almost exactly like her and even audaciously claims to be her. While everyone else is fooled by this imposter, Leo knows better. Certain that his real wife is alive and in hiding, Leo embarks on a quixotic journey to reclaim his lost love. From the streets of New York to the southernmost reaches of Patagonia, Leo’s quest becomes a test of how far he is willing to take his struggle against the seemingly uncontestable truth he knows in his heart to be false.

About Rivka Galchen

Rivka Galchen is a recipient of a William Saroyan International Prize for Fiction, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award and a Berlin Prize, among other distinctions. She writes regularly for the New Yorker, which selected her for its list of 20 under 40 American fiction writers in 2010.

About Malcolm Hillgartner

Malcolm Hillgartner is an accomplished actor, writer, and musician. Named an AudioFile Best Voice of 2013 and the recipient of several Earphones Awards, he has narrated over 250 audiobooks.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Lynn on August 07, 2008

This book has been widely reviewed, and I understand why. It's basic premise is unique, and the writing is sometimes stunning. As a first novel, I'd say it's fairly accomplished. The problem is I didn't really like it. The whole book kept me at an arm's length, as if I were reading an extended logic......more

Goodreads review by Michael on January 11, 2019

ATMOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES was recommended to me since I am a fan of David Foster Wallace, Don DeLillo, and Thomas Pynchon—specifically when I asked for similar work authored by women. That said, let me say this: this book was simply incredible. Much like Wallace, there is an intensely personal narrat......more

Goodreads review by Oriana on March 17, 2010

Gosh, well wow. I liked this book quite a lot. It is certainly original and cool. Also a really great blend of beautiful language, surprising insight, wonderfully strange characters, and fascinating factualness. It reads very quickly, really propelling you forward, in a sort of frenzied rush to the......more

Goodreads review by Fraser on September 10, 2022

An analyst pulls on various knowledge in his field when he convinces himself of the Doppler effect, and determines his wife is a doppelgänger herself. He then discerns esoteric clues based on esoteric clues as to where he might find his real wife. But it’s actually a story about rifts in identity sh......more

Quotes

“[An] enthralling debut…heartbreaking and maddening…Don’t be surprised if this gives you a Crying of Lot 49 nostalgia hit.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Witty, tender, and conceptually dazzling, Galchen’s metaphysical tale of longing, grief, love, and the volatility of the self gracefully charts the tempestuous weather of the human psyche.” Booklist (starred review)

“An intricate puzzle powered by an urgently beating heart…A superb first novel.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Astonishing…This dense, brilliant novel should be much in demand.” Library Journal

“Galchen’s astonishing debut is rich in detail and scientific exploration and a kind of dreamy psychological dissembling that keeps the reader as baffled as Leo right to the end. This dense, brilliant novel should be much in demand.” Library Journal

“Galchen’s intriguing and sophisticated first novel has a startling premise and unique characters, all ably interpreted by Hillgartner. His rich baritone is perfect for the obsessed Liebenstein and, surprisingly, equally effective for the female characters. His real achievement, though, is portraying the transformation of the psychiatrist as he argues with himself that his increasingly bizarre observations are scientifically valid and that his wife is really not herself.” Booklist

Awards

  • Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize
  • Indie Next Notable Title
  • Slate Magazine Best Book
  • Amazon Best Book of the Month
  • Saroyan Prize
  • Governor General’s Literary Award
  • New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books
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