In Praise of Marisha Pessl

I spent the majority of my Labor Day reading a novel by Marisha Pessl.

I recently posted about pre-ordering Pessl's newest book (Night Film) based on my love of her first novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics. As I began Night Film last week, I was terrified by the storyline. (For some reason I can watch an entire season of Dexter and sleep just fine, but reading one chapter in this book today made me hesitant to open the door for the Chinese Food Delivery Man.)

When I finished the novel this evening, I was, pleasantly, as impressed by Pessl as I was in 2007. Both of her novels are so captivating that you should plan to read the final 300 pages in one sitting. This girl knows how to write an impressive sentence.

Special Topics:
"She emphasized what few wanted to accept, that some people did win Trivial Pursuit: The Deity Looks Edition and there wasn't a thing you could do about it, except come to terms with the fact you'd only played Trivial Pursuit: John Doe Genes and come away with three pie pieces."

Night Film:
"I'd barely worn it out. Life has been a suit I'd only put on for special occasions. Most of the time I kept it in the back of my closet, forgetting it was there. We were meant to die when it was barely stitched anymore, when the elbows and knees were stained with grass and mud, shoulder pads uneven from people hugging you all the time, downpours and blistering sun, the fabric faded, buttons gone."

I sincerely hope she writes a third book.
For now, I'll settle for a fourth go-round of the Harry Potter heptalogy.