Tag Archives: Marisha Pessl

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

American Literature

Synopsis: When the daughter of a reclusive horror film director commits suicide, a disgraced investigative journalist sets out looking for the truth, only to find himself in a labyrinth straight out of one of the director’s “night films.” Review: The biggest hook in Night Film is Stanislas Cordova, a character who is a delectable melange of Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski, Michael Haneke, and Eli Roth. Descriptions of his oeuvre pepper the novel, with tantalizing plot details that made me ache to see the movies. I…

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Movie Version of Special Topics in Calamity Physics

On Reading 2 Comments

I loved Half Nelson, so this news makes me very happy: Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, the duo who wrote last year’s Half Nelson, are teaming once again to adapt the Marisha Pessl novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics. According to Variety, Miramax will be funding the project. The book revolved around a teen who had been bounced around from one high school to the next due to her father’s eccentric lifestyle. During her senior year, she finally gets the opportunity to stay in the…

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Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl

American Literature 9 Comments

Synopsis: A brainy high school senior narrates the events that led to the death of her charismatic and disturbed teacher. Review: I stayed up until 1:30 am last night blazing through the last 200 pages of the book, in a state of amazement (and not a little jealousy) over the superb plotting Pessl married to her delicious prose and intriguing characters.

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