Customer Reviews

Door Number Three

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A neurotic psychotherapist and his patient who claims she was abducted by aliens, a time machine, a Mad-Hatter-like inventor who hides out in a Catholic church rectory, a homicidal police detective who gets religion, deadly femme fatales addicted to sugar, an endearing pet bird with genetically engineered super-intelligence. These are some fo the elements of this stunning novel, which is as imaginative as Neil Gaiman's "Nevermore." By turns hilarious and suspenseful, with a surreal sense of humor reminiscent of Douglas Adams ("The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy"), this book is a wild coaster ride, full of surprises and revelations. But it is not purely plot driven. The characters are engaging, original, and come to life. If you're tired of the same old, same old, try this book!

Being a science-fiction buff, I expected to enjoy this book no matter what. But I was really blown away by the richness of the language and the complexity of the plot. It is reminiscent of Slaughterhouse-5, yet very unique in its approach. This book is very wonderful, and I recommend it to anyone who is even slightly interested in science fiction.

The highest praise in science fiction, it seems to me, is to compare it to the work of Philip K. Dick. This book definitely reminds me of some of Dick's work. The protagonist is a psychotherapist with serious mom/dad-brother issues that he is busy trying to work through in his life. Meanwhile, a patient appears who claims to have been raised by aliens and has one year on earth to convince someone. Suddenly the protagonist finds himself pursued by seriously drug addicted alien women (the drug is sugar; it overwelms them -- they keep purses full of it). He hooks up with some very good people living in a catholic rectory. Turns out that somehow prayer is effective against the aliens (even saying grace stops them at one point!). Also in the rectory is an utterly charming little bird. I don't want to give too much away, but the book is full of time travel, love, hate, and a world where people live in lime jello. What more can a reader want?

Loved this book! I stayed up 'til 2:00am just to finish reading it, and I didn't want it to be over. Great suspense, superior plot management, content that is both clever and wise (Sounds corny - but I wouldn't say it if I didn't think it was true).

I love books that TEACH as they entertain, and this book does that very well... It's meaty, has lots of ideas, packed with observations, theories, content. Real content.

The writing style is quick, witty, fast-moving, conversational, natural-sounding - you really have to stay with it, you really learn Patrick O'Leary's "voice" - but it's easy and fun and really engaging.

Highly recommended!

There seems to be a resurgence in time-travel novels, although they seem to be taking unusual shapes and forms. Or maybe I'm just hitting a bunch in a row: John Kessel's humorous take on time, Connie Willis' upcoming novel set in the same world as her award winning "Time Watch," and now this unusual novel, a combination of conspiracy paranoia, aliens among us, questionable reality, and time shuffling. It's a strange combo, but it works magically.

First off, I have to give credit where it is due. Lawrence Person told me to read this, and although we don't always agree on literature, Lawrence knows my taste in SF and can often identify books that I will enjoy (it was he who pointed me in the direction of Zod Wallop, I believe). This time Lawrence was number one with a bullet! Door Number Three pushes several of my buttons, most importantly the study of dreams and the fluctuation of reality.

The subject matter reminds me of Philip Dick. What is the nature of humanity? Why do we do the things we do? These are Dickian subjects (at least in the SF genre), and O'Leary tackles them within a framework that Dick might have used. However, the style with which he describes his world and ideas is what Dick would have used it he were still alive. Trying to describe this, I have to resort to the simple description of this as a 90s novel--in 20+ years time, we will be able to definitively identify this as being written shortly before the turn of the century.

The basic story concerns John Donnelly, a psychologist whose new client, Laura, claims to have been in contact with aliens and if she can convince one sane person of this, they will let her stay on earth. But the real story is about John himself, his life, his family, and his personal adaptation to life. As such, it is not "true" science fiction, or, at least, science fiction as it is assigned as a label by most people. If the fantastical elements were less, or if O'Leary had been a little more post-modern with his prose, this would have been the latest hip college novel, rather than a forgotten debut on the SF shelf.

It is a strong novel, which should appeal to most readers. Be open to it, however, because many things are not as they first seem. And at a little less than 400 pages, there's a lot of space for twists and turns.

O'Leary uses this story, involving aliens, Feds, and time-travel as a framework to explore interpersonal relationships and how we are strangely tied to our particular perception of time and unknowingly shaped by psychological forces that we're unaware of.

The story is actually two stories in one; the first being a psychologist dealing with a patient who claims to be an alien, and the second being the psychologist having to confront messy family issues in an attempt to figure out why he is the way he is.

Overall, the writing is excellent and the story well-told and engaging. If you're the type that likes to ponder things this book is a great springboard to get you to poke around a bit in your own psyche to figure out what forces have shaped your own personality and perceptions.

O'Leary is one of the best prose artists in the genre. His dry wit, insight, and lush use of words makes for more than just an escapist read.

Patrick O'Leary had me for about the first two-thirds of this novel. The writing is elegant, the plot strong and mysterious. John Donelly, a therapist, and Laura, his patient, are both well-drawn characters. Laura may or may not be delusional; her story, involving aliens from the future, may or may not be true. It is to O'Leary's credit as a writer that we want it to be true: we feel for Laura. Donelly's back story, involving his complicated relationship with his mother and brother, blends nicely into the plot, as does the ethical dilemma of Donelly's attraction to Laura. Unfortunately, I didn't think the novel sustained its strong beginning during the last third. Too much exposition, too much murkiness. The relationship between Donnelly and his brother and their parents, in particular, turned into a lengthy explanation that did little to advance the plot. Overall, I was disappointed that the novel fizzled out after such a promising beginning, but I nonetheless appreciated the valiant effort. I would give it 3 1/2 stars if that option were available.

This is a great book. I didn't give it five stars because I don't think it's an undisputable work of art for everyone, but I did mark it with four stars and as a favorite.

This book is a marvelous mixture of psychology (particularly the dream work of Jung), crime thriller, and science-fiction. Unlike so many science-fiction books, this book isn't about a great "idea" or the world of the future . . . it's about love, loss, time, memory, and being a human.

Patrick O'Leary's website talks about how this book was sort of a love letter to his unknown daughter that was given up for adoption when he was a teen (he has since met her and is part of her life). It is this very touching, deep, human element that is at play underneath the intrique, fun ideas, and even humor of this book.

Recommended therapy to read this one!

This is a twisted take on the time travel theme we've grown up with. We do have a group of aliens (one of them sexy, the others ugly); secret government agents; and a strange mixture of characters and one - no, I won't spoil it. The Editorial Reviews above tell you more than you need to know about the story line.

This was a fun read with some depth that will give your brain a workout if you let it. I will be reading more of O'Leary's books.