The Man Who Turned into Himself [Hardcover]

David Ambrose (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1994

A tragic car accident that kills his wife transports Rick Hamilton to a different dimension of the universe, where he is forced to confront his alter ego and swallow a disturbing new version of reality. A first novel. 25,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This unimpressive fiction debut uses theoretical physics to explain the fantastical events it describes. Rick Hamilton, publisher of a small journal based in Connecticut, has a premonition of his wife's death in a car crash. He rushes out of an important business meeting and speeds to the scene of the accident without questioning how he knows where to go. But he is too late; seeing his wife die, he blacks out and awakens to an altered reality-- he is being pulled from the wreckage of the car as his wife looks on. Rick, as it turns out, is trapped inside the body of Richard A. Hamilton, his counterpart in our universe. (Among other differences in Rick's parallel universe, John F. Kennedy, Bobby and Marilyn Monroe are all alive). Soon, with the help of a blind psychiatrist, Rick formulates a plan to use hypnosis to send him "home." Though the writing is glossy and efficient, Hollywood screenwriter Ambrose seems uncomfortable working in narrative prose. Seeking to move the action along, he often succumbs to awkward techniques--letters, tape transcripts and monologues--that could come straight out of a theater's one-man show. And for all its fancy quantum mechanical explanations, the plot is unconvincing and predictable. Movie rights to HBO.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Screenwriter Ambrose's first stab at fiction is a fascinating tale that explores the meaning of reality. Rick Hamilton is successful, happily married, and on top of the world until his wife, Anne, is killed in an auto accident. At the moment of her death, Rick finds himself thrust into a parallel universe, trapped in the mind and body of--himself. Rick is now Richard A. Hamilton, whose wife, Anne, is still alive but cheating on him. Everything is the same, yet different. How can Rick get back to his real life? Or is this his real life? Using the Many Worlds theory of quantum physics, Ambrose has crafted a psychological thriller that poses intriguing questions about life, time, and the universe. Of course, any time-travel tale (like Ambrose's 1983 screenplay, The Final Countdown ) bogs down if you really think about it, but nonstop action keeps the pages turning. Recommended. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/93.
- Rebecca House Stankowski, Purdue Univ. Calumet Lib., Hammond, Ind.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: St Martins Pr (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312104979
• ISBN-13: 978-0312104979
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,579,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars After this one, I questioned my own sanity..., June 9, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Man Who Turned into Himself (Hardcover)

What seems to be a classic plot from any SCI-FI book, David Ambrose turns it on its ear. Not only are there characters to care about, but the movements are quick and keeps you page turning. This is not SCI-FI, this is something to be read because have you ever thought about that voice in your head? Is it you or another you? Or is it someone else like you but not exactly you? I highly recommend this book because it never turns the way you expect it, just like life, or is it

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great But Not Excellent, March 20, 2006

By 

Simon Cleveland "Author of 'Descent: The R. C... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Man Who Turned Into Himself: A Novel (Picador Fiction) (Paperback)

Ever since 'Superstition' I've been hooked on David, so to speak. Reason? Because "Superstition" defied even the conventional expectations for what some may call a `mind-boggling' novel. But this review is not about "Superstition". It's about David Ambrose's first novel 'The Man Who Turned Into Himself'. What can I say? For a first novel, the book is good (not exceptional). Having read some of his other works, I can almost see the progression of his writing and creative skills from good, to better. ("Coincidence" and "The Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk" deserve special mentioning).

Like his other novels, "The Man Who Turned Into Himself" incorporates scientific theories, employs extraordinary twists, and leaves the reader in admiration of the author's bizarre imagination. `Rick', `Richard' and one other nameless character own the center stage of the book. Yes, they are three separate individuals, and yes, they are one and the same man, except all three converge into the mind of each and even physically manifest themselves within the reality of each. Confused? Not to worry, David Ambrose has taken good care of describing how that's possible by attributing these intricate supernatural occurrences to the world of the quanta (the still little know and much less understood universe of the building block of everything around us). The story is remarkable; I congratulate David Ambrose on his labor. I must say, parallel universes and the resulting human behavior (as a byproduct of mastering the capacity to travel between them) deserved a story of their own and I believe this book is that story. However, despite the exceptional tale and the author's superhuman attempt to ease the readers into it, something lacked. What lacked was the eeriness with which his latter novels petrify the observers. Who could resist the shivering sensation when Professor Sam Towne and Joanna Cross find themselves in a reality slowly erasing their existence, which they themselves created in the first place (See "Superstition'). Well, this same sensation never quite materialized in `The Man Who Turned Into Himself' and I really really missed it. Regardless, for the lovers of the odd, this book may be engaging enough.

- by Simon Cleveland

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mentally Stimulating, July 3, 2000

By 

"goph" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Who Turned Into Himself: A Novel (Picador Fiction) (Paperback)

I thought this book was incredible. If you enjoyed the movie "The Matrix", you will probably enjoy this book. There are a lot of twists in the books plot and it really makes you think about the reality you live in. If you consider yourself a thinker, you should read this book!