Memoirs of an Invisible Man [Mass Market Paperback]

Harry F. Saint (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1988

Memoirs Of An Invisible Man by Saint, H.F.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Saint's heralded first novel, the tired plot of the film The Invisible Man undergoes a sparkling update. A clash between a scientist and an antinuclear demonstrator at a nuclear energy plant catalyzes an explosion that renders Nick Halloway, a securities analyst, invisible. Realizing that he will become a caged, scrutinized guinea pig if he surrenders to federal intelligence agents, Nick makes a run for his freedom. Saint has hit on a wonderful narrative device: insert one fantastic premise into the life of a Yuppie, but keep the rest of his world functional and, therefore, challenging. Nick displays the distinct sensibilities of a fugitive and a Wall Street smart guy as he invisibly fends for himself in the jungles he knows bestthe East Side of Manhattan and the trader's desk. Unerringly incorporating both humor and poignancy, with dialogue that rings absolutely true and suspense sustained at high pitch throughout, this supple fantasy attends so cleverly to plausible elements that it entertains from beginning to end. 100,000 first printing; $100,000 ad/promo; BOMC and QPBC main selections; film rights to Warner Brothers.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

When a scientific experiment goes awry, a securities analyst suddenly finds himself rendered invisible and wanted by the CIA for "medical study." To avoid becoming a laboratory animal, he goes on the lam, hiding in plain sight among the throngs of New York City, conducting his financial affairs by telephone, and eventually moving in with a woman who belives him to be a ghost. The CIA agents, always just one step behind, are deliciously funny Keystone Kops, ridiculous in their attempts to capture a non-entity. This delightful first novel updates a common childhood fantasy with the excitement of a spy story and a hilarious adult portrayal of life and love under the most peculiar conditions. BOMC and Quality Paperback Book Club main selections. Marcia R. Hoffman, M.L.S., Hoechst Celanese Corp., Somerville, N.J.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Dell; 1st ptg. edition (June 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440201225
• ISBN-13: 978-0440201229
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #767,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memoirs of an Invisible Author, June 28, 2001

By 

Jonathan S. Haas (Redmond, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Memoirs of an Invisible Man (Mass Market Paperback)

I hypothesize (with tongue firmly in cheek) that author H. F. Saint really *is* invisible, and the events recounted in Memoirs of an Invisible Man are to some extent autobiographical. As evidence, I offer the following facts. First, he has published nothing other than Memoirs, and it defies credibility to think that such a talented wordsmith would write but a single opus unless he had other problems... such as invisibility. And second, his descriptions of invisibility and the problems attendant thereto are so vivid and utterly believable that they can only have come from a man with firsthand experience.

Get this book. Do not begin reading it until you have several available hours, for you will not want to put it down. H. F. Saint sucks you into Nick Halloway's world from the intriguing beginning to the gripping and suspenseful action scenes to the well-written ending. The mediocre Chevy Chase vehicle that bore the name of this book shared little else in common with it and did not do it justice. This one is a rare treasure.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mystery of H. F. Saint Isn't Too Much of a Myster, September 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Memoirs of an Invisible Man (Mass Market Paperback)

H. F. Saint is, in fact, not the pseudonym of another writer, but is a shortened version of the author's real name. I first spoke to Mr. Saint in 1990, while interest in MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN was still quite high in the media. I was working on an interview book with influential authors in the SF, Fantasy and Horror fields. At the time, he was quite accessible, and if you can believe it, was actually listed in his local telephone directory! My understanding from Mr. Saint was that the financial rewards from MEMOIRS were immediate and significant; taken utterly by surprise, Mr. Saint essentially took the money and ran. He no longer lives in his home state (as far as I know), and has relatively little interest in writing and publishing anything else. Like everyone else who's read his work, I too wish he would write another novel. But I doubt it's likely. I think he's in Europe or somewhere else equally exotic, enjoying his massive royalties and living off the principal of his reported multi-million dollar advance--a record at the time for a first novel. If you enjoyed MEMOIRS, a smaller novel which received far less acclaim, but is nearly as good, is JUMPERS by Steven Gould.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lost but not forgotten, December 3, 1999

By 

Chris Gulick [e-mail] (Hagatna, Guam, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs of an Invisible Man (Mass Market Paperback)

While living in Japan in the early 90's, I received this book from a friend, and read it numerous times during my 2 1/2 years there. As I haven't had the chance to read the book in recent years...can't dig one up in libraries or bookstores--though I live in Guam, which IS a little off the beaten path...I remember it as being very thought-provoking--most notably for its treatment of all the DIFFICULTIES, rather than on the ADVANTAGES that one would usually focus on. I was impressed with how the author dealt with the technical facets of the condition--for example, walking in the rain would create a "rain sillouette," and walking across any pliant surface would leave visible footprints. A little side note: visiting friends in Japan after a 5-year absence (while laboriously making my way to Guam) I went back to my squallid little apartment there for the SPECIFIC PURPOSE of trying to locate this book, which I'd inexplicably left behind. Good book, love to read it again.