6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A true favorite of mine, May 5, 2000
This review is from: Parallelities (Mass Market Paperback)
I see this book has received a mixed response from fans, and this surprises me. I found this to be one of the most entertaining reads in a long while. I keep reading it over and over, sometimes skipping to my favorite parts and analyzing the details for further insight.
Following a rather slow beginning (I'd almost suggest skipping the first chapter), we encounter a slimy tabloid reporter who, due to an experiment run amok by an amateur scientist he's sent to interview, becomes doomed to sail randomly through parallel universes, many of which are at least as weird as the kinds of stories he writes for the tabloid paper. Each of these universes contains another version of himself, living life without any awareness of anything strange going on around him. (That is not the only one of the reporter's new "powers," but I don't want to give away the most original aspect of this novel.)
What I love about all of Foster's books is that his descriptions are so vivid, he makes the comically absurd seem almost plausible. You feel like you've lived in one of his books after reading it. Not only does he revel in verbose descriptions, he always seems to be pushing the limits of what's possible to put into words. His stories are often filled with "shocker lines," not all of which work, but are nonetheless very enjoyable.
In "Parallelities," each universe the reporter protagonist visits seems to encompass a story in itself, and in the process the book manages to cross several genres, leaving open more questions than it answers. The book is hilarious, because the reporter keeps convincing himself he's finally back in his own world, but we know he's only fooling himself. Every time he thinks his life has returned to normal, he's only about to encounter something substantially weirder than anything before. These sequences play off like one of those dreams where you think you're awake, but then you notice some small discrepancy and everything comes crashing down.
This is the kind of book that draws heavily upon the notion of existential angst. If countless parallel universes exist, each one as "real" as any other, and countless versions of oneself exist, where is there room for personal identity? It is heavily implied that there might be practically, if not actually, an infinite number of these universes in existence, which would make this universe equivalent to a grain of sand on a vast beach. If that is the case, how can the cosmos have any meaning, at least to the extent that humans can comprehend it?
Just as there are multiple universes in this book, there are multiple explanations for the nature and extent of the protagonist's problems, and toward the end it starts to get a little confusing. Every time I read the book, however, I notice new things. For example, each time he visits the scientist who brought about his problems, he fails to take notice of subtle differences in the furniture, not to mention the scientist's personality. Still, there are a lot of questions I haven't answered to this day, and I'm not even sure Foster himself would know the answer.
Despite the philosophical theme of chaos, the reporter's fate is almost a fitting punishment for someone so shallow and unethical. That's why it's not unpleasant to read about what's basically a fate worse than death. (In fact, it is hinted at one point that even death wouldn't necessarily get rid of his problem.) Toward the end of the book, due to certain events I won't describe, he starts to become painfully aware of his own flaws. I must say this is one of the most well-developed characters I've ever encountered in an Alan Dean Foster book, for he comes off as very real, not as a mere stereotype. Even though he's not that sympathetic, he's sufficiently ordinary enough that we can relate to him.
At one point in the story, the reporter visits what appears to be a utopian version of his own world. Naturally, he wishes that he'd remain there permanently, but the irony is that he would never fit into such a world, because he isn't good enough.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting read with alot of twists and humour trown in, July 1, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Parallelities (Mass Market Paperback)
This was the first book by Alan Dean Foster that I have ever read, and I must say I am impressed. I usually read books of Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler variety, but I was bored and it was there. As I started to read I was immediatly brought into a world where, at least for one man, the whole world changes in a second. So it's a desperate struggle for him to try and discover who he really is, and where he is really from. Along the way he encounters aliens, ghosts, other versions of himself (including a female one), and even a world occupied entirely by versions of himself!!! I enjoyed the small bits of humour thrown in and the actual science was kept to minimum. I highly suggest this book, no matter what you usually read, you will enjoy it!!!!!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Parallel universes and humor, January 4, 2004
This review is from: Parallelities (Mass Market Paperback)
This is my favorite book of Foster because I find it to be the one that expands my mind the most. It also made me laugh at times as the main character encounters numerous odd situations and beings. A stimulating mix of physics, philosophy, science, humor, and big thoughts. Parallel universes and humor. This reminds me a little bit of Heinlein's work.
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