To Feel Stuff (Paperback)

by Andrea Seigel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Seigel's sophomore effort is a scattershot case study in illness, love and the unexplained. Elodie Harrington is an undergraduate at Brown University who lives in the college infirmary, suffering from a series of unrelated illnesses "piggybacked one upon another," so that she never fully recovers. Her story is told from three points of view—Dr. Mark Kirschling's account of her confounding symptoms in the Journal of Parapsychology and letters between Elodie and Chester Hunter III, a fellow undergrad she meets in the infirmary. Though the structure is a bit contrived (the letters and journal article are filled with dialogue), each section picks up with little repetition. As Chester mends and Elodie get sicker, it becomes clear that their blossoming love is threatened by the specter of health. It doesn't all hold up to close scrutiny, but Seigel has crafted believable characters to anchor the fantastical circumstances, and it's a testament to her ability to captivate that the book ends at what feels like just the beginning. (Aug.)
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From Booklist
Brown University student Elodie is a medical curiosity, suffering from a "parade of illnesses" that has forced her to take up residence in the school infirmary. The fever of love joins her physical afflictions when Chester moves into the ward, his sense of invincibility as shattered as his crowbar-smashed kneecaps. Passionate disquisitions the couple write chronicle their affair, interspersed with passages from a journal article by Elodie's Oliver Sacks-like doctor, who reveals his patient's nascent ESP and her disturbing encounters with apparitions. Dwelling a bit too enthusiastically upon the giddy unbosomings of college kids waylaid by love ("You were the white rabbit, and I have to say, it was like I was in Wonderland"), this novel lacks the caustic sensibility that distracted from the rather hazy plot development of Seigel's nihilistic debut, Like the Red Panda (2004). But followers of contemporary fiction will want to see how an up-and-coming author delivers on the promise of a touted first book--and many will admire the offbeat premise of a campus love connection paralleling connections of a more mystical kind. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harvest Books; 1 edition (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156031507
• ISBN-13: 978-0156031509
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #940,591 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another gem, August 8, 2006

By	Daniel R. Solla (Burlingham, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After falling in love with "Like the Red Panda" I waited so long for the follow up. I have not been dissapointed at all. It made me laugh in the same uncomfortable way. All the little idiosyncrasies of the charecters in the story make for an entertaining read. A wonderful and engrossing story.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rich use of words, poor plot, August 18, 2006

By	K. Jervis (Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I picked up this book because the idea of the central characterI picked up this book because the idea of the central character's constant encounters with back to back illnesses intrigued me. I was disappointed when this was not a focus of the book but I was still entertained with the style of the book. I enjoyed the way the author wrote, the phrases she used and the imagery she created with her words. I did not care for the format of the book, as I found the dialogue a bit hard to follow with the changing of character point of view. I enjoyed the book; however, I gave it a 3 as I was very disappointed with the end. The book seemed to end abruptly with all loose ends being tied together in one short space. I also found the book's subject to be a bit fantastical and hard to follow. I would recommend this book for people who enjoy the rich use of words but not to one looking for a good, well developed plot.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Young & Talented & Fun--A Literary Trifecta!, August 6, 2006

By	Bestbeast "Mr.666" (Key Biscayne) - See all my reviews

I can't help being a devout fan of this writer and her amazing voice. So far she's written two novels and I adore what she does with her sentences . . . her style is flawless and always enchanting . . .

Listen, that she writes quirky, thought-provoking scenes that leave you breathless, that's part of her gift . . . Nobody gets inside here characters' mind beter, or is writing mind-blowing erotic sex scenes in this country . . . well, maybe Anne Tyler and Joyce Carol Oates.

I say Siegel is the literary daughter of Joan Didion and Kate Braverman. Yes, she is that good, and if you don't buy and read this book right away, you will be the poorer for it.

I can't wait for #3, or a collection of stories . . . either way I'm a big fan--as if you couldn't already tell.