Luminarium
This was an impulse buy from Better World Books while browsing through the Bargain Bin. I saw the awards it had received and more importantly, two people who were recommending it authors in the McSweeney's crowd, as I think of them: Dave Eggers and Deb Olin Unferth. It sounded interesting and boasted plenty of acclaim, so I spent my 3.99 without further thought. (Did I mention the Bargain Bin is a wonderful place? However, the books come to you in a box that looks like Ace Venture had a hand in delivering it.)
Title: Luminarium
Author: Alex Shakar
Year: 2011
Genre: Fiction
Setting: New York City
Characters: Fred (narrator) | George (twin brother in coma) | Sam (youngest brother, working for Armation) | Mira (neuro doctoral student, conducting study) | Vartan (father, actor, magician) | Holly (mother, Reiki master)
Plot: Fred and George created Urth, a virtual reality world that made them successful CEOs until it was optioned by Armation, a military organization, to create training scenarios for soldiers and public officers in the wake of 9/11. They lost control of the company, along with their financial success, but the more urgent matter at hand was George's cancer that put him in a coma and Fred's desire to keep him alive and find a way to bring him back. When Fred joins a neurological study that is exploring the brain's relationship to perceived reality, he begins receiving strange messages that claim to be from George. The rest of the story follows Fred in his drive to uncover whoever is behind the messages, all the while describing the existential states he frequently finds himself in as a result of the study.
Verdict: The book spanned incredibly thoughtful topics of Hinduism, Reiki, capitalism, and post-9/11 trauma/ voyeurism. However, this book could've been tightened up, in my opinion: fewer details on the Hindu deities, maybe nix the whole father-son magician scenarios... there was just a lot jammed in that didn't necessarily add to the plot or even to meaningful character development. Shakar's greatest strength was his chapter breaks; at the end of every chapter I had to read the next few lines of the following page to make sure everything was okay. The reviews on Goodreads are mixed, with those against the book complaining about the book being boring and lengthy. It's definitely not a speed read or plot-driven book, so avoid this if that's what you prefer reading. However, if you'd like to reflect on how humans neurally perceive reality and spiritual energy, or if you are looking for a New Yorker's tale of 9/11, pick it up. 4/10.