Review of Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise

[sayuriii]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise" by John K Danenbarger.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The novel, Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise, by John. K. Danenbarger is a literary fiction comprising philosophical and scientific elements. It follows the lives of multiple individuals, all of whose lives are unsuspectingly interconnected. The characters are each deeply flawed and through them, the author explores the themes of murder, adultery, familial trauma, and so on. The novel also contains religious elements. The book is written from the viewpoints of a corrupt policeman, prostitute/recovered drug addict, sociopath and a gay physicist to name a few. Each character relates to the other, forming an ‘entanglement’, hence the title. It presents a diverse view of the world.

The novel capitalizes on the element of surprise and is completely unpredictable. Furthermore, the characters are dynamic which adds a layer of realism to the story. The characters feel very realistic and the writing is extremely detail-oriented. The writing style is unconventional and contains emails, written exchanges and poetry. Overall, it is well-written in terms of language and contains only a few grammatical errors.

The novel does have a few notably unlikeable aspects. The plot is scattered and leaves readers feeling somewhat discombobulated. While there are gripping instances, there is so much going on that the storyline becomes lost. It is difficult to keep up with the happenings of each character. Additionally, the author sprinkles random anecdotes throughout the storyline; it seems as if the writer simply goes off on tangents that are difficult to tie in with the plot. Furthermore, certain pieces of writing are overly complex and hinder readability. The writing switches suddenly from one character's perspective to another, leaving giant gaps in the story. The author seems to simply kill off characters when he no longer knows how they fit into the plot.

I would recommend this novel to people who consider themselves critical thinkers and those who enjoy thought-provoking reads. People with an interest in the field of physics may also enjoy the book. The novel does contain violence, profanity, instances of suicide and explicit sex and therefore, may not be appropriate for certain readers.

In conclusion, the novel provides some interesting perspectives and has the foundation of a good storyline, however it is not quite 'there'. There are too many elements that are simply confusing! The writer appears to lose focus of the plot and it makes for an unsatisfying ending. The sporadic writing creates many mini stories as opposed to one cohesive piece. Considering both the positive and negative aspects of the novel, I would rate Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise two out of four stars.

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Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise
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