Sweet and imaginative. A little more fantastical than I usually go for, but the characters were incredibly charming. She also just phrases things nicely, especially romance. ( )

Before reading The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt all I knew about Tesla was that he was a scientist who discovered some amazing stuff (although I couldn’t have said what). Hunt makes Tesla a character in this, her second novel, and readers are treated to an exploration of both Tesla’s discoveries and his eccentricities.

Set in New York City in the 1943, the novel alternates between Tesla and Louise, a chambermaid at the Hotel New Yorker, where Tesla is living out the final years of his life. Louise’s great loves are radio drama, her widowed father, and snooping in hotel guests’ possessions. Despite the snooping, I liked Louise right away. She has a sort of anti-social streak that I could relate to.

I also liked how Hunt depicted Tesla. In the latter years of his life, Tesla showed signs of mental illness. Hunt immerses the reader in Tesla’s present state, but she also takes us into his past, both through the writings that Louise finds in his hotel room and through his own mental wanderings. The juxtaposition of his former brilliance and his later state made me think of how quickly we dismiss the eccentrics in our urban landscapes. There’s so much we don’t know about the people around us.

Another part of the book’s charm was in its sense of place and time. Hunt writes wonderful descriptions of New York life in the 1940s. At times, the writing gets a bit over the top, but it’s generally not a distraction, and it’s often quite evocative.

Where Hunt really goes over the top is with her attempt to pack too many ideas into this 250-page book. Louisa and Tesla and their eventual meeting are enough for a book of this length (or even longer), but Hunt throws in threads related to time travel, a potential love interest for Louise, an ambiguous three-way relationship between Tesla and two friends, the relationship between Louise’s parents, and the experiments of Thomas Alva Edison.

In the end, the lingering effect is that the book itself is a sort of “invention of everything else,” instead of one coherent creation. Like a kitchen junk drawer, the book contains many treasures, but they don’t quite make sense together.

See my complete review at my blog. ( )

Fanciful story of real-life inventor Nikola Tesla, which brings in elements of science fiction and fantasy - time travel, a love affair with a pigeon, etc. Well-written and unusual but the story itself didn't really engage me and I found it hard to stick with it till the end. Interesting fact learned from this book: Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, read his own obituary, which had been printed prematurely in error. It blamed his invention for much death and misery. He decided this wasn't the way he wanted to be remembered and so created a new legacy: the Nobel prize. It worked, because I was unaware that he the invention of dynamite was where his money had actually come from. ( )

I enjoy reading about Nikola Tesla and his fabulous inventions. And so I enjoyed this historical fiction about him too. I felt the author could have developed the climax and ending a bit more but I imagine that is difficult to do when adding time travel to reality... ( )

Strange and fascinating, Samantha Hunt’s The Invention of Everything Else floats in and out of the life of Nikola Tesla, the inventor of AC electricity and wireless communication. The novel has an ethereal feel to it, drifting in time between Tesla’s younger days and the end of his life, when he was practically destitute, unrecognized for his genius. Thrown into the story is Louisa, a maid in the hotel where the 83 year old Tesla resides. The book touches on time travel, pigeons, love and the wonder of all things possible. A noteworthy read. ( )

The once famous inventor Nikola Tesla has been "left alone talking to lightning storms, studying the mysterious patterns the dust of dead people makes as it floats through the last light of day." (p.2) He lives in the Hotel New Yorker; a lonely, penniless, forgotten old man. His only companionship is pigeons and memories of former years. Louisa, a chambermaid in the same hotel has an infatuation with radio dramas and a love for the pigeons that she keeps on the roof of her house. She learns about the eccentric guest Mr. Tesla and lets herself into his room. In the course of her repeated snooping she tries out a strange invention and reads the biographical manuscript about Tesla's life that she finds. It is through this manuscript and flashbacks that we catch snippets of Tesla's early life, his struggles with lack of money and recognition, his friendships and we also learn about some of his inventions. The most important inventions of Tesla were to do with AC electrical distribution and wireless radio communications (commonly attributed to Marconi).

As the unlikely friendship between chambermaid and inventor develops Hunt also weaves in a subplot concerning Louisa, her father, her boyfriend and a family friend who has invented a time machine. The close relationship between father and daughter is haunted by the early death of Louisa's mother and this continual loss and loneliness permeates the entire novel. These same emotions are experienced by Tesla as he faces his old age with grief and loss at the sacrifices demanded by his creative genius. He finds it difficult to accept the lack of recognition and wealth for his work compared to that gained by other of his contemporary inventors. He has spent many years trying to come to terms with these and other failures in his life.

Hunt set out to spark interest in Tesla who's genius she believes to have been largely ignored. In this book she reveals Tesla to be a quirky and complex man whose extraordinary theories led some to infer that he was an alien. The Invention of Everything Else captures a time when the inventor was an artist who devoted the entirety of his life to his pursuits. Tesla mostly worked alone because he did not want corporate sponsorship to influence the development of his ideas. Hunt's fascination with Tesla and appreciation for his genius is evident in her detailed and lyrical portrayal of his life.

This book was full of fascinating anecdotes about the life and times of Tesla. The plot jumps around a lot and is not predictable, giving the book a mysterious quality. It captures a unique period of history while also evidencing a lot of creativity in its science fiction elements. It seems that Hunt was inspired by Tesla's own vision of a world in which humans can fly and electricity is harvested from the sky and distributed for free. I would highly recommend this book to people interested in science. It is well written and captures the complexity of a life devoted to creative vision. It really makes you think about the individuals who have made our current lifestyle possible by taking inspiration from the natural environment and dreaming of any possibility. ( )

I'll admit that I didn't know very much about Tesla, his life or his inventions, other than the Tesla coil and even then I'm not 100 percent certain I know what that is. This lack of knowledge is what initially drew me to this book - I viewed it as a great opportunity to learn more about Tesla. To that end, this book did not disappoint. I did learn more about Tesla. I learned about everything that he invented, which is a quite lengthy list. I also learned that one of the great tragedies of Tesla's life is the fact that his accomplishments were huge but because he did not believe that one person could own or capitalize on those inventions, he signed away all rights to them. His madness towards the end of the novel, whether perceived or real is up to the reader to determine, is all the more poignant because of everything he signed away.

The other half of the book deals with Louisa and her relationships with her father, with Tesla, with her father's best friend, and with the mysterious Arthur. Louisa is equal parts dreamer and pragmatist but above all the caretaker. When Arthur comes on the scene, we finally meet someone who is willing to take care of Louisa, which is something she well deserves. However, we first must address the issue of who exactly is Arthur and why Louisa doesn't remember him.

This book is difficult to classify. It has elements of historical fiction, romance, science fiction, mystery and drama, but to label it as either one of those is impossible. It's an interesting mix of genres and definitely compelled me to keep reading. The symbolism of the pigeons cannot be ignored, especially with the sci-fi elements of time travel.

I really did enjoy this book and the trip through post-WWII New York. I find it difficult to describe without giving away the entire plot. At times, it did get a little technical, especially when Tesla was describing some of his ideas. However, the questions about love and life remain no matter how technical the inventions. Both Louisa and Tesla have tragic elements, making the reader sympathize with and root for them.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is interested in science, science fiction or learning more about Tesla in a fictionalized setting. Thanks to Houghton Mifflin for the opportunity to review this book! ( )

Easily the most enjoyable historical fiction I've read in some time! Although I'm not typically drawn to far-flung fantasy (still haven't made it through Time Traveller's Wife), the juxtaposition of the present and potential, the factual and the fantasy in this is delightful.
Now, can someone explain why Tesla's name has come up serendipitously about twice a week since I read this book? Or could he and his friends have told me? ( )

I bought this book because it was short-listed for the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed it’s unusual style, rich prose and captivating characters. The more I think about the book, the more I am moved by the clever and compassionate storytelling. This one will stay with me for a long time. ( )

Fantastic writing and storytelling. Very creative. Historical fiction/fantasy about Nikola Tesla, a scientist and inventor whose contributions to electrical and magnetic discoveries are vastly underrated. Hunt's writing is accessible and fascinating, both historically and creatively. It was a fun book to read. Highly recommend. ( )

This Orange prize short-listed novel has had some mixed reviews. To be honest, it's a bit of a mixture itself, refusing to be easily genrified being: part fictionalised biography of mad physicist Nikola Tesla, part love story, part time-travel SF/fantasy, and part mainstream novel.

Although it's not perfect, I loved all of it. When I was a teenager and at university, I read virtually nothing but science fiction and fantasy. I don't read many mainstream SF novels these days, but my love of the genre has matured into a particular liking for speculative fiction set in the recent past through to near future, (I'm thinking Ishiguru's Never let me go and The Time Traveller's Wife here - both books I adored reading). Although I'm a physics-based scientist by training, I find I am able to escape into these sorts of novels - ignoring the impossibilities and improbabilities and enjoying the ride without quibbling over the science.

This escapism is only possible though when backed up by good research and quality writing, which luckily is in evidence here. Samantha Hunt has chosen well, for Nikola Tesla is the very epitomy of the mad scientist - a craftsman as a trained engineer, and a true innovator living mainly in his head, and full of quirks.

The novel is set in 1943 during the last weeks of Tesla's life, when he was living in a hotel room in New York; broke and a recluse with pigeons as his only friends left. His mind is still full of plans for fantastic wireless electrical devices including a controversial death ray which just reinforced people's view of him as a mad scientist. Earlier, he was never able to really capitalise on his development of AC systems which overtook Edison's lesser DC ones. He let go of his ideas for radio too and Marconi leapt in to steal the limelight.

As a counterpart to his story, we meet Louisa, a chambermaid at the hotel. Louisa's mother died in childbirth, but she is very close to her father, also an engineer and pigeon fancier. Her first encounter with Tesla is when he causes a power-cut in the hotel:

"The door opens.
To see God would have surprised Louisa less. From inside the room just down the hallway, power, electricity, whirling motion, and glowing bright as the sun spill out into the dark. The porter and manager each raise a hand to cover their eyes. And there in the aura of this wonder is man most unlike other men. A slender frame, terrific height, silver hair that reaches down his forehead in a peak. Louisa notices the dark hollows of his cheeks and even the fine length of his fingers on the doorjamb. He is lovely. Louisa catches her breath. Her mouth hangs open at the hinge. He is stunning, like Dracula grown old, like cold black branches covered with snow in the winter. "

So we compare and contrast the two men through Louisa - her father and his friend Azor who thinks he's built a time-machine; and the scientist most likely get there first if only he wasn't 86. I got swept up in the romance of the whole thing and would heartily recommend it. But if you like your science more cut and dried - you'll miss out on the magic of this book. ( )

Louisa is a dreamy young woman who works as a chambermaid at The Hotel New Yorker during World War II. She frequently goes through her guests' personal belongings, to learn more about them and to create fantasies of their lives for her own entertainment. One day one of her colleagues calls out sick, and she is reassigned to the 33rd and 34th floors of the hotel. She soon discovers that the occupant of Room 3327 is the famous but aged inventor Nicola Tesla, who has lived in the hotel for years despite being destitute and in arrears on his rent for several months. While cleaning his room the next day, she is caught by him as she is reading a manuscript of his life. The two strike up a friendship, due to their shared love of pigeons and to Louisa's interest in his life and his inventions.

She has a chance encounter on the subway with a high school classmate, and their mutual love of homing pigeons and science fantasy lead to a love affair. Her father, whose wife died many years in the past, re-encounters his best friend, who invites him to a radio science program where he will discuss his new invention, which will change all of their lives. At the same time, Louisa learns that Tesla is also working on a grand project, which he hopes will win him the acclaim that he did not receive in the past.

Many of the events in this extensively researched and well told novel are based on real details of Tesla's life. It is also on the shortlist for the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction. It was a very enjoyable and worthwhile read overall, although I found it to be overly detailed in some sections. ( )

A very well written novel based on Nikola Tesla's life. The length of the book is misleading, it took me much longer to finish this book than it would normally take me for a book this length. I think this is because there isn't a lot of action in the book. Still, I really enjoyed this book. ( )

I agree with brianinbuffalo. I couldn't get through this. I was eager to learn about Tesla but this is pretty dry stuff. ( )

For years, I've been interested in the life of offbeat inventor Nikola Tesla, including his wars with Tom Edison. So I was eager to read Hunt's work of historical fiction. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get through it. For me, the storyline moved at a proverbial snail's pace. The elements of intrigue the author introduced in the first half of the book weren't strong enough to spur me to finish it. How disappointing. ( )

I knew nothing of Nikola Tesla prior to reading this, but the author does a great job weaving in fact to fiction. I enjoyed all the details about New York city and the huge Hotel New Yorker complex. An interesting mix of science, fantasy, and history with a bit of romance. ( )

I picked this up because I was interested in Tesla the inventor, but I ended up being interested in Tesla the man. This is a catalyst of a novel that begs the reader to dive into the science and the struggle behind this extraordinary man. ( )

This is a wonderful quirky book about the life of Nikola Tesla, an eccentric inventor with OCD and a germ phobia. He never married, having only ever loved one woman and she was the wife of his best friend. Hunt tells us about his life and how he meets Louisa, a chambermaid at the hotel in which he lives. The two become firm friends and tell each other their deepest thoughts and secrets. Louisa lives with her father, who is still in love with his wife, who died 25 years ago. Into Louisa’s life comes Arthur, who appears to have come from the future. This all sounds a tad complicated, and at times it does take some concentrating on, but somehow Hunt makes it all flow and the storyline swept me along effortlessly. Hunt’s style of writing is colourful and descriptive, bringing alive the sights and sounds of New York in the 1940’s. She has created a wonderful book, filled with possibilities and magical dreams. I loved the way her story is littered with literary quotations and peopled by historical characters. She has blended together fact and fiction, magic with realism, life and death, the past and the future to create a marvellous world of her own invention ( )

What a brilliant story!
Samantha Hunt has taken us inside the mind of Nickola Tesla - an inventor that I must admit I knew nothing about, from the late 1880's up to his death in 1943.
While living a two room "do not disturb" room at the New Yorker Hotel in its heyday, chambermaid Louisa wanders into his room and into his life.
We are listening to Nikola's delusions and conversations to his long dead brother, his lover pigeon, and his friend Sam (Mark Twain) which is how his story comes about.
Louisa's father Walter tries to contact his long dead wife Freddie through the use of a time travel machine his old friend Azor has made.
Mixed in is a romance with Arthur - a mechanic who may or may not be of this earth.
A wonderful, exciting, thrilling tale from the talented Samantha Hunt! ( )

Enter the mind of NikolaTesla, physicist, engineer and inventor. At a ripe old age his mind is the world in a nutshell. Get to know him through his lifetime of memories, conversations with his friend Sam (Mark Twain) and through the eyes of Louisa, a compulsively curious young chambermaid who daily cleans the rooms of the Hotel New Yorker where Tesla lives on the 33rd floor. They become friends because he has caught her snooping in his room and she has almost killed herself with his "invention of everything else". They also have a common love and care for pigeons. The author has created a brilliant story that will be enjoyed by those who don't know anything about Tesla because everyone has certainly looked at lightning with wonder or felt the small shock of static electricity. It will be difficult not to empathize with him. His history is close to tragic as he explains that he is not from Venus or Mars but from Smiljan, Croatia. In the novel his tale is entwined with Louisa, her father the night watchman at the New York Public Library, her love interest Walter, and her father's quirky friend Azor who has invented a time machine. Amidst the inventions there are four love stories and a prodigious amount of concepts that seem so pertinent now, as we are all faced with T.V. commercials telling us to turn out a light to conserve energy and to turn off a faucet to conserve water. ( )

Nikola Tesla, famous inventor and pigeon lover, is living out his last days in the Hotel New Yorker. He is haunted by memories of triumphs, failures and past loves. Louisa is a maid at the hotel. Her life consists of her eccentric father Walter, their homing pigeons and listening to radio dramas. One day the electricity goes out in the hotel and the only light is coming from under the door of room 3327; Tesla’s room. She becomes intrigued with Tesla and decides to befriend him. Using her hotel pass key she snoops around his room and discovers secrets from his past. Tesla catches her but forgives her because of their shared love of pigeons. Louisa then meets Arthur, who might be from the future, and they begin to fall in love. Walter’s best friend Azor, who has been gone for two years, reappears claiming to have invented a time machine. Walter hopes to use the machine to visit Louisa’s dead mother.

The themes in this book are dreams, memories and love. Dreams represent the future. Tesla dreams of free electricity and communications with other planets. Azor dreams of building a time machine. Memories are the past. Tesla’s regrets; the death of his brother, loss of the people he loved, projects he could never complete and Walter’s memories of his dead wife Freddie. A time machine can take you forward or backward in time, to the future where dreams are fulfilled or the past where things lost, can be regained. Love is what motivates these characters; the love between a father and a daughter, the love of a husband for his wife, the love of two friends, and the budding of love between two young people.

I enjoyed reading about these eccentric dreamers. Everything was a new adventure, something to look forward to. Nothing was out of the realm of possibility. ( )

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