On This Page
Description
Meet Dr. Newton Barlow, a charismatic scientist whose world is about to be turned upside down. Picture Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's "Good Omens" mingled with the wit of Christopher Moore, and you've got "The Unhappy Medium." Dr. Barlow seemed to have it all: a renowned career in the lab and on TV, a glamorous wife by his side, and an unshakable belief that the supernatural was nothing more than outright lies and wishful thinking. But life has a funny way of humbling even the most show more self-assured of individuals, and Barlow's reckoning is about to unfold. Accused of fraud and shunned by the scientific community, Barlow finds himself stripped of his fame, expelled from the family home, and cast out from his once lofty perch. Three despair-filled years pass, drowning his sorrows in wine, until an unexpected glimmer of hope emerges. Dr. Sixsmith, Barlow's equally skeptical mentor, approaches him with an extraordinary proposition and with nothing left to lose, Barlow has little choice but to accept. There's just one tiny, itsy-bitsy obstacle standing in his way-Sixsmith is dead. In a desperate bid to save both this world and the next, can Dr. Barlow set aside his cherished beliefs and confront the impossible? Brace yourself for a raucous rollercoaster ride through the realms of life, death, and that peculiar bit in between. If you're a fan of Douglas Adams' zany humor, Terry Pratchett's fantastical worlds, or the imaginative tales of Tom Holt, Ben Aaronovitch, and Jim Butcher, then "The Unhappy Medium" is an absolute must-read. Bursting with unforgettable characters, a gripping mystery, heart-pounding action, and sidesplitting humor, this book has it all. If you're ready for a journey that will tickle your funny bone and captivate your imagination, then "The Unhappy Medium" is your ticket to an uproarious good time. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
This longish novel was a lovely read, and the prose is often rather delicious (and as a Yank I'm probably obligated to also say how very British it seemed). There are lots of frills and brief side-tours that add spice and interest, especially for those readers who like a good rumble around an antique store.
After an eerie little prologue, the story starts waaaay back in the mid-1100s giving obscure historical details that are crucial to the rest of the story, even if it might not seem so at first. Most of the story takes place "right about now", and the protagonist is Newton Barlow, a hip young theoretical physicist and TV personality—sort of like an even groovier Carl Sagan but into fusion research instead of cosmology. Newton has his show more ups and downs. Real mind-blowing downs, in fact, about 20% through the book. But much of the story also concerns his re-rise from the depths, and I won't tell you how. Chapter Nine contains the narrative of a wonderful first date; the kind all of us might love to experience with that real deep instant connection and awesome sauce poured all over it.
The action/adventure elements ratchet up rather a lot in the last quarter or so. I enjoyed a load of characters, like the bespectacled mentor, the fab new girlfriend, the sullen teenage daughter, the trigger happy priest, the medieval machinery, the Spanish Inquisition, and the souped-up Citroën. Golly. In fact, I woke up around 4:00 a.m., after having stopped 86% of the way through the book the night before, and scurried into my dark study to read the rest of it.
Along the way through the 400 e-pages of this delightful work, I didn't spot even one typographical error, so this one has now been inducted into the company of other Golden Rodent award recipients.
Oh... I obtained this for free during one of those Amazon promotions, but in retrospect, I would gladly have paid the going $3.99 price. show less
After an eerie little prologue, the story starts waaaay back in the mid-1100s giving obscure historical details that are crucial to the rest of the story, even if it might not seem so at first. Most of the story takes place "right about now", and the protagonist is Newton Barlow, a hip young theoretical physicist and TV personality—sort of like an even groovier Carl Sagan but into fusion research instead of cosmology. Newton has his show more ups and downs. Real mind-blowing downs, in fact, about 20% through the book. But much of the story also concerns his re-rise from the depths, and I won't tell you how. Chapter Nine contains the narrative of a wonderful first date; the kind all of us might love to experience with that real deep instant connection and awesome sauce poured all over it.
The action/adventure elements ratchet up rather a lot in the last quarter or so. I enjoyed a load of characters, like the bespectacled mentor, the fab new girlfriend, the sullen teenage daughter, the trigger happy priest, the medieval machinery, the Spanish Inquisition, and the souped-up Citroën. Golly. In fact, I woke up around 4:00 a.m., after having stopped 86% of the way through the book the night before, and scurried into my dark study to read the rest of it.
Along the way through the 400 e-pages of this delightful work, I didn't spot even one typographical error, so this one has now been inducted into the company of other Golden Rodent award recipients.
Oh... I obtained this for free during one of those Amazon promotions, but in retrospect, I would gladly have paid the going $3.99 price. show less
This was terribly boring. I had to read the description multiple times to remind myself of why I wanted to try this book. Never got to an interesting part.
Don't be fooled, there's no comedy.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
23+ Works 530 Members
Series
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 122
- Popularity
- 266,340
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.28)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 2
