K-PAX

Read this prior to finally seeing the movie. Not entirely certain what all the fuss is about and definitely not convinced I need to read more of the series. Not bad, just not.... impactful?

Perhaps the movie goes some way to helping it out.

The problem is... Well, it's all been done before, hasn't it? And with much more meaning and depth. Strange in a Strange Land for one. Though you can argue there are different themes at play and they aren't identical characters with identical missions, it still comes down to someone says they're an alien visitor, the complain bitterly about the way we do things here, and then in the final act they ambiguously turn out either to be maybe, or not to be definitely, an alien. Brewer even name checks a few show more similar ideas in the final pages.

It just feels like he could have gone harder and written more meaningfully. show less

Having seen the film countless times and just now getting around to reading the book, I found it rather entertaining and felt they might have been better off sticking to the book rather than modifying it for the film. That said, Kevin Spacey does a remarkable job playing 'prot', and the book character is equally colorful. I enjoyed it thoroughly and would recommend it to people that may not have seen the film yet.

A patient brought before a psychiatrist claims to be an alien visiting from another planet. Is he for real, or is he the most convincing delusional anyone has ever come across? It is a neat, crowd-pleasing idea, birthed ably enough into the world by author Gene Brewer. The author's background in psychology gives an air of authenticity to the interactions between doctor and patient, although the world of 'K-PAX' (the patient's 'homeworld') is a bit too on the unbelievably utopian side (Brewer even namechecks John Lennon's 'Imagine', and his vision of how the complex problems of the world simply come down to human 'stupidity' is a bit simplistic). That said, the patient, 'prot', is rather believable and Brewer keeps you guessing as to show more whether prot really is an alien.

However, the writing itself is rather workmanlike: leaving aside the odd sojourns into opera and a mid-life-crisis flirtation between the psychiatrist and a reporter, the film adaptation (2001, starring Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges) handles the story beats much better, particularly with regards to the ending. The book is a breeze to read, but go for the movie if it is an either/or decision for you. show less

A genuinely delightful book. I read this after watching the Kevin Spacey movie partly because I was so impressed with Spacey's performance that I knew I'd have a character I loved popping around in my head. A wonderful tale about a man who believes he is from outer space, and seems to have the intelligence and other worldly knowledge for it to be true, who spends his time at a mental hospital helping who he can.

I always enjoy the idea that 'crazy' people are not crazy at all but can see and understand something the rest of us cannot. This is one of those books.

This is a story of a man with multiple personality disorder. What makes it interesting, is that the personality dominantly portrayed in the book is from another planet and has vast insight into the human condition, as well as unexplainable and verifiable information on another world.

It isn't clear whether this is a psychology book or science fiction. The reader is intentionally left hanging over the decision, as ever new data point clearly in one direction or the other.

I was drawn to this book after seeing the movie. Although I enjoyed the movie, it didn't quite feel complete. The movie was fairly accurate to the book, but left out some details and the final chapter. The book explores several interactions with other patients of the show more psychiatric ward than the movie does, and provides a few new twists. It is worth reading even if you're familiar with the movie.

*** Possible SPOILER ***

The book doesn't give a clear answer to the questions raised. Is that a spoiler. I understand there is a sequel (or two even) which may provide clearer conclusions. show less

This was a great trilogy and I read each book in quick succession. I even discovered there was a K-Pax IV, but it seems to have mixed reviews and doesn't seem to involve the same characters, so I may not seek it out immediately.

This first book sets the style for the trilogy - I enjoyed the chapters set out as expanded notes/observations based on the sessions with Prot. The deliberate ambiguity of whether he is a being from another planet is nicely played out, although at the end I found myself shouting internally the surely scientific solutions of probing this would have been undertaken if only to prove to the patient he was human (I was pleased to see blood testing results discussed in the subsequent books). Both thought-provoking, show more funny and heart-warming, especially where Prot interacts and 'cures' some of the other patients, this was a joy to read. show less

I originally saw the movie version of K-Pax, starring Kevin Spacey, which I enjoyed, so I figured I would read the novel on which it was based. In this novel, a patient with no identification is brought to the Manhattan Psychiatric Institute, where he is put under the care of a psychiatrist that has the same name as the author. The patient calls himself Prot and claims he comes from the planet K-Pax, and will return on August 17. Prot is often witty and charming. He has an amazing amount of knowledge on subjects that lend credence to his claim that he is an alien. Brewer believes he has a multiple personality disorder and is trying hard to help him. Prot has a strange effect on people as evidenced when Brewer brings Prot home for a show more picnic.

I mostly enjoyed the novel. It captured much of the mystery behind the Prot character that can be found in the movie. Specifically, is he an alien or is it all just in his head? For long portions of the book, it’s hard to figure out which is the case. The writing is competent and professional. There is less believability in the novel than in the movie, however. This was a solid novel and an interesting read.

Carl Alves – author of Blood Street show less