Dark Matter: A Novel

Dark Matter is a clever novel without being pretentious. It deals with a mind-boggling theme (quantum mechanics and the concept of parallel worlds) without making it inaccessible. Some reviewers have complained that it's not 'clever' enough. Maybe so, if you want to be left addled and unfulfilled by a read (but then again, we're not all quantum physicists). I have an understanding of wave theory - however, I didn't pick up this novel to explore this area in meticulous depth but, rather, to be entertained - and this novel is nothing if not entertaining. At its heart is a love story - that of Jason and his wife, Daniela. The plot has been summarised by other reviewers, so I won't repeat. But the crux of the novel is Jason's desire to return to the life he's been pulled out of. Some of the negative reviews take the view of 'so what' - Jason's been given the opportunity to make a life in any number of parallel worlds - does it really matter if he doesn't get back to his wife and son? Can't he make a life with someone else, somewhere else. Well, no. I should imagine that it would feel like a bereavement if anyone found themselves pulled out of their life and deposited in another dimension where their wife and child either didn't exist, or existed as strangers. So, for me, Jason's quest made perfect sense. I found the plot pacey and compelling. Blake Crouch doesn't take the easy route (for a while, I thought the book was going to consist of Jason taking ampule after ampule of the mind-altering compound (which allowed him to 'see' the infinite portals to parallel worlds) and visiting one place after another. However, the novel quickly gets Jason down to his last remaining ampule and then takes another interesting turn. Is Dark Matter the most intelligent novel ever written about the multiverse? Probably not. But is it exciting and though provoking for those of us without a physics degree? For sure. In fact, it would make an amazing movie. To conclude, I enjoyed this book so much, that I've immediately gone on to start Abandon, by the same author, which is, I should imagine, the highest compliment a reader can pay a writer.

Dark Matter is undisputedly weird, but it's also exceptionally well written, tightly paced and mind blindingly interesting. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it and frankly I still wasn't sure what was going on half way through. But that actually isn't a negative thing here. Crouch makes good use of the reader's confusion, throwing them into the same state of disorientation as his protagonist, Jason Desson. Jason lives a near enough perfect life. He's not the brilliant scientist he once thought he'd be, but he wouldn't give up the wife and son he traded for it for the world. Only one day, he doesn't have the choice. Attacked, kidnapped, bundled into a car and thrown into some strange world where he seems to be a completely different person, Jason struggles to reconcile what has happened and figure out what his next options are. And the reader is along for the ride. Just as confused, just as baffled by what's going on. The reader works things out along with Jason and that makes for a tight and tense novel with some very high stakes. This is a novel about choices. About how the choice you make today could have reverberated out into a completely different world and a completely different you if you had made the other choice. How the road untravelled can be a fascinating temptation if you had the ability to go back. Where it falls apart slightly is in the characters; the two main protagonists are well depicted, but everyone else is more or less just backing, easily forgotten and discarded when they have played their part. But for all that it is a fascinating and intriguing novel that caught my attention even when I had no idea what was going on.

What a fantastic and fascinating read. The basic premise is enough to blow your mind, if you're in to that sort of thing. The development of the story is brilliant. Fast-paced, on edge, and exhilarating. There are any number of possibilities to end this. You'll need to read this yourself to decide if Blake Crouch has chosen the right one.

I’ve been aware of this book since Kirsty’s husband read it a couple of years ago however came across it again while scrolling on booktok so I thought I’d give it a try. The story explores the concept of the title - dark matter - and follows our main character Jason Dessen. Jason is a physics professor and family man who is suddenly abducted and taken far from his normal day to day life. Infact, into another universe. As the story unfolds it becomes clear to Jason what’s going on and how he has to try and get back to his own life in his own universe. This is an interesting read which explores the dark matter in a way that I, a mere layman, was able to generally understand and follow with only a little bit of confusion along the way. The scientific ins and outs are not the main focus of the story so it’s not too heavy in that respect. I was a bit disappointed by the ending of this one! I thought there was going to be more of a resolution than what happened in the end! I would definitely read more from Blake Crouch and have Wayward Pines lined up in my TBR. I think I’ll probably watch the TV series becuase I think the execution will be interesting! Have you read or watched this one?

Dark Matter hooked me from the very start — it was actually my first thriller book, and I loved every minute of it. The story is incredibly gripping, blending suspense with a fascinating exploration of identity and reality. I knew early on that the kidnapper’s voice sounded familiar, so I realised he had kidnapped himself, which added an extra layer of intrigue. The book goes more in-depth than the show adaptation, which I appreciated, though I liked how the show left more openings for a sequel. Honestly, I wish the book had one too! Overall, Dark Matter is a thrilling read that I’d definitely recommend to anyone looking to dive into the thriller genre.

Dark Matter combina ficção científica, suspense e romance na mesma história. O que achei mais legal é como o autor aborda os multiversos fazendo uma reflexão com as escolhas que fazemos na vida. Único ponto negativo é que do meio para frente o livro parece que caminha “com pressa” para um desfecho e algumas coisas não são muito bem explicadas. No entanto, vale a leitura mesmo assim.

At this point, I’ve read a handful of books that Blake Crouch either wrote or co-wrote, and by and large, I’ve enjoyed them. Crouch is undeniably a pulpy author, and his prose is basically fine but unexceptional; for all of that, though, his ideas are rich and compelling, and Crouch has a knack for zigging when you think he’s going to zag (a talent that served him incredibly well in Pines, but less so in Eerie). With all of that being said, it’s been surprising seeing Dark Matter gain a more mainstream success – much more so than any other Crouch book, as far as I know. Crouch has always seemed like a fringe figure, a cult favorite, but never someone who could attain big, mainstream success. But having read Dark Matter, I get why this has been his breakout novel. Between the gripping idea, the rich characterization, the surprisingly strong prose, and the emotional ideas that Crouch is playing with, it’s undeniably his most successful, intriguing, thrilling, and inventive novel, and one that makes the best use of his talents. It’s mind-bending, exciting, unpredictable, but best of all, it’s emotionally and thematically rich, delivering a surprisingly thoughtful tale out of a pulp premise. Exactly what that premise is should best be learned slowly (although if, like me, you know the basic idea, don’t worry – Dark Matter has some surprises still coming your way). Suffice to say that the book opens in a typical night in the life of Jason Dessen, a physicist turned college professor who has a satisfying, if unexceptional, life with his wife and teenage son. But as he’s leaving a bar after celebrating a colleague’s success, he’s kidnapped and drugged, and awakes in a strange place where his life seems to be entirely different from the one he remembers. Was he dreaming? Is he dreaming now? What’s going on? Again, I don’t want to dive too much into the basic premise of the book; if you’re an avid reader or science-fiction fan, you may have a good idea where this is going. But rest assured, even if you think you know, you don’t know exactly how Crouch is going to run with this premise, pushing it way further and more inventively than I’ve ever seen an author take it. More than that, though, Crouch uses his idea not as an end – as he did in Pines, whose primary fun came in its bizarre revelations – but as a means to explore his characters, letting it all play out like some nightmarish version of It’s a Wonderful Life, where Jason gets to see how his life could have turned out had he made one critical decision differently. Crouch invests us enough in Jason that we’re right there alongside him as he debates the merits of this new life, and we find ourselves exploring the same heady questions as he does – the way our decisions shape us, the way our priorities and experiences can make us into the person we are. Mind you, this is still undeniably a Crouch book, which means it moves at a breakneck pace, keeps you guessing, and constantly evolves in front of your eyes. Dark Matter is as much a thriller as it is anything else, and although it’s rich with subtext (and text, really), that doesn’t mean that it’s not exciting and thrilling. It’s one of those books that’s going to be incredibly hard to stop reading once you start it – I basically read it in two sittings, and that one break was just because I had to force myself to go to bed. And while I was reading, I was absolutely riveted; Crouch knows how to keep a reader hooked, and manipulates you into keeping on turning those pages well past the point when you should stop. The result is a real treat, and a deserved breakthrough for Crouch – not just in terms of success, but in terms of his talent. It’s easily the richest, best book of his that I’ve read, and the first time I’ve seen him push beyond the pulpy roots that have defined most of his works for me. And yet, Dark Matter keeps those pulpy roots – a great hook, an exciting plot – intact, all while marrying them to more thoughtful, intriguing material. It’s a really fun, engaging book; a fun thriller that’s got some substance to it, some genuinely shocking moments, and a willingness to go for broke that results in at least one of the most memorable reveals I’ve read in a thriller in recent memory. It’s a blast, and I can’t recommend it enough.

WOOOOW! How should I start? This was one of the best books I have read this year and probably in my life, I was completely hooked from page 13 and it's been non-stop ever since. ❤️ With a very dynamic rhythm, this story captivates you, makes you dream and makes you wonder many things; how shocking would it be meeting different versions of yourself?! I highly recomend it for several reasons: a unique story, the characters make you feel different emotions, I find the ideal of the multiverse fascinating and not too far from reality... I'm pretty sure this story won't be forgotten for a long time

Een leuk idee dat prima is uitgevoerd, was mijn gedachte tot vlak op het einde. Maar dan volgt er een twist die ik niet zag aankomen maar toch zo slim is dat het hele verhaal opeens een extra diepte krijgt. Sowieso is Crouch wel goed in net voldoende spanning toevoegen zodat je verder wilt, dus het boek leest lekker weg. Aanrader.

A tel point que j'en ai raté mon arrêt de bus. Une histoire originale car au lieu de reprendre le thème du voyageur temporel et tous les paradoxes bien connus que cela engendre, on parle ici d'univers parallèles. L'auteur utilise avec succès les théories quantiques pour nous parler des choix, des regrets et des "et si..." qui jalonnent notre vie. Et nous livre une très belle histoire. Je ne connaissais pas cet auteur mais vais m'intéresser à ses autres livres.