Bokelskere.no

Wow! Such page-turner. So existential. Very science. Much thriller.

I had so much fun reading this book that I consumed it in just a weeks’ time. The concept and pacing had me hooked! I love the idea of the multiverse in general, and I often ponder how different my life would have been if I made different choices. Some choices would certainly change my life to a greater extent than others, of course, but to what extent would they change me as a person too? This question forms the basis of “Dark Matter”. The younger you are, the less you have to look back on, the fewer choices you’ve made. That’s the “beautiful thing about youth”, Crouch points out. “There's a weightlessness that permeates everything because no damning choices have been made, no paths committed to, and the road forking out ahead is pure, unlimited potential.” (12)

Who hasn’t thought about these things? It’s a universal thing to look back in curiosity or regret and possibly see greener grass everywhere. I will admit, though, that I don’t actually believe in pure randomness and free will, but Crouch made me a believer when I read his book, which to me speaks volumes of his ability to grab my attention and suspend my beliefs.

Personally, I tend to fluctuate between existential nihilism, childlike curiosity, intellectual glee and desperate optimism. So, I tend to start out by thinking “We're all just wandering through the tundra of our existence, assigning value to worthlessness, when all that we love and hate, all we believe in and fight for and kill for and die for is as meaningless as images projected onto Plexiglass.” (101), but then I realize I don’t want to live in that state of mind, reminding myself that life can potentially be so much more and that “We all live day to day completely oblivious to the fact that we’re a part of a much larger and stranger reality than we can possibly imagine” (114), which is way more exciting! And finally, If I’m crazy to think there’s more to life than meaningless choices, there’s more to existence and nature than worthless atoms, and if happiness and fulfillment is the greatest challenge of all, I now dare say “I am not allowed to think I’m crazy. I am only allowed to solve this problem” (94).

That’s what “Dark Matter” gave me: a great time, existential acceptance and optimistic resolve.

Litt vanskelig å forstå i starten. Men det er fordi man følger den fortvilte og forvirrede hovedpersonen. Når ting begynner å bli forståelig begynner det p bli skikkelig spennende. Veldig bra bok!

Fabelaktig bra bok som er underholdende og vanskelig å legge fra seg fra start til slutt.

Boken tar noen uventede veier underveis. Dette er noe av det som gjør boken så bra. Anbefales på det sterkeste! :)