The Echo Maker

Locations
Call Number: Fiction, Fiction / Powers, Richard, Adult Book / Fiction / General / Powers, Richard
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Pittsfield Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Powers, Richard	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / General / Powers, Richard	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / General / Powers, Richard	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / General / Powers, Richard	4-week checkout	Due 05-06-2024

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Summary / Annotation
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Another Powers Success submitted by cdunlop on March 11, 2023, 5:02pm On a deserted Nebraska highway in February, Mark Schluter flips his truck, and ends up in a coma in the ICU. By his bedside is a cryptic note whose authorship is unknown. Mark's sister, Karin, begins a vigil in his hospital room, and when he emerges into consciousness, he believes that Karin is an imposter -- a duplicate, programmed with his sister's memories. This condition, known as Capgrass syndrome, is well documented, but rarely arises from a traumatic brain injury. It persists in Mark (and extends to his view of his house and his dog), to the point at which Karin solicits the advice of a nationally recognized expert, Gerald Weber, an Oliver Sacks-like figure, whose interest is piqued to the point at which he flies from New York to Nebraska in order to examine Mark. Over time, Weber recommends several different therapies, none of which seems to be immediately efficacious. Meanwhile, Weber is confronting his own problems, as negative reviews of his latest book have thrown him into an identity crisis.

Another important character in the story is Barbara Gillespie, a seriously underemployed nurse's aide, who develops a mutually affectionate and trusting relationship with Mark. Oddly, she seems familiar to Weber, but he can't place her. As it turns out, she will be the key to some of the book's mysteries.

Kearney, Nebraska is an important nesting area for the migrating sandhill cranes ("echo makers" to Native Americans), who are beautifully described in various passages. What do we owe these creatures -- the oldest living bird species -- whose habitat is being destroyed by commercial "development" projects? What's the difference between the brain of a crane and that of a human? What is it like to be a crane? For that matter, what is it like to be a human? To be Mark Schluter?

A 2006 National Book Award winner, this is a formidable novel, chock full of mystery, neurobiology, ecology, and philosophical reflections on the nature of the self. As he has done in many other works, Richard Powers exhibits an impressive command of the relevant scientific literature, which buoys the story without burdening it. Like The Overstory (2018), The Echo Maker presents a plea to save nature from the path of human destruction. It is not a quick beach read, but it deserves the time and attention that it requires.

bookclub book submitted by snapdeus on June 20, 2023, 7:08am This would be a great book for a senior citizen book club.

The plot is rather bland. The characters are well thought out. The writing quality is good, and unique, but boring.

The character development is the whole point of the book.

It's pretty boring, but well written. It might titillate your average boomer in retirement, but young people might want a book with verve and pizzazz.