Who Would Like This Book:
If you love ambitious, sprawling novels that dive into everything from legal dramas to philosophical debates (think David Foster Wallace meets The Wire, with a dash of absurdist humor), A Naked Singularity will definitely grab your attention. The energetic, often hilarious prose and razor-sharp dialogue make Casi - a young NYC public defender - an endlessly fascinating guide through the messy chaos of crime, justice, and city life. Fans of maximalist fiction, rich character studies, and books that aren't afraid to tackle big ideas will find a lot to relish here. If you enjoy authors like Pynchon, Gaddis, or Denis Johnson, this might become a new favorite.
Who May Not Like This Book:
This is not a short or breezy read - the novel is a brick (close to 900 pages), and isn't afraid to take long, digressive detours down philosophical rabbit holes or into niche subjects like boxing. Some readers find it overwhelming, repetitive, or in dire need of a tough editor, especially with digressions that can feel irrelevant to the main story. The prose is intentionally dense, and characters often sound alike during their high-octane philosophical riffs. If you crave a tight, fast-paced plot or character-driven stories with strong emotional resonance, this book may frustrate you. Readers put off by “Wallacian” literary tricks or very long side stories may want to steer clear.
About:
A Naked Singularity is a novel narrated by Casi, a maverick and very junior defense attorney in New York state. Casi, of Colombian heritage, uses his distinctive voice to discuss the minutiae of his life and depart into lengthy digressions. The book delves into philosophical insights on the justice system and the criminal underclass, showcasing a blend of crime thriller elements and deep character exploration. The plot weaves through various storylines, including Casi's involvement in a death penalty appeal and a heist scheme with his colleague Dane, leading to a surreal and intense narrative.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include graphic descriptions of violence, discussions about mental health, drug use, and the death penalty, making it suitable for mature audiences.
From The Publisher:
The critically acclaimed novel that is now a major motion picture starring John Boyega and Olivia Cooke, coming to theaters August 6, streaming August 13!
A Naked Singularity tells the story of Casi, a child of Colombian immigrants who lives in Brooklyn and works in Manhattan as a public defender-one who, tellingly has never lost a trial. Never. In the book, we watch what happens when his sense of justice and even his sense of self begin to crack-and how his world then slowly devolves. It's a huge, ambitious novel clearly in the vein of DeLillo, Foster Wallace, Pynchon, and even Melville, and it's told in a distinct, frequently hilarious voice, with a striking human empathy at its center. Its panoramic reach takes readers through crime and courts, immigrant families and urban blight, media savagery and media satire, scatology and boxing, and even a breathless heist worthy of any crime novel. If InfiniteJest stuck a pin in the map of mid-90s culture and drew our trajectory from there, A Naked Singularity does the same for the feeling of surfeit, brokenness, and exhaustion that permeates our civic and cultural life today. In the opening sentence of William Gaddis's A Frolic of His Own, a character sneers, "Justice? You get justice in the next world. In this world, you get the law." A Naked Singularity reveals the extent of that gap, and lands firmly on the side of those who are forever getting the law.
Ratings (4)
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Reader Stats (11):
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Want To Read (5) | |
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What can you read after
A Naked Singularity?
About the Author:
Sergio De La Pava is a writer who does not live in Brooklyn.
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