The Chain of Chance
( 9 Votes )

At first glance „The Chain of Chance” is a detective story – a series of mysterious deaths of people visiting  Naples' baths is examined.  The protagonist, an American Astronaut, prematurely retired because of allergies, tries to solve this riddle. He experiences a number of extraordinary adventures but eventually the greatest of them all is the adventure of the mind having to find its way in the chaos of the contemporary world.

 

 

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he Butler Did It... Actually, Not This Time
J. Murray 2009-02-14 20:54:03

Fans of Lem's methodical and unique philosophical insights into psychology and humanity will not be disappointed by this novel. In that sense, along with the usual complex and precise, yet eloquent prose (I have the greatest respect for the translators of Lem's novels - that must be an art in itself), this is classic Lem. Throughout his catalog of fiction Lem seemingly wrote in two voices. One voice is exemplified in the Tichy novels where slapstick, as well as, more subtle, highbrow humor is blended seamlessly with the philosophical ponderings. The second voice is a drier one substituting exhaustive detailing and complex technical conceptual development in place of the levity. This book represents the latter. This iconoclastic novel stands the classic whodunit on its head in a way few writers would even dare. Lem uses the storyline as a device to explore a theme common to his work, but never as fully developed as it is here. He points to a common shortcoming of man's psychology; namely, that we tend to overestimate the influence of willful design in our lives, while failing to fully grasp the importance of random chance. Not Lem's best work and certainly not a novel for everyone, but still well worthy of 5 stars.

J. Murray
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