K pax ebook

Aided by Giselle, a sleuthing reporter whose mawkish crush on prot strikes one of the few false notes here, Brewer finally brings out the repressed personality of a man scarred by trauma. Throughout, the narration's matter-of-fact, clinical tone makes this touching and suspenseful story all the more convincing.

The first story was amazing, and while along the way the storyline seemed to lose a bit of its luster, I think it finished strong. The ending is something that is realistic, yet surprising, and kinda sad. I think it fit though. The story might not have been as classic or iconic as the first one, it was still a very enjoyable read.

Apple Books Preview. Publisher Description. Customer Reviews. More Books by Gene Brewer. Now the doctor is racing the clock to find prot's true identity before he losses a man whose "madness" might just save them all. Published in a dozens countries with movie rights sold to the producer of Field of Dreams , K-PAX has touched the hearts and expanded the horizons of readers around the world. It promises to join Robert Heinlein's classic Stranger in a Strange Land as a moving, thought-provoking masterpiece of modern-day fiction.

Media K-Pax--A Novel. Save Not today. Format ebook. Series K-Pax. Author Dr. The film was much simpler, the doctor found the answer to why prot existed, which was far from a 'cure', but it was believable. If the book had clearly been science fiction from the start, I might have willingly suspended my disbelief, but it started off as one thing and ended up as another and it did not take me with it.

The final part of the trilogy and prot's report turned the book again into something else. Having read the whole, I would say this was a political novel, a vehicle for the author to foist his philosophy on the rest of us, done with all the subtlety of a fifty-pound sledgehammer. I really believe that some of the so-called mentally ill may not actually be mad, but just different and if some of them have rejected our world, well who can blame them? We have a lot to learn from conditions like autism.

Prot's assertion that the purpose or the result of religions is to absolve homo sapiens from responsibility for its own actions accords exactly with my own view. I even have some sympathy with the argument that many of our problems can trace their roots right back as far as the family. We humans are fantastic at creating structures and philosophies that include some and exclude most.

I like the idea that all 'beings' are part of the whole and worthy of respect, but practically I'm not going to suddenly become a vegetarian or share my bath with spiders. I thought the statement about viruses just 'trying to survive' was really interesting. If we just understood more about the purpose of things, or the way things worked, maybe we would see things differently. Prot said this a lot. He said we would have to get rid of all our assumptions and start over again.

Pretty tall order. He also said we needed to learn how to listen but he didn't give any instructions. In fact, over the entire trilogy, this got worse, prot having decided he didn't like us and making statements about how we should do this or should do that and not lifting a finger to help. In the end, prot was a real pain. He might be a superior K-PAXian, but I thought roaming about eating grains and doing what needed to be done, and sex being excruciatingly painful left a lot to be desired, although the libraries sounded quite good.

I've said a lot of negative things but this was a very interesting read and held my attention for nearly pages. The biggest problem was the book not seeming to know what it wanted to be. Was it a psychoanalytical 'thriller', science fiction, or a political tract? Or even, was it meant to be humorous? On the front of my edition was a quote from Esquire magazine saying "Brilliantly off-beat comedy". I didn't find anything amusing in the book except for the language called Pax-o.

I would have accepted the book as an investigation into a disturbed mind I would have liked it a whole lot better for that. I liked the film better for that. But I read on and, for me, more was less. Sep 27, Alan rated it really liked it. To start with, I personally would not rate this as a comedy — in fact I'm not sure what genre to place this in — but it deals essentially with a patient diagnosed with multiple personalities as a result of sexual and related abuse as a very young child and subsequent loss of his wife and child under very tragic circumstances, with one very dominant coping super ego — the source of which we are never really too certain, but who claims to be from a far away and unknown planet called K-Pax.

I am of a view that I have met many ordinary people for a variety of reasons, fitting or appearing to come close to fitting this description. Either way in my opinion these novels are very clever and extremely well written by Gene Brewer. The message for me altered somewhat from the conclusions we may draw from the functioning — or malfunctioning — of the human mind to prots observations of the human species — although perhaps slanted unintentionally towards the American way of life - and our approach and attitude towards each other, other living beings and the planet we occupy and depend on for our ongoing survival.

A compelling read and a book or trilogy that I can see could be the subject of almost endless discussions amongst book clubs and study groups, which in itself would be very interesting. I look forward at this stage to going back and watching he movie based on the first novel in the trilogy. Jun 06, Dark-Draco rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites , science-fiction-series. Dr Brewer is a psycologist working in New York. He starts treating a new patient, called prot, who believes he comes from the planet of K-PAX, where everyone lives in a paradise, with no work, family, war, school, etc, etc.

As Dr. Brewer talks with prot, he eventually discovers that 'prot' is also Robert, a disturbed young man who had a live full of abuse and horror.

But Robert is buried deep inside prot, who displays some amazing abilities - disappearing from the hospital at will, 'talking' to Dr Brewer is a psycologist working in New York. But Robert is buried deep inside prot, who displays some amazing abilities - disappearing from the hospital at will, 'talking' to animals and seeing well into the UV light range. He also takes a hand in helping treat the other patients, giving them tasks to perform to help them over their neurosis.

Even when 'Robert' is considered cured and goes home, his life is far from normal and after another reminder of his chequered past, prot returns once more. This time he gives a deadline for his visit to end and informs everyone that he will be taking other beings with him to K-PAX when he goes back. I really enjoyed reading this trilogy.

It is a lot richer than the film and liked being able to read the next episodes in the story from where it left off. I also love the ambiguity - is it really Robert the human or prot the K-PAXian - or an amalgamation of the two. I like to think we may have moved on a bit from when this was first written, but I don't think the human race will ever give up the things prot reckons we need to in order to survive religion, family and money.

Overall, a fantastic read and one I may well return to in the future. Jan 24, Davidg rated it really liked it. A series of novels about Prot, a visitor to earth from the planet K-PAX, or one of the alter egos of a seriously damaged patient in a psychiatric hospital - or both. The first of the three the basis for the film is the most successful, but the second and third are still very readable and enjoyable. Written by the psychiatrist handling the case, who shares his name with the real author, the books are an extended series of case notes.

The longer the books go on, the darker the issues and trauma A series of novels about Prot, a visitor to earth from the planet K-PAX, or one of the alter egos of a seriously damaged patient in a psychiatric hospital - or both. The longer the books go on, the darker the issues and traumas the patient has suffered become. But then there is Prot who appears to be able to move both himself and others through space, who might really come from this world of peace and understanding - or not.

And Prot breezes through the book, touching the lives of damaged people for the better and offering hope, whilst becoming more infuriating to the Psychiatrist who seeks to heal a broken human. At the end of the second book, all seems well, but the third takes us into more troubled areas. The conclusion is as ambiguous as you would wish, the relish of Prot and K-PAX is left to the reader.

Very good very enjoyable. Carl only gave this 3 stars. His position in the philip k dick fan club we started aka the dickians see my review of the zap gun will come in to question dickheads.

Apr 04, Agness Kram rated it it was amazing. Give them a try! Probably doesn't fit all, but I am sure it entertains most! Sep 29, Uri added it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I first read K-PAX when it just got out in The psychedelic cover of the UK publication caught my eye.

The book was eye opening and kept me thinking of many possibilities "out side the box" much after I read it. Also, back then there was no Dr. Google to fact check things immediately, and as I was reading it while backpacking in Britain, I was sure that as the book suggests, that what I am reading is non-fiction!

Quite naive on my part, I guess I wanted to believe in the possibility of an ET, just like others in the book. I was waiting for a report if prot actually did come back as he promise he would All in all the first book was excellent. The author brilliantly balanced between possible interpretations of what transpired. The ideology that he carries from K-PAX, his homeplanet, is transferred to the reader in a subtle way which gives a lot of room to think and ponder what he is saying independently.

And then there are the two other books I reread the first along with the rest of the trilogy, which was written much later, in the early s. These books are more akin to a what I can only describe as modern apocalyptic literature. The main character, prot, is much more edgy, angry with humanity, more specific about ecological, social, political and marital issues. Professying doom and gloom to humanity and the earth. Prot is more restless, can more easily get angry and lose his composure, and overall seem more human then he did in the first book.

Books 2 and 3 carry much more clearly a vegan socio-ecological ideology, which is not different from some human vegan idiologies. Though I am not against this viewpoint, and am glad to have been made to ponder over it more deeply through the story, I still feel that my suspension of disbelief that was held so nicely in the first book has been somewhat compromised in the later two.

That also goes to the final part of the omnibus where we get to read "prot's report". The two later books are good books overall as apocalyptic ecological propoganda goes. The story in the second book in particular is also quite compelling.

In the third book the tension the the author is trying to maintain throughout the trilogy, between the rational self-centered human point of view and that of the alien which is planet centered, was a bit overdone to my taste and was a bit exhausting to read. Made me into a teenager once again and made me re-examine my way of life, made me want to go vegan and consider the planet before I consider my selfish wants.

Made me want to help find ways to save the the planet from us humans before it's too late Jul 17, Rhiannon rated it really liked it. So 3 books in one and although I kept thinking what else are they going to do to this man when starting the 3rd book, I think it tied together well. I did find the patient prot to be very frustrating at times, but I imagine you are supposed to.

Written from the perspective of a psychiatrist who also got frustrated with him at times. He has a lot of bigger messages about religion, government, animal rights ect which is possibly what made prot so tiresome at times, alongside the arrogance it is di So 3 books in one and although I kept thinking what else are they going to do to this man when starting the 3rd book, I think it tied together well.

He has a lot of bigger messages about religion, government, animal rights ect which is possibly what made prot so tiresome at times, alongside the arrogance it is displayed with. Not saying theyre wrong, I just dont need to read them in every page. As a mental health practitioner I was very interested in the psychology part of the book and found it very enjoyable. I did get frustrated again at the speedy recoveries seen especially in the second book but was vindicated when the third explained this as well.

Overall it was very well layered in realism and the fantastic and alongside the psychiatrist 'writing it, it kept you guessing.

Nov 03, Ben rated it really liked it Shelves: pre-track. I remember feeling so stupid. Liked the book though. I loved this book - so many great lines and talking points its a good story - but more interesting to me is the background in which it is set and the thoughts of the main character PROT Don't be put off by the thickness or number of pages in the trilogy - its pretty addictive when you get going. May 04, Gemma Donohoe rated it it was amazing.

Another must must read!! Even if you've seen the film, mediocre at best, forget it and read the book. May 31, Venatici rated it really liked it. Superb, couldn't put it down. An addictive page-turner. Aug 23, Anita rated it it was amazing. I loved to read the books they were very well written.

Jul 02, Christopher Ross added it. Actually felt underwhelmed. The only reason I decided to continue was for the closure of prot's story. I wouldn't recommend you spend your time with the book if you're looking for a deeper sci-fi.

Aug 10, Andy Haines rated it really liked it. Awesome trilogy. Nov 27, Coin eyes rated it really liked it. Thought provoking in a number of ways. Gets you analysing how normal out normal has become. Jan 13, Marie Bondroit rated it it was amazing. A fiction more realistic than you could imagine Life changing book. Feb 17, Duncan rated it liked it Shelves: science-fiction.

Sometimes Fiction is Stranger then the Truth. Enjoyable and easy and quick to read. Prot is an interesting character, and the interactions between him and Dr Brewer are always entertaining. But there is a fair bit of padding and repetition throughout the trilogy. I came to this book having caught snippets of the film K-PAX a few times.

I always looked interesting and I wanted to watch it from the start - but had always come in mid way through. I still haven't seen the film. In essence the books Sometimes Fiction is Stranger then the Truth.