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The Expert of Subtle Revisions
A thrilling historical mystery about a young woman searching for her father, a young man trying to solve an impossible problem, and the quest for the power to transcend time.
In Half Moon Bay, California, 2016, a young woman waits for her father's sailboat to arrive at port. They have agreed to meet on this day and time. Yet he never shows.
He has told her this event might come. And if it did, she was ready. Go to the library in Berkeley, find a certain book, follow the instructions. But what if the instructions lead to more questions than answers?
In 1933, a young man arrives in Vienna to begin a new post as a professor of mathematics at the university. There he finds himself part of the Engelhardt Circle, a group of intellectuals that have recently been targeted by a growing, anti-academic mob. The circle includes the preeminent minds of their time and a cast of characters desperate to get invited into their midst, many of whom will stop at nothing to get there. As fascism rises, and polarization increases, moderate voices are drowned out.
There are whispers of a machine, a music box, which can transport someone through time. But no one can confirm if it's a rumor or true. And the only people who know firsthand are not talking.
Between the young woman, who lives off the grid and spends her free time editing Wikipedia entries and picking fights with people online, and the circle of intellectuals debating space and time in Vienna on the eve of World War II, lie years of history that might easily be erased—unless old secrets are unraveled. Kirsten Menger-Anderson's beautiful meditation on time, love, and obsession shows us how we never truly know what happened in the past, and often how the past eerily mirrors the future.
In Half Moon Bay, California, 2016, a young woman waits for her father's sailboat to arrive at port. They have agreed to meet on this day and time. Yet he never shows.
He has told her this event might come. And if it did, she was ready. Go to the library in Berkeley, find a certain book, follow the instructions. But what if the instructions lead to more questions than answers?
In 1933, a young man arrives in Vienna to begin a new post as a professor of mathematics at the university. There he finds himself part of the Engelhardt Circle, a group of intellectuals that have recently been targeted by a growing, anti-academic mob. The circle includes the preeminent minds of their time and a cast of characters desperate to get invited into their midst, many of whom will stop at nothing to get there. As fascism rises, and polarization increases, moderate voices are drowned out.
There are whispers of a machine, a music box, which can transport someone through time. But no one can confirm if it's a rumor or true. And the only people who know firsthand are not talking.
Between the young woman, who lives off the grid and spends her free time editing Wikipedia entries and picking fights with people online, and the circle of intellectuals debating space and time in Vienna on the eve of World War II, lie years of history that might easily be erased—unless old secrets are unraveled. Kirsten Menger-Anderson's beautiful meditation on time, love, and obsession shows us how we never truly know what happened in the past, and often how the past eerily mirrors the future.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 18, 2025
46 people are currently reading
7,498 people want to read
About the author
Kirsten Menger-Anderson
2books40followersKirsten Menger-Anderson is the author of Doctor Olaf van Schuler's Brain, a collection of short stories that was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award in fiction and one of Time Out Chicago's top ten books of the year. Her stories and essays have appeared in publications including Ploughshares, the Southwest Review, LitHub, and Undark. She currently lives in San Francisco with her family. Her debut novel The Expert of Subtle Revisions is forthcoming from Crown on March 18, 2025.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 19, 2025
this book is for you if you like alone with you in the ether, the invisible life of addie larue, the starless sea but most especially if you enjoyed CLOUD CUCKOO LAND.
you guys know that i'm a sucker for a good concept (or a kickass cover, in this case) so when i found this on netgalley i immediately hit that request button, thinking i wouldn't get a chance to review this early......but the earc gods were with me and i feel so lucky to have gotten ahold of this in advance.
honestly the real reason this drew me in, other than the GENIUS cover art, is that it reminded me a lot of one of my favorite books cloud cuckoo land. i knew it wouldn't be quite the same, but i love books that have a present day pov and a historic pov - maybe because it evens out the historical fiction with some contemporary vibes? and admittedly, i forgot the entire synopsis when i finally got around to reading this so it made it very difficult to understand at first. but i was so taken with how quickly this book moves. it's easy to get sucked in, and even though it's confusing and it takes a while for the pieces to start to slot into place, it's so compelling and well-written. i love how unique the voice is, how strange the characters are, how original the concept is. but because it's metalit, it was a very precarious first half. i spent a long time just trying to figure out what the hell all the POVs have to do with each other.
metalit is such a fun genre because it's often about the puzzle and the journey moreso than the characters or the conclusion. i can sit through a lot of bizarro shit because it's trying something, but ultimately the best metalit books are the ones that stick the landing. and so i spent almost 75% of this book thinking there was no way all of it would fit together, that it was way too short (i do still stand by this) and that the author could not pull of this weird magnificent idea.......but ladies and gents and enbies and friends....that absolute madman did it.
okay, i don't know. i do think the ending was a little abstract and the thing that could be frustrating to some people is that we don't get a lot of explanation about...all of it. this is the kind of book that lives in the Vague and so if you're someone who likes concrete endings and conclusions and explanations, it might not live up to your expectations. but i think the author is exploring something so real and important, and getting to watch it unfold the way it did was like watching a rose in bloom. once i figured out what was happening, i felt like my mind was exploding. it was subtle (ha) but also it really hits you over the head with everything and i think it just worked for me!
and we can't not mention the inherent queerness of this insane book...i will be thinking about it for a long long time honestly.
i really love that this is inspired by the author's own grandfather too. reading the acknowledgments is one of my favorite things, and i was so taken with her explanation of the inspiration.
idk! i kind of knew this was going to be a personal favorite, but it's so nice when that feeling works out. my intuition was correct!!! this is metalit at its best!!!! it speaks on love and family and queerness and WIKIPEDIA my beloved!!!!! most people won't get it but I DO and that's what's important!!!!!
August 14, 2024
*insert Charlie Day conspiracy board meme*
THIS. BOOK. IS. SO. GOOD.
Seriously, the prose is stunning (“History is not neutral…Language, too, is never neutral.� *shrieking pterodactyl noises*) and the characters are fully realized, flawed, messy, introspective, and funny in their own right. Usually I find multiple POVs challenging in that oftentimes the voices are too similar or overlap but Kirsten is clearly a master - Hase, Anton, and Josef each have their own unique voice that shines off the page! I read this in less than 24hrs. I cackled, I gasped, I shook the galley as if that would undo the villainy unfolding, and Reader? I wrote in the margins. I know! I know. It’s not often that I annotate a work of fiction but the through lines, the way the three arcs are woven together, I couldn’t resist! Absolutely brilliant book and I cannot wait to shove this book into everyone’s hands and hover over their shoulders until they, too, can geek out with me.
It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s heartfelt; it’s historical fiction and speculative fiction and sci-fi and there’s a queer love story and found family and complex family dynamics. This book has something for everyone and Kirsten Menger-Anderson balances it all brilliantly. I can’t say enough good things about this book!
Disclaimer: I received early access to a galley but be sure to pre-order or pick it up when it hits shelves Spring 2025!
THIS. BOOK. IS. SO. GOOD.
Seriously, the prose is stunning (“History is not neutral…Language, too, is never neutral.� *shrieking pterodactyl noises*) and the characters are fully realized, flawed, messy, introspective, and funny in their own right. Usually I find multiple POVs challenging in that oftentimes the voices are too similar or overlap but Kirsten is clearly a master - Hase, Anton, and Josef each have their own unique voice that shines off the page! I read this in less than 24hrs. I cackled, I gasped, I shook the galley as if that would undo the villainy unfolding, and Reader? I wrote in the margins. I know! I know. It’s not often that I annotate a work of fiction but the through lines, the way the three arcs are woven together, I couldn’t resist! Absolutely brilliant book and I cannot wait to shove this book into everyone’s hands and hover over their shoulders until they, too, can geek out with me.
It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s heartfelt; it’s historical fiction and speculative fiction and sci-fi and there’s a queer love story and found family and complex family dynamics. This book has something for everyone and Kirsten Menger-Anderson balances it all brilliantly. I can’t say enough good things about this book!
Disclaimer: I received early access to a galley but be sure to pre-order or pick it up when it hits shelves Spring 2025!
March 11, 2025
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
A layered blend of historical fiction, sci-fi, and literary fiction, The Expert of Subtle Revisions is as clever as it is engrossing.
The cover is what drew me to this book, and it has complete relevance to the story. In truth, this is a time travel paradox novel, as the blurb said, but how it plays out is intricate and less about the mechanics of the device/process than the impact it has on the relationships between the characters. It’s a mystery with intricate clues, surprising connections, and a satisfying result.
The novel follows three perspectives: Hase, Anton, and Joseph. Hase is in the near-present, and then the two men are in Vienna leading up to WWII. The rise of fascism in the interim war period is an important aspect of the story (both plot-wise and thematically), and the author provides a good deal of context (though it might be helpful if you go into the story knowing a bit about politics/society in this era).
Yet, even if this hadn’t been so well-wrought, the characters would have carried it quite easily. They are fantastic. Hase is a very strange individual with odd hobbies and deep introversion, yet she isn’t shy or scared or whatever stereotype generally applies to those who prefer to live on the outskirts of society. I adored her right from the start - I love quirky, weird characters. And then we have the boys (who grow into men); one who is heartbreakingly likeable and the other who is quite awful, but in a way that is very human, and he is such due to a mix of circumstance and personal failing (he’s a complex villain). I will say, for the first little bit, I got Anton and Joseph confused, but in retrospect, I think their similarities had a purpose, one going back to how society shapes us.
Everyone in this story is not happy, or they are suffering from something (whether societal, existential, tangible, or all three), yet the book carries with it a lightness, a sense of hope.
The book is also extremely well-balanced - there are moments of humour, tender romance, tension, and mystery. I was entranced the entire time.
The writing is also lovely, with beautiful turns of phrase and artful descriptions.
The conclusion is absolutely stunning. It’s not so much an explanation or a twist (I mean, there are a few) as a turn of events, and that in itself made the main trope (the only thing about this that makes it even remotely sci-fi) work. It’s very hard to make time travel work without holes, but this book pulls it off.
This is a strange, thoughtful, unique book I will think about for a long time and will delight in re-reading again.
A layered blend of historical fiction, sci-fi, and literary fiction, The Expert of Subtle Revisions is as clever as it is engrossing.
The cover is what drew me to this book, and it has complete relevance to the story. In truth, this is a time travel paradox novel, as the blurb said, but how it plays out is intricate and less about the mechanics of the device/process than the impact it has on the relationships between the characters. It’s a mystery with intricate clues, surprising connections, and a satisfying result.
The novel follows three perspectives: Hase, Anton, and Joseph. Hase is in the near-present, and then the two men are in Vienna leading up to WWII. The rise of fascism in the interim war period is an important aspect of the story (both plot-wise and thematically), and the author provides a good deal of context (though it might be helpful if you go into the story knowing a bit about politics/society in this era).
Yet, even if this hadn’t been so well-wrought, the characters would have carried it quite easily. They are fantastic. Hase is a very strange individual with odd hobbies and deep introversion, yet she isn’t shy or scared or whatever stereotype generally applies to those who prefer to live on the outskirts of society. I adored her right from the start - I love quirky, weird characters. And then we have the boys (who grow into men); one who is heartbreakingly likeable and the other who is quite awful, but in a way that is very human, and he is such due to a mix of circumstance and personal failing (he’s a complex villain). I will say, for the first little bit, I got Anton and Joseph confused, but in retrospect, I think their similarities had a purpose, one going back to how society shapes us.
Everyone in this story is not happy, or they are suffering from something (whether societal, existential, tangible, or all three), yet the book carries with it a lightness, a sense of hope.
The book is also extremely well-balanced - there are moments of humour, tender romance, tension, and mystery. I was entranced the entire time.
The writing is also lovely, with beautiful turns of phrase and artful descriptions.
The conclusion is absolutely stunning. It’s not so much an explanation or a twist (I mean, there are a few) as a turn of events, and that in itself made the main trope (the only thing about this that makes it even remotely sci-fi) work. It’s very hard to make time travel work without holes, but this book pulls it off.
This is a strange, thoughtful, unique book I will think about for a long time and will delight in re-reading again.
March 18, 2025
this was SO GOOOOOOOOOD i needed this omg!! one of The weird girl narrators of all time
March 13, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
The Expert of Subtle Revisions.
The fact this ARC contained no summary piqued my interest as well as the artsy cover art so I thought, why not request it?
It's hard to categorize this novel; it's kind of about time travel but it's a minor subplot.
It's about love, revenge, jealously, family, secrets, and perseverance; yes, I know, there's a lot going on.
The narrative is well written, but not suspenseful or dramatic.
There's a lot of exposition to get through due to the past and present timelines which is necessary to establish the backgrounds of the cast of characters.
Hase is the main character but not quite.
She is secretive, quiet, introspective, most likely due to the way she was raised, and is searching for her father.
You don't really get to know Hase; she was under developed since her timeline isn't the basis of the narrative.
Actually, there's really no one character to sympathize or root for.
The past timeline offers context to Hase's life and the reason hehind the search for her father in the present.
I enjoyed the descriptions of Vienna in the 1930s, and not just because I recently returned from a vacation in Vienna.
The political climate and civil unrest during that time in Vienna adds tension and anxiety but I felt the author just wanted to discuss Vienna, its politics and threw in the time travel as a literary device just to make it 'more interesting.'
I wanted to know more about the device; why did Gaul create it, unless I missed that part.
The lengthy exposition dragged the pacing of the narrative and after I finished this, I wondered what was the point of the story.
That we can't change the past? That we will always have regrets?
I wanted something to happen, more time travel, suspense, drama, not just exposition and monologuing with characters to care about.
The fact this ARC contained no summary piqued my interest as well as the artsy cover art so I thought, why not request it?
It's hard to categorize this novel; it's kind of about time travel but it's a minor subplot.
It's about love, revenge, jealously, family, secrets, and perseverance; yes, I know, there's a lot going on.
The narrative is well written, but not suspenseful or dramatic.
There's a lot of exposition to get through due to the past and present timelines which is necessary to establish the backgrounds of the cast of characters.
Hase is the main character but not quite.
She is secretive, quiet, introspective, most likely due to the way she was raised, and is searching for her father.
You don't really get to know Hase; she was under developed since her timeline isn't the basis of the narrative.
Actually, there's really no one character to sympathize or root for.
The past timeline offers context to Hase's life and the reason hehind the search for her father in the present.
I enjoyed the descriptions of Vienna in the 1930s, and not just because I recently returned from a vacation in Vienna.
The political climate and civil unrest during that time in Vienna adds tension and anxiety but I felt the author just wanted to discuss Vienna, its politics and threw in the time travel as a literary device just to make it 'more interesting.'
I wanted to know more about the device; why did Gaul create it, unless I missed that part.
The lengthy exposition dragged the pacing of the narrative and after I finished this, I wondered what was the point of the story.
That we can't change the past? That we will always have regrets?
I wanted something to happen, more time travel, suspense, drama, not just exposition and monologuing with characters to care about.
March 26, 2025
2.5 stars @crownpublishing | #partner Do you ever read a book where you end up feeling like it was completely over your head? That’s exactly where I landed with 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 by debut author Kirsten Menger-Anderson. I was originally drawn to this book because of its time travel element, which I almost always enjoy when it’s done right. In this case, the time travel played a backseat to a lot of other things that were both confusing and not all that compelling for me.�
�
Beside time travel (which was never really explained), the story had two timelines, one in 2016 San Francisco and the other in 1933 Vienna. It involved mathematicians vying for attention in Vienna, a missing father in San Francisco, more than you ever want to know about Wikipedia, and probably a lot of other things I missed. While I liked several of the characters, the two timelines were jarring and the answers to my questions were never clear. I feel terrible being this negative about a book, especially a debut, but I just think this one was far too intellectual for me.🤷🏻♀️
�
Beside time travel (which was never really explained), the story had two timelines, one in 2016 San Francisco and the other in 1933 Vienna. It involved mathematicians vying for attention in Vienna, a missing father in San Francisco, more than you ever want to know about Wikipedia, and probably a lot of other things I missed. While I liked several of the characters, the two timelines were jarring and the answers to my questions were never clear. I feel terrible being this negative about a book, especially a debut, but I just think this one was far too intellectual for me.🤷🏻♀️
September 8, 2024
I loved most of it, the setting, story, characters, mood, but as I neared the end I became lost, in the character identities, he time travel, the hunt for a missing unknown thing, and missing person, and clues which go nowhere. I suppose I should have backtracked and tried to read more carefully, but there is so much else to read at hand and arriving. I look forward to the next endeavour by this author.
November 4, 2024
The fates of three characters are delicately woven together in this sci-fi, historical fiction story that’s beautifully written and creatively told.
Hase - a teenager living in the San Francisco Bay Area - learns that her reclusive and brilliant mathematician father has gone missing. However, he always told her that “in the event,� she should look for a specific book. As Hase works to find the cryptic breadcrumbs her father left in the book and in an endless labyrinth of Wikipedia edits, she discovers she might not be who she thought she was.
The book is also told from the perspective of two men living in Austria in the 1930s. Josef, a student and a waiter, thinks quite highly of himself and his intelligence. And mild-mannered Anton has recently arrived in Vienna to become a professor at the university.
One thing I had trouble with were the initial similarities between Anton and Josef. Although they eventually differentiated themselves, at first they seemed to be somewhat alike and this was confusing. Although I could have guessed from the deliciously interesting title and really clever cover, THE EXPERT OF SUBTLE REVISIONS is highbrow and did take some brainpower to read. The end became a bit of a brain bender.
I’d compare THE EXPERT OF SUBTLE REVISIONS to The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, which I also enjoyed but didn’t wholeheartedly love. That being said, the writing is beautiful and the story is original, and I would recommend this one to readers who like a good, smart read filled with beautiful language.
Thank you to Penguin Random House - Crown for an early galley of THE EXPERT OF SUBTLE REVISIONS in exchange for my honest review.
Hase - a teenager living in the San Francisco Bay Area - learns that her reclusive and brilliant mathematician father has gone missing. However, he always told her that “in the event,� she should look for a specific book. As Hase works to find the cryptic breadcrumbs her father left in the book and in an endless labyrinth of Wikipedia edits, she discovers she might not be who she thought she was.
The book is also told from the perspective of two men living in Austria in the 1930s. Josef, a student and a waiter, thinks quite highly of himself and his intelligence. And mild-mannered Anton has recently arrived in Vienna to become a professor at the university.
One thing I had trouble with were the initial similarities between Anton and Josef. Although they eventually differentiated themselves, at first they seemed to be somewhat alike and this was confusing. Although I could have guessed from the deliciously interesting title and really clever cover, THE EXPERT OF SUBTLE REVISIONS is highbrow and did take some brainpower to read. The end became a bit of a brain bender.
I’d compare THE EXPERT OF SUBTLE REVISIONS to The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, which I also enjoyed but didn’t wholeheartedly love. That being said, the writing is beautiful and the story is original, and I would recommend this one to readers who like a good, smart read filled with beautiful language.
Thank you to Penguin Random House - Crown for an early galley of THE EXPERT OF SUBTLE REVISIONS in exchange for my honest review.
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August 16, 2024i'm also obsessed with this cover. i can't wait to read this!
January 13, 2025
This book had me hooked from the beginning; I couldn’t put it down. I’ve had I went in completely blind, yet somehow intuitively knew the author was leaving breadcrumbs for a mystery that would unfold. While I was correct, I was not prepared for the journey that unfolded (in the best way!). I am not a reader that highlights or annotates, but I went into full detective mode trying to decipher all the clues I could. This is the most fun I have had reading in a long time.
The writing is beautiful. The story switches POVs which can lead to underdeveloped characters or uneven plot pacing. This is absolutely NOT the case here. The characters are fully fleshed out. The POV switches are expertly timed, appropriately progressing the plot and leaving me wanting a little more, yet quickly immersing me in the next POV. I enjoyed my time with each character (expect maybe Josef, but I still enjoyed disliking him).
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Edited to add:
The book that keeps on giving. It is the next day and I have spent the morning solving the math puzzle in the book. Just as I was about to accept I no longer possess the math skills necessary, I figured it out!! I am so glad she decided to include the little brain teaser from her grandfather’s recollections! I had so much fun and feel a little smarter than yesterday.
The writing is beautiful. The story switches POVs which can lead to underdeveloped characters or uneven plot pacing. This is absolutely NOT the case here. The characters are fully fleshed out. The POV switches are expertly timed, appropriately progressing the plot and leaving me wanting a little more, yet quickly immersing me in the next POV. I enjoyed my time with each character (expect maybe Josef, but I still enjoyed disliking him).
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Edited to add:
The book that keeps on giving. It is the next day and I have spent the morning solving the math puzzle in the book. Just as I was about to accept I no longer possess the math skills necessary, I figured it out!! I am so glad she decided to include the little brain teaser from her grandfather’s recollections! I had so much fun and feel a little smarter than yesterday.
January 15, 2025
4.5 stars.
What a ride this debut novel takes you on! I've slowly been getting into Historical Fiction novels (thank you, Kristin Hannah), and this one did not disappoint. The first thing that stuck out to me was the gorgeous prose. I kept repeating to myself, "This is a debut author?!" It was not only beautifully crafted but also moved me as I read.
I loved the idea that some people become entangled with one another and the desire for some to force entanglement with specific individuals. I felt suspense and confusion as I started the novel, wondering who these people truly were. Throughout the novel, you discover the plethora of layers between characters and events; if you're not paying attention close enough, you might miss some important details.
The last few pages caused tears to run down my face. Overall, the story touched me and made me think in a way I don't typically think when I'm reading. Certain characters you might feel upset towards also make you feel sympathy for. The book's complexity was refreshing.
Thank you so much to Crown Publishing (and Hannah) for gifting me a copy of this book. Also, a big congratulations to Kirsten Menger-Anderson on a beautiful debut novel.
What a ride this debut novel takes you on! I've slowly been getting into Historical Fiction novels (thank you, Kristin Hannah), and this one did not disappoint. The first thing that stuck out to me was the gorgeous prose. I kept repeating to myself, "This is a debut author?!" It was not only beautifully crafted but also moved me as I read.
I loved the idea that some people become entangled with one another and the desire for some to force entanglement with specific individuals. I felt suspense and confusion as I started the novel, wondering who these people truly were. Throughout the novel, you discover the plethora of layers between characters and events; if you're not paying attention close enough, you might miss some important details.
The last few pages caused tears to run down my face. Overall, the story touched me and made me think in a way I don't typically think when I'm reading. Certain characters you might feel upset towards also make you feel sympathy for. The book's complexity was refreshing.
Thank you so much to Crown Publishing (and Hannah) for gifting me a copy of this book. Also, a big congratulations to Kirsten Menger-Anderson on a beautiful debut novel.
February 10, 2025
A girl has grown up with her father living under the radar, intentionally leaving no records of their existence. Then her father disappears. How do you find someone who has spent their whole life being untraceable? He's left her a clue, but it's as vague and mysterious as he is. The story weaves in and out of the account of a mathematician in 1930s Vienna, the man he loves, and the man who's determined to destroy him. And it all comes together very satisfyingly.
The Expert of Subtle Revisions could easily have collapsed under the weight of all the stories it tells, but it's written with wisdom and restraint, touching on themes it doesn't have the space to explore and then leaving it to linger in the reader's mind.
(I received this book through a ŷ giveaway.)
The Expert of Subtle Revisions could easily have collapsed under the weight of all the stories it tells, but it's written with wisdom and restraint, touching on themes it doesn't have the space to explore and then leaving it to linger in the reader's mind.
(I received this book through a ŷ giveaway.)
March 9, 2025
When I saw Jenna was reading this, and it was at least partially about Wikipedia, and it had such a sick cover, I knew I had to request it on NetGalley. I went in knowing next to nothing and was surprised to find a multi-POV, multi-timeline, genre-bending, inherently queer, speculative-historical mystery that worked.
At its heart, this novel is about searching for the place where you belong and the people with whom you belong, the implications of rewriting history—whether on Wikipedia or through time travel—and the spectrum of experience between skepticism and belief (in oneself, in theories, in love). The characters are fresh and distinctly written, bizarre in their own unique ways, and to watch them all dance around each other and piece together the puzzle was quite compelling. The ending is a little abstract, but even though we don’t get closure, I was personally ok with this because sometimes I wonder if the search for our place and our people isn’t a lifelong journey. No person is a static thing, after all, and neither is history.
The fact that the author was able to balance all these elements with such grace in her DEBUT NOVEL is baffling to me, and I sincerely hope she writes 500 more books thank you very much.
Gratitude to NetGalley and Crown for the advanced copy.
At its heart, this novel is about searching for the place where you belong and the people with whom you belong, the implications of rewriting history—whether on Wikipedia or through time travel—and the spectrum of experience between skepticism and belief (in oneself, in theories, in love). The characters are fresh and distinctly written, bizarre in their own unique ways, and to watch them all dance around each other and piece together the puzzle was quite compelling. The ending is a little abstract, but even though we don’t get closure, I was personally ok with this because sometimes I wonder if the search for our place and our people isn’t a lifelong journey. No person is a static thing, after all, and neither is history.
The fact that the author was able to balance all these elements with such grace in her DEBUT NOVEL is baffling to me, and I sincerely hope she writes 500 more books thank you very much.
Gratitude to NetGalley and Crown for the advanced copy.
March 29, 2025
I don’t know if I just wasn’t smart enough for this, if a reading slump got the better of me, the book just wasn’t quite right for me, or a combination of all three.
I loved the first few chapters, but tbe POVs of the two men in the past took me out of it a bit. I found some of the writing stunning, but after my initial enamourment, I went a little cold on it. I love historical fiction and mysteries, but something just didn’t click for me the way I had hoped.
I loved the first few chapters, but tbe POVs of the two men in the past took me out of it a bit. I found some of the writing stunning, but after my initial enamourment, I went a little cold on it. I love historical fiction and mysteries, but something just didn’t click for me the way I had hoped.
November 16, 2024
This review is based on an advance copy.
I feel "genre-bending" is an overused phrase, but this book definitely fits the bill. A bit self-actualization, a bit historical fiction, a bit mystery, with a dash of science fiction and romance - this book has it all. Bouncing between pre-COVID San Francisco and Austria during the start of the rise of Fascism, the book leads readers to slowly piece together through the points of view of three different and very distinct characters. This was a fantastic book.
I feel "genre-bending" is an overused phrase, but this book definitely fits the bill. A bit self-actualization, a bit historical fiction, a bit mystery, with a dash of science fiction and romance - this book has it all. Bouncing between pre-COVID San Francisco and Austria during the start of the rise of Fascism, the book leads readers to slowly piece together through the points of view of three different and very distinct characters. This was a fantastic book.
November 28, 2024
Loved it, read it cover to cover in a day, which only happens with the most engaging of books, the highest of praise in my world! Everything was great, storyline, pacing, prose, all amazing, thank you!
March 19, 2025
Some stories challenge both the heart and the mind
On a bench outside a bookstore near the water of Half Moon Bay a young woman waits for the man who raised her to sail in according to plan. Hase is her name, or at least one of the names by which people know her. She had an unusual childhood, homeschooled by the man she considers her father, a gifted mathematician. Their existence is completely off the grid....they exist in no paperwork, governmental or otherwise, and communicate with one another now that they live apart either by ham radio or mail that goes to an address where they rent the use of a mailbox (off the books, of course). But this time her father does not arrive as he has said he would, and Hase can't raise him on the ham radio. When his boat is discovered abandoned, she embarks on a quest to find him based on instructions he had left for her for just such a time. Then there is a separate tale, this one of a young man and mathematician named Anton Moritz who lives in 1930's Vienna, part of a group of intellectuals known as the Engelhardt Club who debate questions of time and space. Tensions are mounting in Vienna as politics rears its ugly head, and being an intellectual is not a particularly safe endeavor. The members of the Club face threats and harassment from those who value conformity over the pursuit of philosophical questions, particularly when rumors grow that the group has created a device that allows travels through time. Separated by decades, the two stories will become intertwined as the past is rewritten and revelations are made about family and identity.
Beautifully written and ambitious in scope, The Expert of Subtle Revisions is part historical mystery, part metaphysical consideration of the possibility of time travel, and part a look at how history is written and by whom. The book's greatest strength in my opinion is its characters, particularly that of Hase, a young woman out of step with her world yet comfortable in her relationship with it. She edits Wikipedia entries for fun, revels in provoking online arguments, and straddles the connected world in which she lives with her distinctly unconnected self. Author Kirsten Menger-Anderson also vividly conjures up a Vienna on the brink of political upheaval, basing the group of intellectuals in the novel with one that actually existed in those days. This is a book that requires the reader's attention, with philosophical musings woven into the storyline (which at times can weigh the story down a bit) and layer after layer of meaning condensed into the relatively few pages. Highly imaginative and blessed with deft, evocative prose, this is an intelligent offering that should appeal to fans of authors like Alan Lightman, Kate Atkinson, and Ruth Ozeki. My thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for allowing me access to this intriguing tale in exchange for my honest review.
On a bench outside a bookstore near the water of Half Moon Bay a young woman waits for the man who raised her to sail in according to plan. Hase is her name, or at least one of the names by which people know her. She had an unusual childhood, homeschooled by the man she considers her father, a gifted mathematician. Their existence is completely off the grid....they exist in no paperwork, governmental or otherwise, and communicate with one another now that they live apart either by ham radio or mail that goes to an address where they rent the use of a mailbox (off the books, of course). But this time her father does not arrive as he has said he would, and Hase can't raise him on the ham radio. When his boat is discovered abandoned, she embarks on a quest to find him based on instructions he had left for her for just such a time. Then there is a separate tale, this one of a young man and mathematician named Anton Moritz who lives in 1930's Vienna, part of a group of intellectuals known as the Engelhardt Club who debate questions of time and space. Tensions are mounting in Vienna as politics rears its ugly head, and being an intellectual is not a particularly safe endeavor. The members of the Club face threats and harassment from those who value conformity over the pursuit of philosophical questions, particularly when rumors grow that the group has created a device that allows travels through time. Separated by decades, the two stories will become intertwined as the past is rewritten and revelations are made about family and identity.
Beautifully written and ambitious in scope, The Expert of Subtle Revisions is part historical mystery, part metaphysical consideration of the possibility of time travel, and part a look at how history is written and by whom. The book's greatest strength in my opinion is its characters, particularly that of Hase, a young woman out of step with her world yet comfortable in her relationship with it. She edits Wikipedia entries for fun, revels in provoking online arguments, and straddles the connected world in which she lives with her distinctly unconnected self. Author Kirsten Menger-Anderson also vividly conjures up a Vienna on the brink of political upheaval, basing the group of intellectuals in the novel with one that actually existed in those days. This is a book that requires the reader's attention, with philosophical musings woven into the storyline (which at times can weigh the story down a bit) and layer after layer of meaning condensed into the relatively few pages. Highly imaginative and blessed with deft, evocative prose, this is an intelligent offering that should appeal to fans of authors like Alan Lightman, Kate Atkinson, and Ruth Ozeki. My thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for allowing me access to this intriguing tale in exchange for my honest review.
March 27, 2025
� 5/5 | genre-bending brilliance, with maths, memory, and melancholia �
I’ll admit it: I picked up The Expert of Subtle Revisions because of its cover. I was fully prepared for quirky. What I got was something astonishingly tender, dazzlingly clever, and quietly profound.
This book is, in a word, a vibe. Think Cloud Atlas by way of Sea of Tranquility, with a whisper of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida if it were written by someone who solves equations in verse. It’s about time travel, sort of. But it’s also about memory, grief, the tyranny of history, and the precise moments when a life bends into a different shape.
There’s a woman in 2016 named Hase who edits Wikipedia pages and lives in the shadows, waiting for her father to arrive by sailboat. There’s a group of mathematicians in 1930s Vienna arguing over theories of time while fascism closes in like fog on the Danube. And somewhere in between, there’s a music box that might alter the shape of a life. Or a century.
Each narrative thread is exquisitely rendered. Menger-Anderson does something rare: she gives her characters intellect and interiority in equal measure. Hase isn’t quirky for the sake of it—she’s strange in the way that grief makes us all strange. Josef is abhorrent, but never cartoonish. Anton broke my heart in three well-timed intervals.
Time travel, in fiction, is often about spectacle. This isn’t that. Here, it’s quieter. Less about machines and more about possibility. Less about paradox and more about personal recursion—how we loop through our regrets, how history repeats itself in small, cruel ways, and how art (and mathematics, and queerness, and stubbornness) might be our only rebellion.
And the writing? Gorgeous. Crisp. Oddly elegant. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t perform. But every line is calibrated, like the balance on an old scale—delicate, deliberate, and slightly dangerous.
There’s queerness here, but not as subplot. It’s stitched into the logic of the book, like a hidden proof. There’s philosophy, but not the kind that makes your eyes glaze. And there's a finale that isn’t a twist, exactly—it’s more like finding the edge of the map and realizing it was drawn by someone who loved you.
It’s rare to find a book that feels like it’s thinking with you, like you’re solving something together. Rarer still to finish it and feel like something has subtly shifted—just one degree, but enough to change your trajectory.
The Expert of Subtle Revisions is brilliant in every sense of the word. Give it your attention. Let it bewilder you a little.
I’ll admit it: I picked up The Expert of Subtle Revisions because of its cover. I was fully prepared for quirky. What I got was something astonishingly tender, dazzlingly clever, and quietly profound.
This book is, in a word, a vibe. Think Cloud Atlas by way of Sea of Tranquility, with a whisper of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida if it were written by someone who solves equations in verse. It’s about time travel, sort of. But it’s also about memory, grief, the tyranny of history, and the precise moments when a life bends into a different shape.
There’s a woman in 2016 named Hase who edits Wikipedia pages and lives in the shadows, waiting for her father to arrive by sailboat. There’s a group of mathematicians in 1930s Vienna arguing over theories of time while fascism closes in like fog on the Danube. And somewhere in between, there’s a music box that might alter the shape of a life. Or a century.
Each narrative thread is exquisitely rendered. Menger-Anderson does something rare: she gives her characters intellect and interiority in equal measure. Hase isn’t quirky for the sake of it—she’s strange in the way that grief makes us all strange. Josef is abhorrent, but never cartoonish. Anton broke my heart in three well-timed intervals.
Time travel, in fiction, is often about spectacle. This isn’t that. Here, it’s quieter. Less about machines and more about possibility. Less about paradox and more about personal recursion—how we loop through our regrets, how history repeats itself in small, cruel ways, and how art (and mathematics, and queerness, and stubbornness) might be our only rebellion.
And the writing? Gorgeous. Crisp. Oddly elegant. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t perform. But every line is calibrated, like the balance on an old scale—delicate, deliberate, and slightly dangerous.
There’s queerness here, but not as subplot. It’s stitched into the logic of the book, like a hidden proof. There’s philosophy, but not the kind that makes your eyes glaze. And there's a finale that isn’t a twist, exactly—it’s more like finding the edge of the map and realizing it was drawn by someone who loved you.
It’s rare to find a book that feels like it’s thinking with you, like you’re solving something together. Rarer still to finish it and feel like something has subtly shifted—just one degree, but enough to change your trajectory.
The Expert of Subtle Revisions is brilliant in every sense of the word. Give it your attention. Let it bewilder you a little.
February 8, 2025
I read a free advance digital review copy provided by the publisher, Crown Publishing, via NetGalley.
If you start the book cold, with no knowledge of its plot, it takes quite awhile to see that this is a time travel book or even that there are any connections between the characters in the different chapters. In 2016, Hase (which means rabbit in German) is a young woman scraping by in San Francisco, keeping in touch with her math genius father, who lives on a boat, by ham radio. Both Hase and her father avoid cellphones and tracking tech generally, though Hase is addicted to reading and editing Wikipedia. When Hase’s father doesn’t show up at their agreed-upon shoreline meeting place for her birthday, and doesn’t respond to her ham radio calls, she knows this is the “in the event� contingency that he told her should spur her into looking up a particular book and following his lead in the book to . . . something.
In 1933 Vienna, Anton Moritz arrives in Vienna to take up a teaching post in logic and mathematics at the university, where he hopes to become a member of the circle of the famed Professor Engelhardt. He is intrigued by Engelhardt’s protegée, the beautiful Sophie Popovic, and puzzled by the hanger-on Josef Zedlacher, who seems to despise Moritz, practically on sight. It’s a fraught time to be in Vienna, with the fascist Dollfuss in charge of the Austrian government, and Nazi gangs roaming the streets and regularly attacking the university.
For such a short book, this is packed with ideas and a mind-bending quest through time. It also raises issues about personal identity, connections, and one’s place in the world. The writing is evocative and appeals to both the mind and the heart. On top of all that, I’d say it’s a bit of a love letter to Wikipedia, which I think is one of the most under-appreciated and important resources of our time.
4.5 stars, rounded to 5
If you start the book cold, with no knowledge of its plot, it takes quite awhile to see that this is a time travel book or even that there are any connections between the characters in the different chapters. In 2016, Hase (which means rabbit in German) is a young woman scraping by in San Francisco, keeping in touch with her math genius father, who lives on a boat, by ham radio. Both Hase and her father avoid cellphones and tracking tech generally, though Hase is addicted to reading and editing Wikipedia. When Hase’s father doesn’t show up at their agreed-upon shoreline meeting place for her birthday, and doesn’t respond to her ham radio calls, she knows this is the “in the event� contingency that he told her should spur her into looking up a particular book and following his lead in the book to . . . something.
In 1933 Vienna, Anton Moritz arrives in Vienna to take up a teaching post in logic and mathematics at the university, where he hopes to become a member of the circle of the famed Professor Engelhardt. He is intrigued by Engelhardt’s protegée, the beautiful Sophie Popovic, and puzzled by the hanger-on Josef Zedlacher, who seems to despise Moritz, practically on sight. It’s a fraught time to be in Vienna, with the fascist Dollfuss in charge of the Austrian government, and Nazi gangs roaming the streets and regularly attacking the university.
For such a short book, this is packed with ideas and a mind-bending quest through time. It also raises issues about personal identity, connections, and one’s place in the world. The writing is evocative and appeals to both the mind and the heart. On top of all that, I’d say it’s a bit of a love letter to Wikipedia, which I think is one of the most under-appreciated and important resources of our time.
4.5 stars, rounded to 5
February 16, 2025
I am not a huge fan of multiple points of view unless I am engaged with each one. Sadly in this novel, I was not. Thankfully the opening chapter set in Berkeley California from which the novel makes a rather slow start shifts quickly to an intriguing (mostly true) story set in the dark days of Vienna during the 1930s.
This was the POV story that I found utterly fascinating. That period is so resonant. It features the rise of fascism under the government of Chancellor Dolfus. A conservative champion of the Catholic Church who sought not only to crush the communist menace in the working class neighborhood of 'Red' Vienna but to stamp out secularism at the universities. The novel gives us a glimpse of politics targeting intellectual movements and distorting them into enemies of the state, enemies of all that is good and true. This seems to lead to the all too sad axiom that once you dehumanize a person or group some people may feel justified into harming them.
In this novel that 'enemy' goes by the moniker of the Vienna Circle. A group of philosophers that 'asserted' that claims that cannot be scientifically verified, claims like the existence of God, do not make sense, those claims are simply nonsense.
There's a touching queer romance that begins under these awful conditions. Awful in the sense that during that period being exposed as gay and an atheist was tantamount to risking one's livelihood and even one's life.
I suspect the best science fiction being written today is outside of the genre but in this case, I thought the time-travel element was a bit underwhelming. But that's subjective on my part since I wanted to read more about the Vienna Circle and the cultural wars of that period.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
This was the POV story that I found utterly fascinating. That period is so resonant. It features the rise of fascism under the government of Chancellor Dolfus. A conservative champion of the Catholic Church who sought not only to crush the communist menace in the working class neighborhood of 'Red' Vienna but to stamp out secularism at the universities. The novel gives us a glimpse of politics targeting intellectual movements and distorting them into enemies of the state, enemies of all that is good and true. This seems to lead to the all too sad axiom that once you dehumanize a person or group some people may feel justified into harming them.
In this novel that 'enemy' goes by the moniker of the Vienna Circle. A group of philosophers that 'asserted' that claims that cannot be scientifically verified, claims like the existence of God, do not make sense, those claims are simply nonsense.
There's a touching queer romance that begins under these awful conditions. Awful in the sense that during that period being exposed as gay and an atheist was tantamount to risking one's livelihood and even one's life.
I suspect the best science fiction being written today is outside of the genre but in this case, I thought the time-travel element was a bit underwhelming. But that's subjective on my part since I wanted to read more about the Vienna Circle and the cultural wars of that period.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
January 20, 2025
Amazing writing and vivid imagery. However, this novel is a pretty slow burn and doesn’t really pick up the pace until over halfway through.
First off, the book cover is a Wiki article - it’s what initially drew me to this book and is actually pretty central to decoding the story. The book follows two alternating timelines and 3 character’s POV - it’s a little challenging to follow why these stories were intersected at first but once you get the basics of who they are, it is easier. There’s
* Hase, a young woman searching for her missing father in the year 2016 in SF;
* Anton, a brilliant mathematics professor of the University of Vienna in the year 1933;
* and Josef, a disgruntled academic of mathematics who is also from Vienna 1933
Overall, I thought the writing was well done, and I do like that it makes you think - it’s definitely not a book that hands everything to the audience. However, the multiple POVs did interrupt critical moments (although to be fair, this is a technique that many TV series use to get audience to keep watching) plus there is a lot of exposition in the beginning that you have to be patient with.
Hase and her father pretty much live off the grid and their only online presence is through editing Wikipedia articles, so it was interesting to see how every word matters when it comes to conveying a message or concept. I think this is a good novel for readers who are okay with going along with the ride and putting in some effort to appreciate the writing and see how everything comes together.
Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are independently my own.
First off, the book cover is a Wiki article - it’s what initially drew me to this book and is actually pretty central to decoding the story. The book follows two alternating timelines and 3 character’s POV - it’s a little challenging to follow why these stories were intersected at first but once you get the basics of who they are, it is easier. There’s
* Hase, a young woman searching for her missing father in the year 2016 in SF;
* Anton, a brilliant mathematics professor of the University of Vienna in the year 1933;
* and Josef, a disgruntled academic of mathematics who is also from Vienna 1933
Overall, I thought the writing was well done, and I do like that it makes you think - it’s definitely not a book that hands everything to the audience. However, the multiple POVs did interrupt critical moments (although to be fair, this is a technique that many TV series use to get audience to keep watching) plus there is a lot of exposition in the beginning that you have to be patient with.
Hase and her father pretty much live off the grid and their only online presence is through editing Wikipedia articles, so it was interesting to see how every word matters when it comes to conveying a message or concept. I think this is a good novel for readers who are okay with going along with the ride and putting in some effort to appreciate the writing and see how everything comes together.
Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are independently my own.
March 12, 2025
"Time, time, time. Would you believe me if I told you I traveled back in time to see you?"
I’m sad to say that I didn’t connect with this book at all. Initially, I was intrigued by Hase and her father’s off-the-grid lifestyle, as well as the mystery surrounding his disappearance. I also found their shared habit of editing Wikipedia pages fascinating, particularly the emphasis on phrasing and how subtle word choices can change a sentence entirely.
However, once the timeline shifted to Vienna, I felt lost. It probably didn’t help that I read most of this during my commute rather than in one sitting, but even so, I found myself confused every time I picked it back up.
The narrative meandered in a way that made it difficult for me to stay engaged. I felt similarly when reading , which I wasn't able to finish since it seemed pretty vague and directionless. I also struggled to connect with the characters, though I did enjoy the .
That said, the prose in this book was lovely, especially lines like "I am an expert of subtle revisions. Line by line, each word a choice: 'she accepted' or 'she chose,' 'they parted ways' or 'their ways were parted,' 'he wrote a letter' or 'the letter was received.'"
Unfortunately, this book just wasn't the right fit for me and I had to push myself to finish it.
Thank you Crown Publishing for the ARC!
March 31, 2025
I feel like everything I want to say about this book is a spoiler, so to sum it up I'll give you a highlight from my notes in my ebook where I wrote: "YOU'RE NOT EVEN FUCKING GOOD AT MATH", which at that point in the story truly felt like the most devastating, hard-hitting way I could insult this character. And he needed to be insulted.
This was really such a beautiful, infuriating, and interesting (for lack of a better word), little story. Little in a page count sense, not in scope, because Kirsten Menger-Anderson does A LOT with not that many pages. I got worried near the end that she wasn't going to be able to wrap it all up, not because of a lack of skill but because maybe that wasn't what was meant to happen in this story, but of course she made it all work. .
Thanks to Kirsten Menger-Anderson and The Expert of Subtle Revisions I'm also about to dive back into editing wikipedia articles, something I haven't done since 2021, but I'm suddenly feeling very inspired.
This was really such a beautiful, infuriating, and interesting (for lack of a better word), little story. Little in a page count sense, not in scope, because Kirsten Menger-Anderson does A LOT with not that many pages. I got worried near the end that she wasn't going to be able to wrap it all up, not because of a lack of skill but because maybe that wasn't what was meant to happen in this story, but of course she made it all work. .
Thanks to Kirsten Menger-Anderson and The Expert of Subtle Revisions I'm also about to dive back into editing wikipedia articles, something I haven't done since 2021, but I'm suddenly feeling very inspired.
March 12, 2025
Please don't assume my rating is me being generous due to this being a review copy. The Expert of Subtle Revisions is an absolute 5 star read!
The story is inventive and complex but not convoluted. The plot pieces fell right into place as the story progressed, it was a great thing to experience. I was very impressed with how well researched the story was while I was reading it initially, and have even more respect for the author after seeing the amount of sources in the acknowledgments.
The characters are nuanced and individual. I love Anton as a character. He was as honest as he could reasonably be with Hase. He told her early on that she was named by her real father and mother. I kept this in the back of my mind when Sofia was introduced and it stopped my suspicions about anything developing between her and Anton. Also, the chemistry between Anton and Haskell was immediate, their romance adds a layer to the story that sets it apart.
I was thrilled for a few pages when I thought Josef had died but he was an irritant till the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy.
The story is inventive and complex but not convoluted. The plot pieces fell right into place as the story progressed, it was a great thing to experience. I was very impressed with how well researched the story was while I was reading it initially, and have even more respect for the author after seeing the amount of sources in the acknowledgments.
The characters are nuanced and individual. I love Anton as a character. He was as honest as he could reasonably be with Hase. He told her early on that she was named by her real father and mother. I kept this in the back of my mind when Sofia was introduced and it stopped my suspicions about anything developing between her and Anton. Also, the chemistry between Anton and Haskell was immediate, their romance adds a layer to the story that sets it apart.
I was thrilled for a few pages when I thought Josef had died but he was an irritant till the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2025
Thanks so much to Kirsten Menger-Anderson, Crown publishing, and ŷ for the free print copy:-)
If I ever write a book it will definitely center around time travel. It's fascinated me and I've loved time travel stories since I was very young. Voices After Midnight by Richard Peck comes to mind as one of the first I've ever read. I LOVED this story so much. Finished it in a day. I won't give away too much of the plot but here's a synopsis I found:
There are whispers of a machine, a music box, which can transport someone through time. But no one can confirm if it’s a rumor or true.
In 2016, a woman searches for her missing father, and in 1933 a man tries to solve an impossible problem in Kirsten Menger-Anderson's THE EXPERT OF SUBTLE REVISIONS—out now.
I never knew you could view edit history on Wikipedia prior to reading this book. I guess I just never paid attention when viewing it.
If I ever write a book it will definitely center around time travel. It's fascinated me and I've loved time travel stories since I was very young. Voices After Midnight by Richard Peck comes to mind as one of the first I've ever read. I LOVED this story so much. Finished it in a day. I won't give away too much of the plot but here's a synopsis I found:
There are whispers of a machine, a music box, which can transport someone through time. But no one can confirm if it’s a rumor or true.
In 2016, a woman searches for her missing father, and in 1933 a man tries to solve an impossible problem in Kirsten Menger-Anderson's THE EXPERT OF SUBTLE REVISIONS—out now.
I never knew you could view edit history on Wikipedia prior to reading this book. I guess I just never paid attention when viewing it.
October 22, 2024
3.5 stars. This historical time travel mystery is compulsively readable. I found it hard to put down. The plot was definitely attention grabbing! I also liked the different settings but overall this fell a little flat for me. One of the major reasons for this is because I don’t think I really liked the writing style. The dialogue for some characters, especially the American ones, seemed very inaccurate to the era and age they were described? It’s hard to articulate but I didn’t think it flowed. There was also a lot of important context just briefly thrown at us (that I would’ve loved getting to sit with longer) that I think just overall really kept the characters and emotions very superficial and affected my enjoyment.
The cover is stunning. Thank you Crown Publishing for an arc!
The cover is stunning. Thank you Crown Publishing for an arc!
January 23, 2025
4.5 �
Wow, what a gem this book was! I'm so glad I read it (thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC).
I think it's best to go in blind with this book - I'll just say that it alternates between modern-day San Francisco and the mathematical/philosophy circles of 1930s Vienna. Add time travel, obsession, Austrofacism and Wikipedia and you've got a great story. Menger Anderson is a beautiful writer too and I loved what she did with the ending. Her writing reminded me of Emily St. John Mandel (whom I love). I really think this book would make a great Netflix miniseries -- kind of similar in feel to the German show "Dark".
The Expert of Subtle Revisions comes out on March 18th!
Wow, what a gem this book was! I'm so glad I read it (thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC).
I think it's best to go in blind with this book - I'll just say that it alternates between modern-day San Francisco and the mathematical/philosophy circles of 1930s Vienna. Add time travel, obsession, Austrofacism and Wikipedia and you've got a great story. Menger Anderson is a beautiful writer too and I loved what she did with the ending. Her writing reminded me of Emily St. John Mandel (whom I love). I really think this book would make a great Netflix miniseries -- kind of similar in feel to the German show "Dark".
The Expert of Subtle Revisions comes out on March 18th!
March 23, 2025
Thanks to Crown for the gifted ARC!
This one hooked me from the start and held my attention until the end. At no point did I ever know where it was going next.
I really enjoyed the dual timelines and the three different character POVs. I also had fun just going along for the ride and having no clue about what was going on for a while. When I started to pick up on hints and could see how it was coming together, it was really gratifying.
I found the historical elements to be incredibly interesting as well as the settings they brought us to.
In the end, I don’t think all of my questions were answered, but enough were to leave me satisfied. The last few chapters felt like a flurry of information and I don’t think I was able to fully take it all in. Because of that, I wonder if maybe I somehow just missed some information that would have answered other questions.
This was really creative and ambitious, especially for a debut. I think the concept and blend of genres was hard to pull off, but Menger-Anderson did it well.
This one hooked me from the start and held my attention until the end. At no point did I ever know where it was going next.
I really enjoyed the dual timelines and the three different character POVs. I also had fun just going along for the ride and having no clue about what was going on for a while. When I started to pick up on hints and could see how it was coming together, it was really gratifying.
I found the historical elements to be incredibly interesting as well as the settings they brought us to.
In the end, I don’t think all of my questions were answered, but enough were to leave me satisfied. The last few chapters felt like a flurry of information and I don’t think I was able to fully take it all in. Because of that, I wonder if maybe I somehow just missed some information that would have answered other questions.
This was really creative and ambitious, especially for a debut. I think the concept and blend of genres was hard to pull off, but Menger-Anderson did it well.
November 29, 2024
I really liked this book. The author was able to keep a steady and interesting pace throughout the whole book, rare in such an ambitious plot. The book has complexity, layer and layers of subjects intertwined in a beautiful love story.
Hase’s experieces broke my heart at several points during the book. I felt like she was very vulnerable and untethered. Her freedom seemed like an ultimate limitation that constantly threatened her livelihood, I think for this reason I couldn’t go back to this book for a reread. All of the characters seem to meet a tragic or sad end, with rare islands of respite.
The historical aspect of the story is really worth reading, I felt like I was actually in Vienna in the 1930s.
Hase’s experieces broke my heart at several points during the book. I felt like she was very vulnerable and untethered. Her freedom seemed like an ultimate limitation that constantly threatened her livelihood, I think for this reason I couldn’t go back to this book for a reread. All of the characters seem to meet a tragic or sad end, with rare islands of respite.
The historical aspect of the story is really worth reading, I felt like I was actually in Vienna in the 1930s.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2025
An unusual- and challenging- novel that merges historical and science fiction through a bit of time travel between the present California and 1930s Vienna. Hase follows her father's direction to find a particular boat after he disappears and the world opens and changes. Anton and Joseph, two men who love each other, are dealing with fascism and prejudice in Vienna. The POV shifts between the three and you'll wonder how it will all line up- trust that it does. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Hard to review without spoilers- this is one for fans of literary fiction.
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