The Anatomy of Dreams: A Novel

Parasomnia is a fascinating concept and the basis for this novel. The story follows 2 young researchers and their professor/mentor as they conduct research on the margins of ethics and science. The characters are complex and sometimes frustrating as you try to understand their actions. The story unfolds over time using flash forward and flash back, creating at times a disorientation for the reader, but that also is intentional. I almost stopped reading this but I could not-the story kept drawing me in. I’m glad I persisted. This is a thought provoking tale that you cannot look away from once you begin the journey.

Well written, but I thought the story was predictable.... ending could have been better to wrap things up. I don't want to spoil things but let's just say a murder could have been made more interesting- like more interactions later with characters involved in the murder. I feel this book could have been so much better if there was just more........ I absolutely loved Chloe Benjamin's other book though!

I first saw this book as a giveaway on Goodreads, and ordered is once it was available. I really want to like this book more than I do. I am currently studying sleep and dreams and I did find it very informative (had never heard of Parasomnia Overlap Disorder) and am glad to have found it. As other reviewers have noted, it took a while to get involved in the story, and I never really connected with any of the characters, although the story in itself was very interesting. It always felt as if I was on the outside looking in, not really experiencing it from Sylvie's perspective, even though it was written in the first person. It almost feels like she's telling her story as if she is disconnected from it. For instance, when she finds out what was really going on, I didn't feel her anger, or what it felt like for her, I felt like an observer, watching her reactions from the outside. Overall, I think it was a good story, and would recommend it, especially if you're interested in dreams.

Her previous book, “The Immortalists” was amazing. This was wholly disappointing. The narrator is uptight and unlikeable. The plot is tepid. The whole thing reads like she needed a word count for a deadline.

Keep with it. There was one story line i wanted to know more about that was just over but all in all it was a great read on a very interesting topic.

This is a stellar novel from an impressive new talent. It is character driven but not in derogation of the plot. It is informative but not pedantic. It is clever but not smug.Rather than rattle off key plot points, I prefer to describe the immersive experience of reading this book. Unsurprisingly, the novel is about dreams. Such a reductive explanation, however, does no justice to the myriad other themes that permeate the novel - notably (for me) the conflict, or, at least, tension, between reason and experience; yet, for the limited purpose of explaining what it feels like to be caught up in this work, it is sufficient (if less than satisfying) to say that it is about dreams.So, dreams. What impressed me was Benjamin's uncanny ability to deploy form so as to enrich her subject matter. Stated differently, her stylistic choices greatly enhanced the reader's experience with regard to the subject of dreams. As an example, synesthesia is deployed in describing even the most mundane of circumstances. While initially jarring, this approach yields immeasurable benefits in that it assists in creating a reality that is (or appears to be) malleable and, given the manner in which the story unfolds, this protean quality - which Benjamin takes care to nurture from cover to cover - takes center stage. Although Benjamin's world is very real (particularly her loving descriptions of San Francisco), in the margins, there is a creeping feeling that not everything is as the narrator perceives it to be. This, in turn, requires the reader to stay vigilant in policing the line between consciousness and sub-consciousness. What a delightful challenge - one that shows a profound respect for the reader's intelligence and a sophisticated understanding of what makes the act of reading pleasurable, not to mention edifying.I'm afraid that if I continue I'll reveal more than is prudent. In brief, I enthusiastically recommend this book and eagerly await the author's follow up to her fantastic debut.

The end is a mindf***. Please read this book.

Great book! It was in fine shape.

I read "The Immortalists" by the same author and was blown away. Considered it the best book I had read for years. Expected big things from this but was disappointed. The narrative was slow, the characterisation pretty vague and the "plot twist" obvious from the start. Avoid.

I can't really seem to get into the book, I keep trying though

I recommend

There are five main characters, and all are sadly shallow - I get the impression the author wants me to like them, but there is just no feel. The novel is over and I still don't know them. Therefore, I don't really care about what happens to them. The scientific part is not deep either, a mumbo - jumbo. Sorry, did not like this book.

Slow paced and scattered, the book jumps from period to period in an attempt to build toward something. And yet at the end when you know the reveal is just about to happen and you think “ahh finally”, it happens and just seems a bit lacking. I wished it had been meatier. While I loved the concept, I personally didn’t feel satisfied after.