Q: A Novel audiobook

I am partial, I must admit.

Q is one of those books with the unfortunate side effect that when you are done, you find yourself wandering forlornly around Amazon lamenting the fact that the author doesn't have at least a dozen more books for you to read right away (only 2 others—both fantastic). Q is that good—a rare combination of humor, truth and poignancy. It is told from the point of view of a character called “I” who falls in love with his soul mate, “Q.” Everything goes along peachy until one day I's 60-year-old depressed and dejected self comes back through a time machine to warn young I not to marry Q.When I finished reading the book, I immediately went back to the beginning and found that the plot fit together perfectly. I got that tingly, excited feeling that I had experienced something truly exceptional. So I'll forgive Mr. Mandery for not having enough books written to keep me happy. I’ll be patient. And I will be first in line to buy his next creation. My only other complaint about Evan Mandery is that it is unfair that he knows about so many subjects, has an amazing sense of humor, teaches, wins at poker, and he can write. No one could possibly accomplish all this in one lifetime. Hmm. Maybe he has also invented a time machine for real. I wouldn't put it past him.

In Q, Mandery writes with equal measures of wit, irony, and poignancy--all tinged with a certain existential angst and philosophical reflection--that is characteristic of his other novelsas well (see: First Contact or It's Later than You Think and Dreamingof Gwen Stefani). In my opinion, this is Mandery's best work althoughI highly enjoyed his other novels as well. If you have read the otherreviews, you already know what it is about, so I won't detail the plothere. I will say, however, that Q was a book I could hardly put down;I wanted to read it all in one sitting, and, trust me, I tried. Asothers have mentioned, the narrator is "malleable," but this does notkeep him from having a very real and unique personality, one thatenlightens and entertains throughout the book (I enjoyed Q almost asmuch for its educational value as I did for it's entertainmentvalue--who knew Freud studied eel testes?). Furthermore, thismalleability serves a point: who among us is not just as "malleable?"As we go about our lives and worry about our future, who is notsubject to every whim of his "future self?" Before you realize it,about seven different versions of yourself have lived and you havenot. I thought the essential critique of this book--one that a coupleof other reviewers have picked up on as well--was an insightful one.The book questions the assumption that were we all to choose the"right" path in life and follow it through, we would all be happy.Mandery questions this assumption with optimistic existentialism andties it closely to another theme in the book: the illusion ofprogress. I liked that, all throughout, Mandery used humor and ironyto illuminate these themes without "hitting us over the head" withthem (for example, the narrator, who is constantly visited by futureversions of himself who try to change his future, is a writer ofcounter-historical fiction, which contemplates how things would bedifferent were things in the past to change).That being said, from my survey of other reviews, I noticed somerecurring complaints that I think are unfounded. A few people seemedto have been irked by the books-within-books (these are excerptedportions of the writing the fiction-writing narrator producesthroughout the storyline). Personally, I loved them. First of all,they are very funny. I mean, seriously, the line "He would publish thetestes" is reason enough to write them. And contrary to the thoughtsof I-70--and some human reviewers--I thought they were well writtenand entertaining, and could stand as pieces of fiction on their own.The fact that one of them is a story-within-a-book that contains astory within it and talks about a book, is absurdly funny in itself.However, as others have failed to acknowledge, each of thesestories reinforce the central themes of the book; they all questionthe nature of progress and whether or not humanity, society, orindividual human beings are constantly moving towards somethingbetter, or, in other words, "evolving." Some have remarked that thesestories are a "distraction," but in my opinion, they serve animportant function. Furthermore, I liked that they were "distractions"in a sense. They literally hinder one's progress through the narrativeand tie into the theme of the novel structurally as well assemantically. As literary devices, they do for the book what all ofthe future iterations of the narrator's self have done to him. Withoutgiving too much away, one's progress through the book is, in a sense,an illusion (those familiar with the ending know what I mean).Others have said that the book is "unrealistic" or that it fell shortof their expectations as being a "love story." In short, the novel issupposed to be neither of these: it is an absurdly and irreverentlyfunny novel that is intended to question the sentiment of atypical "love story" or other such stories. However, if you arelooking for a humorous and thought-provoking novel, I would highlyrecommend Q.

An author needs a wealth of chutzpah to write a philosophical sci-fi/comedy/romance and a still deeper well of talent to pull it off. Impressively, Evan Mandery mostly succeeds with his poignant, often hilarious, consideration of our universal curse of second guessing.Our narrator, (“I”) is a professor of history and novelist, who writes alternative histories about such profound questions as what if President William Harrison had taken his mother’s advice and worn a jacket to his inauguration (thus avoiding the pneumonia which killed him a mere 32 days later) and what if Freud stayed with his initial topic of study (the search for the elusive eel testicle). I tells of how he met the love of his life, Quentina Elizabeth Deveril (the “Q” of the title). All is paradisaical until a visit from the narrator’s time traveling 60-year-old self, referred to I-60 (to avoid confusion with interstates I will“…refer to these routes by their full Christian names…”). I-60 persuades him not marry Q. However, ending the engagement brings little happiness (in present or future). A series of future selves arrive later, pushing I in this and that direction (and usually insisting that their advice must be given over a meal at an exclusive New York restaurant, and no, time travelers can’t bring along their wallets). This spiral structure remains fresh -- though one begins to wonder why I continues to accept all this less than stellar advice. Much of Q’s success lies in Mandery’s obvious empathy for I and his delightful sense of humor. Perhaps my only quibble is that Mandery’s efforts at Woody Allenesque absurdist one-liners sometimes blunt his sharp, Vonnegut-like, humorous social criticism. Any short-comings, however, will surely be forgotten at the novel’s moving final chapter, which will make you want to embrace that person who you love most. It will take a reader with a very hard-heart not to be moved by Q.

Q has been, thusfar, my favorite read of 2011. Mandery's First Contact explored alien invasions in a robust, realistic way and thankfully, he's applied that same wonderful sense of style to time travel. Mandery's obsession with pop culture and comedy (look no further than one character's thousand mile journey for a Chik-Fil-A sandwich) wraps tightly among what is first and foremost a love story, but is turned on its head by rupturing the space time continuum.At the core of this heartbreaking and hilarious work is an all-too-familiar question: If we could go back in time and tell ourselves not to make certain mistakes, would we listen? Should we listen? Mandery's take on this topic produces one of the strongest works of fiction this year.

"Q" is really funny. And smart. The author made a great choice, because the best way to avoid making the reader think or question about the paradoxes and impossibilities of time travel, is with humor. It doesn't matter (that much) the accuracy of the physic's laws or the science at all (although in the story the paradoxes are discussed), because what is truly important in "Q" are the humor and the romance, and the philosophy which underlays the whole plot, with the idea that the progress or the evolution are an ilusion, and fate and how determinant it is.Also, as a Woody Allen fan, I really enjoyed the short funny story within the story. The Kugelmass Episode is one my favorite Allen's short stories (because it's funny, and because it has a message, "subtle but present", as the narrator in Q explain humans like stories) and I think it has in common with Q the idea that the misery of life is inevitable...(and the humor of the whole book is very Allenlike).But Mandery is far more optimistic, because he puts love as a remedy for the bad things. It's true that Allen "says" the same (and delivers that message in his films), but by the way he writes, and judging from his movies (and interviews), it's hard to really believe him (at least in his personal life). Unlike Mandery, who seems more authentic about it (with the risk of being extremely honeyed), and who wrote one of the most soulful (in the good sense of the word) aknowledgments I've ever read. A must read for Allen's fans, or anyone who enjoys a great love story, filled with smart humor.

This was fantastic. I can't wait to read it again. It encouraged me to think about many different things, those being factual to emotional. I found it very similar to the way I perceive love's encounter. I don't know why others have reviewed it like they have. I guess we all just have different tastes. I always find a book to be notable when it opens my mind to new ideas and spins old ones and new vocabulary. The tempo was pretty consistent to me too, although I can admit some of the time travel towards the end was a tad much. But the ending was unexpected, yet fulfilling at the same time. I will read this again in the future.

I read this book in a day, which absolutely never happens. But honestly, I don't think there is any other way that this book should be read. Gobble it up, it's so fabulous. The writing is superb, sometimes a bit Austen-esque. And the characters are wonderful. The beauty of this story is that it starts out as a love story, and it ends up being a story of self discovery and of choices. Through our unnamed narrators voice and experiences we see the weight that choices have on our lives, how beautiful it can be when we make our own. Loved this book, it was utterly beautiful and moving.

Immensely moving and poignant.... more like a fable about what the consequences of our actions can be and would we follow on our intentions if we come to know how they would unfold in the future. But also uproariously funny at various places and the counter-factual theories are a spot of absolute, inspired genius, especially when they pull in Old Tippecanoe (William Henry Harrison, President of the US), Daniel Webster, and Herr Doktor Freud. A most delightful, but though-provoking read....

What would happen if somewhere in the future, the ability to travel through time became a reality? What if you could travel back in time to talk to your earlier version of yourself and stop events before they could ruin your life and make you miserable? Would you do it?In the novel, Q by Evan Mandery, this is the premise for the story. A man in the story is never mentioned by his name, which is odd when you consider it but it doesn't interrupt the story. He meets the girl of his dreams. She is cute, funny, and they have many of the same qualities in common from favorite game show hosts to frozen TV dinners. She comes from a family whose father, John Deveril, owns one of the top 10 construction companies and is always looking for the next big business project. He on the other hand, is a professor and a writer working on his second novel. His first, Time's Broken Arrow is published but is struggling to find readers who can enjoy the book without falling sleep or using it for a doorstop.He can completely imagine a life with Q, whose real name is Quentina Elizabeth Deveril, and is set on making plans for a wedding with her when his future self shows up, he is confused. Not sure just what is going on, he arranges for a series of meetings to find out what is going on and what does it mean for him. Ultimately the message is the same, do not marry Q! To find out why, well, you're going to have to pick this one up!I received this book compliments of TLC Book Tours for my honest review and LOVED it! Never imagined this type of scenario for a story but could empathize both with the present day and future versions of the man in Q's life. I would highly recommend this one for any reader looking for a twist on your traditional romance stories! I would rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

This is a funny, poignant, timetraveling, somewhat cautionary love story told over one very chameleon like lifetime. "Q' stands for Quentina Elizabeth Deveril, the passion of the protagonist's life (we never learn his name), his intended wife until he gets a visit from "a friend" who convinces him to leave her. This is only the first of several visits that cause him to dramatically change his life over and over again. I would argue that "Q" could possibly stand for "quantum physics" given that time travel plays a very big role in this story. But no matter the names or the nameless, this is a fascinating tale with numerous twists and turns that will keep you captivated from the first paragraph until the very last, and very gratifying, line.

Q by Evan Mandery is a witty, charming, and funny book filled with larger than life characters. The protagonist (a lovable young professor) meets and falls in love with Q (his perfect woman). They are planning to marry when our unnamed protagonist gets a visit from his future self warning him of dire consequences if he marries Q. He breaks off with Q but continues to be visited by future versions of himself. These encounters are hilarious and touching. The ending of the book is poignant and uplifting. This book would be a wonderful movie. An intriguing role for one actor to play.

This is quite a spectacular book, and I do not use that word often. The writing is detailed and precise and vivid. The characters are well-sketched and strong, and the story is whimsical and real all at the same time.This book worked for me chiefly because of the fluid writing. It sounds corny, but the writing was almost magical. I loved the way Mandery groups words together, setting them so that each one seems perfect in it’s place. I am truly enamored.Full review at my blog.

This is a thoroughly lovely novel. I am loathe to say anything about the plot for fear of giving away any of the delightful, sad, beautiful secrets this book holds. Suffice it to say that a young man is convinced not to marry a woman he deeply loves, a decision which should make his life better, but only succeeds in setting into motion a series of ill-advised decisions. A literate, fun, and charming read.