Rating: 
Summary: Stunning
Review: I love the prose in this book, the sheer beauty of language he brings across. The ideas are very compelling, and the characters are memorable. I found it in the Science Fiction section of my local bookstore, but I feel its appeal would probably be much more universal. It's the greatest and by far the strangest love story I've ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: an accessibly contained, entertaining meditation on reality
Review: I picked up this book, curiously enough, after reading William James' A PLURALISTIC UNIVERSE, a rather dense and intensely british series of lectures on the nature of reality, the probability of the absolute, and the faults of monistic philosophy.Lethem's more contemporary and extremely witty AS SHE CLIMBED ACROSS THE TABLE seemed to package up the subject matter of James' text and apply it to theoretical people, just as an experiment. The book, under the guise of a sweetly quirky and romantic love story, examines our relation to the other--in Lethem's version strangely anthropomorphized as a vacancy, a -nothing- referred to affectionately (-quite- affectionately) as 'Lack.' Though Lethem's brain is clearly an intelligent one directed at more than entertainment, the more heady allegorical level of the book struggles to unfetter itself from the romance, rather than interact with it, tainting Lack with false humanity, rather than letting the real humans in the story face Lack's true emptiness. Instead, they -become- the vacancy, leaving another extratextual lack behind them that Lethem is too busy swooning to intend. altogether a fun and unassuming piece of unchallenging but thought-provoking fiction, which stays well within its bounds. (postscript: I am curious to know who the reader from maine is who purchased the book at the bennington college bookstore--i am a bennington alum as well as Lethem...)
Rating:
Summary: Bizarre yet very moving love story
Review: I purchased this book the day it was released because I loved both of Lethem's earlier novels and his short stories, despite the fact that the subject matter of AS SHE CLIMBED ACROSS THE TABLE didn't pique my interest at all. However, Lethem's handling of the subject is brilliant, taking an extremely implausible scenario (boy loves girl, boy loses girl to literally Nothing...) and makes it beatifully, hilariously, painfully real. The characters are very well rounded and the dialog is witty and touching. Thinking back on it, I would have liked to have spent more time with Alice before Lack came into the picture, to get a feel for why Phillip cares about her so deeply, but that is a minor quibble. I loved how Lack himself becomes such a strong character, despite the fact that he is devoid of, well, everything. Lack touches everyone that comes into contact with him, changing them forever.Easily the best novel I've read this year.
Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful, gripping mix of romance and physics/cosmology
Review: I rarely review books already acclaimed by others, but this one deserves special praise and a wish to have it widely read. I devoured it in one sitting and immediately ordered another copy to send to a friend. The Twilight Zone atmosphere of the setting, the humor, the play with physics and the strange characters in this story make it memorable. I thought, This guy knows what he's doing! My gift copy is going to a struggling writer friend. I've ordered all the rest of his books. Hooked.
Rating: 
Summary: Book you can blitz thru that sticks in your brain
Review: I read "Gun With Occasional Music" when it 1st came out and was floored by the creativity and the incredible ability to mimic several genres and replicate honest emotions. Unfortunately, each subsequent Lethem book seemed increasingly murky and dark, both in plot & tone. From reviews, it seemed that Lethem had jettisoned the humor that added important brightness to "Gun..." so I never picked up "Girl...", "Wall...", or "Amnesia Moon". After I read reviews for this book, however, I decided to give it a try and I wasn't disappointed. Lethem is able to tackle serious subjects (and what is more serious than unrequited love?) with a gentle touch. The story seems annoyingly quirky (boy loves girl, girl loves black hole) but is actually a well thought out meditation on loss. I was a little lost in the world of academia and the physics meant nothing to me, but the characters were fantastically real. Both of the leads, Alice and Philip, seem refreshingly real. The auxiliary characters, Evan and Garth and the various professors, are entertaining without seeming contrived. **POSSIBLE ENDING SPOILER** Long time Lethem fans may be disappointed in what I am guessing is an uncharacteristically happy ending but I felt it provided perfect bittersweet closure. Lethem is a fantastic idea man and he can tell a story too. I just hope he doesn't lose his sense of humor.
Rating:
Summary: Book you can blitz thru that sticks in your brain
Review: I read "Gun With Occasional Music" when it 1st came out and was floored by the creativity and the incredible ability to mimic several genres and replicate honest emotions. Unfortunately, each subsequent Lethem book seemed increasingly murky and dark, both in plot & tone. From reviews, it seemed that Lethem had jettisoned the humor that added important brightness to "Gun..." so I never picked up "Girl...", "Wall...", or "Amnesia Moon". After I read reviews for this book, however, I decided to give it a try and I wasn't disappointed. Lethem is able to tackle serious subjects (and what is more serious than unrequited love?) with a gentle touch. The story seems annoyingly quirky (boy loves girl, girl loves black hole) but is actually a well thought out meditation on loss. I was a little lost in the world of academia and the physics meant nothing to me, but the characters were fantastically real. Both of the leads, Alice and Philip, seem refreshingly real. The auxiliary characters, Evan and Garth and the various professors, are entertaining without seeming contrived. **POSSIBLE ENDING SPOILER** Long time Lethem fans may be disappointed in what I am guessing is an uncharacteristically happy ending but I felt it provided perfect bittersweet closure. Lethem is a fantastic idea man and he can tell a story too. I just hope he doesn't lose his sense of humor.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but Lethem's weakest effort.
Review: I read an interview once where Lethem suggested that with "Girl in Landscape" he started writing "true" novels, and that in his work before he felt his characters weren't quite real-- just devices controlled by some overarching clever design. This may be too harsh a criticism, perhaps, (and mind you, those are Lethem's words not mine) but it does seem especially true of this novel. "As She Climbed Across the Table" is a very clever book. And it's also a novel of ideas, as well as a parody of "the college novel". It's funny occasionally, and it will make you think. But it is not especially true. I'm not speaking of the science fiction elements of the plot here, I'm talking about the characters and their relationships. They're flat. And they're slaves to Lethem's clever design. At three stars, this book is worth reading, especially if you're a fan of Lethem. But if you've just heard of the author and you're looking something to be your first read, I'd start elsewhere-- "Girl in Landscape" or "Motherless Brookyn". If you've got a hankering for a good college novel, I'd try something else as well-- perhaps Francine Prose's "Blue Angel" or (if you didn't have to read it in college) Kingley Amis' "Lucky Jim".
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but Lethem's weakest effort.
Review: I read an interview once where Lethem suggested that with "Girl in Landscape" he started writing "true" novels, and that in his work before he felt his characters weren't quite real-- just devices controlled by some overarching clever design. This may be too harsh a criticism, perhaps, (and mind you, those are Lethem's words not mine) but it does seem especially true of this novel. "As She Climbed Across the Table" is a very clever book. And it's also a novel of ideas, as well as a parody of "the college novel". It's funny occasionally, and it will make you think. But it is not especially true. I'm not speaking of the science fiction elements of the plot here, I'm talking about the characters and their relationships. They're flat. And they're slaves to Lethem's clever design. At three stars, this book is worth reading, especially if you're a fan of Lethem. But if you've just heard of the author and you're looking something to be your first read, I'd start elsewhere-- "Girl in Landscape" or "Motherless Brookyn". If you've got a hankering for a good college novel, I'd try something else as well-- perhaps Francine Prose's "Blue Angel" or (if you didn't have to read it in college) Kingley Amis' "Lucky Jim".
Rating:
Summary: This Book Had a Profound Impact on My Life
Review: I remember standing in the aisle of a Mr. Paperback bookstore, science fiction section, still in my "Dragonlance" phase in high school. On the shelf, I noticed a book with a picture of a detective with a mirror laid out in front of him, fat lines of drugs, and a kangaroo in the corner. It was called "Gun, With Occasional Music". I bought it immediately, and fell in love with Jonathan Lethem. A few years later, never having spotted any of his other books in the meantime, I found a copy of "As She Climbed Across the Table" in the Bennington College Bookstore (Lethem, incidentally, is a Bennington alum). I bought it immediately, not even glancing at the back for a synopsis. I read it all that night. I had lost a girlfriend recently when I bought this book. I felt like underlining every word of love and loss that was uttered by the lead character. The emotion was deep, the words were beautiful, and it was such a sweet love story told in such an unusual way (i.e., not sappy or stupid), that it was a chill salve for my love-wounds. Lethem is a genius. "As She Cimbed Across the Table" is a must-read for any romantic, as well as anyone looking for a keen satire on the academic life. Bravo and hear hear! I've already told everyone I know about it, and bought a copy for a special girl.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Had a Profound Impact on My Life
Review: I remember standing in the aisle of a Mr. Paperback bookstore, science fiction section, still in my "Dragonlance" phase in high school. On the shelf, I noticed a book with a picture of a detective with a mirror laid out in front of him, fat lines of drugs, and a kangaroo in the corner. It was called "Gun, With Occasional Music". I bought it immediately, and fell in love with Jonathan Lethem. A few years later, never having spotted any of his other books in the meantime, I found a copy of "As She Climbed Across the Table" in the Bennington College Bookstore (Lethem, incidentally, is a Bennington alum). I bought it immediately, not even glancing at the back for a synopsis. I read it all that night. I had lost a girlfriend recently when I bought this book. I felt like underlining every word of love and loss that was uttered by the lead character. The emotion was deep, the words were beautiful, and it was such a sweet love story told in such an unusual way (i.e., not sappy or stupid), that it was a chill salve for my love-wounds. Lethem is a genius. "As She Cimbed Across the Table" is a must-read for any romantic, as well as anyone looking for a keen satire on the academic life. Bravo and hear hear! I've already told everyone I know about it, and bought a copy for a special girl.
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