Imagine that you had an invisibility suit—how would you use it?

In The Visible Man, Klosterman tells the story of Y___ through the eyes of his therapist.

Y___ isn’t interested in adolescent fantasies, he’s passionate about seeing people for who they really are—when no one is watching. This literary construct allows Klosterman to explore human nature.

[quote]I just have to find a comfortable spot in a corner and sit down. I have to control my breathing. I have to keep it shallow. I need to prepare myself for the inevitability of utter boredom: Very often, single people … do nothing, all night long. They sit in a recliner and watch TV. … Terrible shows, Good shows. Golf tournaments in Cancun. C-SPAN. Hours of Oprah. Law and Order: Lonely people love Law and Order, for whatever reason. They prefer the straight narratives. 59-60[/quote]

Klosterman’s narrative is anything but straight. He revels in the complexity and ambiguity in people’s hearts. Irony is his strong suit. The irony of the title, of course, is that the invisible man is able to make visible human nature—including his own.

Although the theme is rooted in science-fiction, this isn’t a science-fiction novel. The Visible Man will leave you considering who you truly are … when no one’s looking.

—Chuck Klosterman, The Visible Man (New York, NY: Scribner, 2011).