For fans of the TV Show Lost, The Anomaly will feel like a familiar echo, with the existentialism turned up to eleven. The chapters begin by following very different strangers all connected by a flight that experiences intense turbulence. Fun fact: I read this on a plane, which certainly adds to the realism!

When the plane (in the novel, not my flight) lands, it’s taken in to quarantine. I’ll pause the plot recap there to avoid spoilers. But the plot matters. Hervé Le Tellier has written a book that explores existential philosophy without losing track of the action. The reader is invited to think about big themes like love, destiny, science, religion, and philosophy, while still compulsively flipping the pages to see what will happen next.

Le Tellier writes that “love means not being able to stop your heart trampling all over your intelligence” (265). This book engages both.

Le Tellier, Hervé. The Anomaly. Translated by Adriana Hunter. Other Press, 2021, Epub.