The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus

The fabulous cover of this book attracted me. I very soon found the ideas that Marcus explores both interesting and disturbing. Family bonds, father-daughter relationships, interactions with teenagers, love, language and Judaism are some of these ideas. Overarching all normal human relationships and activities, the author introduces a dire illness into the story, to which only adults are susceptible. As a scientist, the narrator shares his attempts to find a cure. The nature of the illness itself, which I refuse to divulge, is both compelling and horrific.

The book was a challenging read for me. It is well written, and so funny (read accurate) in parts that I found myself reading passages aloud to my patient husband. The best book I read last year was ‘The Passage’ by Justin Cronin and while reading The Flame Alphabet I was reminded of The Passage on several occasions...Posted by Moxie

About the Author

"Ben Marcus is the author of Notable American Women and The Age of Wire and String. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Paris Review, Tin House, and elsewhere. The recipient of three Pushcart Prizes, a Whiting Writers Award, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, he is a Professor of Creative Writing at Columbia University and lives in New York City." ...From the Publisher

Read a conversation with Ben Marcus on the Publisher's website...

Also watch Ben Marcus talk about The Flame Alphabet at the bottom of this page...

Check our Catalogue and reserve online:

The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus, 2012