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Limitless #1
The Dark Fields
Imagine a drug that makes your brain function with perfect efficiency, tapping into your most fundamental resources of intelligence and drive, releasing all the passive knowledge you'd ever accumulated. A drug that made you focused, charming, fast, even attractive. Eddie Spinola is on such a drug. It's called MDT-48, and it's Viagra for the brain-a designer drug that's redesigning his life. But while MDT is helping Eddie achieve the kind of success he's only dreamed about, it's also chipping away at his sanity-splitting headaches, spontaneous blackouts, violent outbursts. And now that he's hooked and his supply is running low, Eddie must venture into the drug's dark past to feed his habit. What he discovers proves that MDT, once a dream come true, has become his worst nightmare.
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Alan Glynn
7 books204 followersAlan Glynn is a graduate of Trinity College. His first novel, The Dark Fields, was released in March 2011 as the movie Limitless by Relativity Media. He is also the author of Graveland, Winterland and Bloodland, for which he won the 2011 Irish Book Award.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/alanglynn
http://us.macmillan.com/author/alanglynn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 692 reviews
September 23, 2018
The idea was cool. The book was well enough but undercooked. The film was better, even though likely financed/affected by pharma agenda. This leaves us with that rara avis case where the film is actually better than the book.
A novel which had been spoken a lot about and which gathered rather a cult following what with all the modern nootropics hype. One can't help but wonder just how much of the author's experience of observing some academia people habitually enhancing themselves on *all kinds of smart drugs, not gonna give the names here* went into developing this story. (Lots of links online on this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xsvi..., https://www.dw.com/en/oxford-academic..., https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ed..., etc etc, sounds like a true to life chemical paraphernalia epidemics's marching out there) Do people burnout after those trashy drugs (supposedly helping them supposedly battle the supposedly nasty ADD/ADHD)? Anyway, the cautionary tale potential here wasn't as developed as it could have been... Yes, people die from MDT, they do die from all sorts of things... Social, posthuman, psychological, historical.... lots of potentials have been left untouched in here. Even the idea of intuition being the postintellectual application of superior information handling... even this one was hinted at but ultimately left alone. Ughh...
Instead of exploring all that intellectual goodness we got a clear view at the cardboard cutouts of Russian mafia. Stupid mafia. Needing a history of its greatest illegal hits, of all things. And taking MDT, as well. Well, if the author was going to refer to Russian mafia, he shouldn't have really called them 'zhuliki'. W: He was still a bonehead, a zhulik. (c) 'Zhulik' is basically a minor cheat, a fraudster, one not even on a grander scale of things. 'Bandity' would have been a better word to choose. Anyway, the mafia were pale readymade cutouts.
The plot... well, there were gaping holes in there.
Like who and why and what for offed the dealer, Vernon?
Why did our guy start eating a bunch of god knows what tablets?
What kind of drug trials are performed this way?
Couldn't that outsised brain could have been used from the beginning to:
- analysing what the hell the MDT was and
- how to improve it and
- how to get rid of all the deadly side effects and
- where did it get from and
- how to fix the supply and
- where to store the MDT and
- what else can be done other than doing the investment analysis that can be done perfectly well without any enhancements, thank you?
The idea that the author, maybe unintentionally, got across is that no matter how much potential people have, they inevitably waste it. Imagine you get access to drugs that make you the smartest person around. What would you do?
🐬 Become the new Leibnitz,
🐬 surpass Da Vinchi,
🐬 develop the new energy sources,
🐬 save our lovely, gentle Gaia from the industrial footprint, (YES, I'm a treehugger, deal with it!)
🐬 put our civilization in balance with the nature,
🐬 discover new pulsars / planets / stars,
🐬 untangle the secrets of the universe,
🐬 build the star drive to space travel in luxury at leisure,
🐬 reach the distant stars,
🐬 find new habitable planets for us to live on and ways to reach them and to build our homesteads elsewhere,
🐬 learn to harness the energy of the black holes for the better of humanity ...
🐬 DO HUNDREDS OF OTHER WONDROUS THINGS!!!
Right? Wrong! Instead, we are shown how the protagonist here does the following:
🐢 cleans up his apartment,
Q:
Two hours later, my CDs were back in alphabetical order. There were also no more crushed pizza-boxes to be seen in the apartment, or empty beer cans, or dirty socks … and every single inch of surface space was polished and gleaming … (c) Seriously???!!! WTF!
🐢 parties a lot,
Q:
I went to a few different bars, drank soda water and talked all night long. In each place I went to, it only took me a few minutes to start up a conversation with someone and then a few more after that to attract a circle of listeners around me – these people apparently fascinated by what I had to say, as I talked about politics, history, baseball, music, anything that found its way into the conversation. I had women coming on to me, too, and even some men... (c)
🐢 meets a bunch of random people,
🐢 kills Donatella,
🐢 finishes a book consisting mostly of pictures,
🐢 learns Italian and Japanese,
🐢 learns some music (doesn't become too good at it),
🐢 learns some finance stuff (which isn't too complicated or fancy anyway),
🐢 does some day trading,
🐢 Q: serious news consumption(c),
🐢 gets into debt with a loan shark (which is totally a braindead thing, besides, he should have repaid that stuff right away, not waited for God knows what).
I'm really not so sure any of these do require a lot (if any) of mental enhancement… The most beneficiary effect (in my view) was that the protagonist stopped wanking (metaforically speaking) and thinking about time being lost and started getting busy using it. This effect could have potentially been achieved via meditation, mind discipline and good psychotherapy, all drug free.
It makes me angry. One doesn't need mental enhancements to cook pizza, even a good one. If your mind is outsized, pretty please apply it to something truly grand in the big scheme of things. Not to doing mundane stuff, getting sapiosexual gals all hot and bothered and playing a wee bit with the market hordes.
Q:
Is this a true and honest account of how I came close to doing the impossible, to realizing the unrealizable … to becoming one of the best and the brightest? Is it the story of a hallucination, a dream of perfectibility? Or is it simply the story of a human lab rat, someone who was tagged and followed and photographed, and then discarded? (c)
Q:
Then I look at the keyboard once more and, wishing the command had a wider, smarter application – wishing it could somehow mean what it says – press ‘save’. (c)
Q:
‘Shit, fellahs, don’t let me hold you back from the window-ledge there or anything, but couldn’t you see this thing coming?’ (c)
Q:
I became acutely focused on everything around me – on minute changes in the light, on the traffic crawling by to my left, on people coming at me from the other direction and then flitting past. I noticed their clothes, heard snatches of their conversations, caught glimpses of their faces. I was picking up on everything, but not in any heightened, druggy way. Rather it all seemed quite natural, and after a while – after only maybe two or three blocks – I began to feel as if I’d been running, working out, pushing myself to some ecstatic physical limit. (c)
Q:
It’s not that I was being obnoxious, exactly, I wasn’t, but I engaged with everyone, and in a very focused way, on whatever level, about whatever subject, squeezing each encounter for its last possible drop of what might be on offer – intrigue, conflict, tedium, trivia, gossip … it didn’t matter. Most people I came across weren’t used to this, and some even found it quite unnerving.
Q:
… I had a slightly less easy time of it with people I knew well, or rather with people who knew me well. Meeting and impressing a total stranger, assuming a new identity, even a new name, was exciting and uncomplicated, but when I met up with someone like Dean, for instance, I always got these looks – these quizzical, probing looks.
Q:
I took a few notes, but when I heard the explanations I realized that in a general way I did understand these terms, and that furthermore, just by thinking about this stuff, a large store of knowledge was being unlocked in my brain, knowledge that I had probably accumulated unconsciously over the years.
Q:
I tried to analyse what this was, and could only conclude that maybe a combination of my being enthusiastic and non-judgemental – noncompetitive – might have struck some kind of a chord in people, especially in people who were stressed out and on their guard all the time. At
Q:
‘So, Eddie Spinola,’...‘what’s your secret?’ ...
‘Medication,’ … ‘I’m on special medication.’
...‘Well, I hope it’s a repeat prescription.’
This time I laughed, and raised my club soda to him. (c)
Q:
‘How do you think we made our money?’ … ‘Huh?’ Then he pointed to his right temple, tapped it slowly, and said, ‘Un-der-standing. That’s how. Understanding how business works. Under standing when a company is overvalued, or undervalued. Under standing that you never make a bet you can’t afford to lose.’ (c)
Q:
‘Patterns my ass,’ (c)
Q:
Where did I get off lecturing two billionaires about how to make money? (c)
Q:
I wasn’t hindered by anything or inhibited in any way, and not since my early twenties had I been able to look to the future with such energy, and – perhaps more significantly – without that debilitating dread of the ticking clock. With MDT-48, the future was no longer an accusation or a threat, no longer a precious resource that was running out. I could pack in so many things between now and the end of next week, say, that it actually felt as if the end of next week might never come. (c)
Q:
More than being able to speak Italian, or read half a dozen books in a night, or even second-guess the markets, more than the fact that I had just outlined the financial structure for a huge corporate merger, it was being here, at the base of the Seagram Building, the holy of architectural holies, that brought the unreality of my entire situation home to me – because under normal circumstances I would never have found myself in a place like this, would never have found myself swanning into the legendary Grill Room, with its suspended bronze rods and French walnut panelling, would never have found myself gliding past tables occupied by ambassadors and cardinals and corporation presidents and entertainment lawyers and network anchormen. (c)
A novel which had been spoken a lot about and which gathered rather a cult following what with all the modern nootropics hype. One can't help but wonder just how much of the author's experience of observing some academia people habitually enhancing themselves on *all kinds of smart drugs, not gonna give the names here* went into developing this story. (Lots of links online on this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xsvi..., https://www.dw.com/en/oxford-academic..., https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ed..., etc etc, sounds like a true to life chemical paraphernalia epidemics's marching out there) Do people burnout after those trashy drugs (supposedly helping them supposedly battle the supposedly nasty ADD/ADHD)? Anyway, the cautionary tale potential here wasn't as developed as it could have been... Yes, people die from MDT, they do die from all sorts of things... Social, posthuman, psychological, historical.... lots of potentials have been left untouched in here. Even the idea of intuition being the postintellectual application of superior information handling... even this one was hinted at but ultimately left alone. Ughh...
Instead of exploring all that intellectual goodness we got a clear view at the cardboard cutouts of Russian mafia. Stupid mafia. Needing a history of its greatest illegal hits, of all things. And taking MDT, as well. Well, if the author was going to refer to Russian mafia, he shouldn't have really called them 'zhuliki'. W: He was still a bonehead, a zhulik. (c) 'Zhulik' is basically a minor cheat, a fraudster, one not even on a grander scale of things. 'Bandity' would have been a better word to choose. Anyway, the mafia were pale readymade cutouts.
The plot... well, there were gaping holes in there.
Like who and why and what for offed the dealer, Vernon?
Why did our guy start eating a bunch of god knows what tablets?
What kind of drug trials are performed this way?
Couldn't that outsised brain could have been used from the beginning to:
- analysing what the hell the MDT was and
- how to improve it and
- how to get rid of all the deadly side effects and
- where did it get from and
- how to fix the supply and
- where to store the MDT and
- what else can be done other than doing the investment analysis that can be done perfectly well without any enhancements, thank you?
The idea that the author, maybe unintentionally, got across is that no matter how much potential people have, they inevitably waste it. Imagine you get access to drugs that make you the smartest person around. What would you do?
🐬 Become the new Leibnitz,
🐬 surpass Da Vinchi,
🐬 develop the new energy sources,
🐬 save our lovely, gentle Gaia from the industrial footprint, (YES, I'm a treehugger, deal with it!)
🐬 put our civilization in balance with the nature,
🐬 discover new pulsars / planets / stars,
🐬 untangle the secrets of the universe,
🐬 build the star drive to space travel in luxury at leisure,
🐬 reach the distant stars,
🐬 find new habitable planets for us to live on and ways to reach them and to build our homesteads elsewhere,
🐬 learn to harness the energy of the black holes for the better of humanity ...
🐬 DO HUNDREDS OF OTHER WONDROUS THINGS!!!
Right? Wrong! Instead, we are shown how the protagonist here does the following:
🐢 cleans up his apartment,
Q:
Two hours later, my CDs were back in alphabetical order. There were also no more crushed pizza-boxes to be seen in the apartment, or empty beer cans, or dirty socks … and every single inch of surface space was polished and gleaming … (c) Seriously???!!! WTF!
🐢 parties a lot,
Q:
I went to a few different bars, drank soda water and talked all night long. In each place I went to, it only took me a few minutes to start up a conversation with someone and then a few more after that to attract a circle of listeners around me – these people apparently fascinated by what I had to say, as I talked about politics, history, baseball, music, anything that found its way into the conversation. I had women coming on to me, too, and even some men... (c)
🐢 meets a bunch of random people,
🐢 kills Donatella,
🐢 finishes a book consisting mostly of pictures,
🐢 learns Italian and Japanese,
🐢 learns some music (doesn't become too good at it),
🐢 learns some finance stuff (which isn't too complicated or fancy anyway),
🐢 does some day trading,
🐢 Q: serious news consumption(c),
🐢 gets into debt with a loan shark (which is totally a braindead thing, besides, he should have repaid that stuff right away, not waited for God knows what).
I'm really not so sure any of these do require a lot (if any) of mental enhancement… The most beneficiary effect (in my view) was that the protagonist stopped wanking (metaforically speaking) and thinking about time being lost and started getting busy using it. This effect could have potentially been achieved via meditation, mind discipline and good psychotherapy, all drug free.
It makes me angry. One doesn't need mental enhancements to cook pizza, even a good one. If your mind is outsized, pretty please apply it to something truly grand in the big scheme of things. Not to doing mundane stuff, getting sapiosexual gals all hot and bothered and playing a wee bit with the market hordes.
Q:
Is this a true and honest account of how I came close to doing the impossible, to realizing the unrealizable … to becoming one of the best and the brightest? Is it the story of a hallucination, a dream of perfectibility? Or is it simply the story of a human lab rat, someone who was tagged and followed and photographed, and then discarded? (c)
Q:
Then I look at the keyboard once more and, wishing the command had a wider, smarter application – wishing it could somehow mean what it says – press ‘save’. (c)
Q:
‘Shit, fellahs, don’t let me hold you back from the window-ledge there or anything, but couldn’t you see this thing coming?’ (c)
Q:
I became acutely focused on everything around me – on minute changes in the light, on the traffic crawling by to my left, on people coming at me from the other direction and then flitting past. I noticed their clothes, heard snatches of their conversations, caught glimpses of their faces. I was picking up on everything, but not in any heightened, druggy way. Rather it all seemed quite natural, and after a while – after only maybe two or three blocks – I began to feel as if I’d been running, working out, pushing myself to some ecstatic physical limit. (c)
Q:
It’s not that I was being obnoxious, exactly, I wasn’t, but I engaged with everyone, and in a very focused way, on whatever level, about whatever subject, squeezing each encounter for its last possible drop of what might be on offer – intrigue, conflict, tedium, trivia, gossip … it didn’t matter. Most people I came across weren’t used to this, and some even found it quite unnerving.
Q:
… I had a slightly less easy time of it with people I knew well, or rather with people who knew me well. Meeting and impressing a total stranger, assuming a new identity, even a new name, was exciting and uncomplicated, but when I met up with someone like Dean, for instance, I always got these looks – these quizzical, probing looks.
Q:
I took a few notes, but when I heard the explanations I realized that in a general way I did understand these terms, and that furthermore, just by thinking about this stuff, a large store of knowledge was being unlocked in my brain, knowledge that I had probably accumulated unconsciously over the years.
Q:
I tried to analyse what this was, and could only conclude that maybe a combination of my being enthusiastic and non-judgemental – noncompetitive – might have struck some kind of a chord in people, especially in people who were stressed out and on their guard all the time. At
Q:
‘So, Eddie Spinola,’...‘what’s your secret?’ ...
‘Medication,’ … ‘I’m on special medication.’
...‘Well, I hope it’s a repeat prescription.’
This time I laughed, and raised my club soda to him. (c)
Q:
‘How do you think we made our money?’ … ‘Huh?’ Then he pointed to his right temple, tapped it slowly, and said, ‘Un-der-standing. That’s how. Understanding how business works. Under standing when a company is overvalued, or undervalued. Under standing that you never make a bet you can’t afford to lose.’ (c)
Q:
‘Patterns my ass,’ (c)
Q:
Where did I get off lecturing two billionaires about how to make money? (c)
Q:
I wasn’t hindered by anything or inhibited in any way, and not since my early twenties had I been able to look to the future with such energy, and – perhaps more significantly – without that debilitating dread of the ticking clock. With MDT-48, the future was no longer an accusation or a threat, no longer a precious resource that was running out. I could pack in so many things between now and the end of next week, say, that it actually felt as if the end of next week might never come. (c)
Q:
More than being able to speak Italian, or read half a dozen books in a night, or even second-guess the markets, more than the fact that I had just outlined the financial structure for a huge corporate merger, it was being here, at the base of the Seagram Building, the holy of architectural holies, that brought the unreality of my entire situation home to me – because under normal circumstances I would never have found myself in a place like this, would never have found myself swanning into the legendary Grill Room, with its suspended bronze rods and French walnut panelling, would never have found myself gliding past tables occupied by ambassadors and cardinals and corporation presidents and entertainment lawyers and network anchormen. (c)
April 16, 2011
I'm always saddened when this happens. You see a movie, made after a book, and you get the feeling there is some dense, convergent story in the book that had to be greatly simplified to fit into movie form. Instead, what you get is an unfocused, chaotic story with a disappointing ending.
On a technical level the book is well written. The language is rich, but easy to read and the characters are believable, if not very relateable.
The structure is where the book fails. It seems like the writer started with a premise (and it is a fantastic premise) and just decided to see where it would take him. But with blackouts, Russian gangsters, financial celebrities and the superdrug itself, it seems like the author bit off more than he could gracefully chew.
The interaction between the different elements is nearly nonexistent, causing the story to jumble back and forth between these elements with no regard for structure or grace. If I were the editor, I would have cut the entire arc that had to do with Van Loon and focused on the other aspects.
All in all I can't recommend this book. The premise is extremely interesting but you'd be better of watching the movie.
On a technical level the book is well written. The language is rich, but easy to read and the characters are believable, if not very relateable.
The structure is where the book fails. It seems like the writer started with a premise (and it is a fantastic premise) and just decided to see where it would take him. But with blackouts, Russian gangsters, financial celebrities and the superdrug itself, it seems like the author bit off more than he could gracefully chew.
The interaction between the different elements is nearly nonexistent, causing the story to jumble back and forth between these elements with no regard for structure or grace. If I were the editor, I would have cut the entire arc that had to do with Van Loon and focused on the other aspects.
All in all I can't recommend this book. The premise is extremely interesting but you'd be better of watching the movie.
August 14, 2011
Good, but very different from the movie. Recall that this book was originally named "The Dark Fields" and written by a brooding Irishman. Don't expect the same story arc or ending as you find in a Hollywood movie named "Limitless."
All that said, I enjoyed the movie and the book for different reasons. They tell different stories and tell them in different ways. In the movie, Robert De Niro has a line that goes something like "Your powers are unearned to date. Nothing is unearned." I thought this was going to end up being the central thesis of the movie, but of course, being Hollywood, it isn't. The book is substantially darker, and written with an edgy, literary feel that reminds me of an early William Gibson novel. Like a lot of those early Gibson novels, Limitless is ultimately about the transplantation of humanity into technology, and the conflict that comes from that. Humans are still human, after all.
I liked this book and it is a quick read - perfect for folks looking for intelligent, speculative science fiction. The central thesis is not new in the strictest sense, but it is freshly delivered in a taut and quick-paced thriller.
All that said, I enjoyed the movie and the book for different reasons. They tell different stories and tell them in different ways. In the movie, Robert De Niro has a line that goes something like "Your powers are unearned to date. Nothing is unearned." I thought this was going to end up being the central thesis of the movie, but of course, being Hollywood, it isn't. The book is substantially darker, and written with an edgy, literary feel that reminds me of an early William Gibson novel. Like a lot of those early Gibson novels, Limitless is ultimately about the transplantation of humanity into technology, and the conflict that comes from that. Humans are still human, after all.
I liked this book and it is a quick read - perfect for folks looking for intelligent, speculative science fiction. The central thesis is not new in the strictest sense, but it is freshly delivered in a taut and quick-paced thriller.
July 13, 2011
I've been meaning to review this book for awhile... just like I was meaning to finish the last couple of chapters for a few days. When I don't feel a big drive to finish a book I know without a lot of examination that it's not four stars, but here's the breakdown anyway.
The book got lost in a lot of financial jargon. It went down some tangents where bulk information unrelated to the plot was relayed and I was inclined to skip or skim. It was a case of the research showing too much. Imagine you're writing a book and the character happens to be a mechanic, so you spent a few days shadowing one. Awesome, your writing is more likely to feel real and won't shame yourself if a legitimate mechanic picks up your book. I except you won't forget the details, the dirt under the finger nails, and that if any of it contributes to the plot then you'll be able to write without pulling stuff out of your ass. There's a balance because, at the same time, I don't really care about how important my oil changes are. Don't feed me research just because you did it. Only use what is relevant to the story.
If I wanted to know long, endless, long, endless, and long details about the subject I'd buy "How To Be A ___________ For Dummies."
The story was interesting, although I never really got a feel for who Eddie was because the drug was constantly changing his personality and interests. I can tell you who drugged up Eddie was... on most days. It was difficult to cheer for him as a character because I had trouble connecting to his ever changing, rootless personality.
I also have major problems with how long it took him to really count how many pills he had and figureout how much time he had left, especially after he saw what less than a dozen pills did to some other people. For a super-genius his behavior was kind of dumb. If you have unlimited intellect provided by a limited supply of pills and your life is totally dependent on that supply of pills... then the first order of business is to use your unlimited intellect to create more pills and see how long your window of time for such a thing was.
The ending of the book was also not my cup of tea. There's a time and place when a dark ending is appropriate, but I felt like I just took a long drive with a guy and then watched him crash his car into a wall. It wasn't satisfying. Three stars because it was good, it was captivating, it just wasn't as great as it could've been.
The book got lost in a lot of financial jargon. It went down some tangents where bulk information unrelated to the plot was relayed and I was inclined to skip or skim. It was a case of the research showing too much. Imagine you're writing a book and the character happens to be a mechanic, so you spent a few days shadowing one. Awesome, your writing is more likely to feel real and won't shame yourself if a legitimate mechanic picks up your book. I except you won't forget the details, the dirt under the finger nails, and that if any of it contributes to the plot then you'll be able to write without pulling stuff out of your ass. There's a balance because, at the same time, I don't really care about how important my oil changes are. Don't feed me research just because you did it. Only use what is relevant to the story.
If I wanted to know long, endless, long, endless, and long details about the subject I'd buy "How To Be A ___________ For Dummies."
The story was interesting, although I never really got a feel for who Eddie was because the drug was constantly changing his personality and interests. I can tell you who drugged up Eddie was... on most days. It was difficult to cheer for him as a character because I had trouble connecting to his ever changing, rootless personality.
I also have major problems with how long it took him to really count how many pills he had and figureout how much time he had left, especially after he saw what less than a dozen pills did to some other people. For a super-genius his behavior was kind of dumb. If you have unlimited intellect provided by a limited supply of pills and your life is totally dependent on that supply of pills... then the first order of business is to use your unlimited intellect to create more pills and see how long your window of time for such a thing was.
The ending of the book was also not my cup of tea. There's a time and place when a dark ending is appropriate, but I felt like I just took a long drive with a guy and then watched him crash his car into a wall. It wasn't satisfying. Three stars because it was good, it was captivating, it just wasn't as great as it could've been.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2012
I decided to read the novel because I enjoyed the movie so much. I had taken my family to the movie and they really enjoyed it too. Had the movie been true to the book, I don't think that would've been the case. I believe the changes were done intentionally so that the movie would have much more entertainment value.
I agree wholeheartedly with the reviewer who praised Alan Glynn for the research he did on the various subjects touched on in the book. It very much feels when you read the book that the writer is knowledgeable about the topics and about Manhattan.
I have long been a student of peak potential and have read several books on the subject by Tony Robbins, Robin Sharma, Stephen Covey, etc. Whether or not a substance like MDT-48 exists, there is no question in my mind through my own experience with my development and that of family, friends, colleagues and others that we can approach a state of "limitlessness" by doing certain things. In the book, you'll notice that these certain things include: decluttering, diet, not smoking, exercise, reading, language learning, communication, culture appreciation, instruction from experts, and curiosity followed by research. The book and movie’s impact on me has more to do with approaching the state of limitlessness than about what I would do if someone like Vernon offered me this pill.
And based on this impact, I found the book entertaining and inspirational.
I agree wholeheartedly with the reviewer who praised Alan Glynn for the research he did on the various subjects touched on in the book. It very much feels when you read the book that the writer is knowledgeable about the topics and about Manhattan.
I have long been a student of peak potential and have read several books on the subject by Tony Robbins, Robin Sharma, Stephen Covey, etc. Whether or not a substance like MDT-48 exists, there is no question in my mind through my own experience with my development and that of family, friends, colleagues and others that we can approach a state of "limitlessness" by doing certain things. In the book, you'll notice that these certain things include: decluttering, diet, not smoking, exercise, reading, language learning, communication, culture appreciation, instruction from experts, and curiosity followed by research. The book and movie’s impact on me has more to do with approaching the state of limitlessness than about what I would do if someone like Vernon offered me this pill.
And based on this impact, I found the book entertaining and inspirational.
September 30, 2022
Another whole star for a great ending!
This is his first. And you can tell.
It's also about MDT-48 which is a pharmaceutical tablet which gives your brain full potential. Observing, tracking, nuance context to charisma appeal, on and on. It makes the common Enstein.
This is the "second" book I've read of his with this drug as the central feature. Oops! Like much of life, I tend to do out of order. Or much earlier or later than "normal".
But beware, there is a TON of back and forth in Manhattan in the middle (200 pages worth) that is interesting and full of intrepid (like Russian loan sharks or 1 percenter investment icons) BUT- it still is worth the effort of trying to "get" day trading. There is probably little on Earth that is more vilified for less reason. But regardless, it is a true introduction to Alan Glynn. He is super smart and also has a huge chunk of Ian Fleming in his soul.
Not my kind of guys. But well worth the read. He has better than this too. His writing skills IMPROVED. And honestly, he would or is probably BETTER at screen writing. Because his logistics visuals are superb.
This is his first. And you can tell.
It's also about MDT-48 which is a pharmaceutical tablet which gives your brain full potential. Observing, tracking, nuance context to charisma appeal, on and on. It makes the common Enstein.
This is the "second" book I've read of his with this drug as the central feature. Oops! Like much of life, I tend to do out of order. Or much earlier or later than "normal".
But beware, there is a TON of back and forth in Manhattan in the middle (200 pages worth) that is interesting and full of intrepid (like Russian loan sharks or 1 percenter investment icons) BUT- it still is worth the effort of trying to "get" day trading. There is probably little on Earth that is more vilified for less reason. But regardless, it is a true introduction to Alan Glynn. He is super smart and also has a huge chunk of Ian Fleming in his soul.
Not my kind of guys. But well worth the read. He has better than this too. His writing skills IMPROVED. And honestly, he would or is probably BETTER at screen writing. Because his logistics visuals are superb.
July 16, 2024
Mostly enjoyable with intensity.
May 29, 2011
I decided to pick this book up because I saw the movie trailer and thought it looked really good. I really hope the movie is better than the book, for once.
The story line seemed promising, but it never picked up. Sure, there were a few parts that started to get exciting, but there was nothing in this book that kept me wanting more. There were way too many irrelevant slow paced parts in the book, a handful of pointless characters (Ginny, especially), and the ending was awful. My husband told me I should just give up on the book altogether since I was not enjoying it, but I felt invested and thought it would eventually pick up. I was wrong.
Another thing that bothered me was that the author is obviously European, and his style of writing showcased that. I don't have anything against European authors, it was just that the story was based on Americans in New York, and the dialogue did not match up. It shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did, but it is hard to imagine New Yorkers saying they will "phone" someone instead of calling them, pulling their car up to the "kerb", and reading dialogue that clearly wasn't American. It just annoyed me more than anything.
I gave the book a chance, but I don't understand how it has almost a four star rating on Goodreads. Maybe it's just not my forte.
The story line seemed promising, but it never picked up. Sure, there were a few parts that started to get exciting, but there was nothing in this book that kept me wanting more. There were way too many irrelevant slow paced parts in the book, a handful of pointless characters (Ginny, especially), and the ending was awful. My husband told me I should just give up on the book altogether since I was not enjoying it, but I felt invested and thought it would eventually pick up. I was wrong.
Another thing that bothered me was that the author is obviously European, and his style of writing showcased that. I don't have anything against European authors, it was just that the story was based on Americans in New York, and the dialogue did not match up. It shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did, but it is hard to imagine New Yorkers saying they will "phone" someone instead of calling them, pulling their car up to the "kerb", and reading dialogue that clearly wasn't American. It just annoyed me more than anything.
I gave the book a chance, but I don't understand how it has almost a four star rating on Goodreads. Maybe it's just not my forte.
July 18, 2023
A deep dark look into the nature of addiction, the danger of big pharmaceutical companies, and the twisted nature of the stock market. Honestly I’d recommend this book over the film, which really is a lesser creature once you’ve seen the original.
May 15, 2011
I watched the film adaptation (Limitless) before reading the book. Usually it is the other way around for me. I thought the book went into the social impact of the drug much better than the movie did. It accomplished this partly by delving into the experience of other users, besides the protagonist. The main premise, as other reviewers have noted, is a new designer drug that enhances the intelligence. The main character, Eddie Spinola, lives an uninspiring life as a contract writer hurrying to meet deadlines for a project of writing captions for some photographs. He is described as middle-aged, in poor health, and pretty mediocre at best. All that changes when he takes a hit of a drug called MDT48 which gives him the motivation to clean his apartment, finish the book in just a few days, and after some time, make him turn his whole life around.
My main take away from this is that that often the real limitations that prevent a person from achieving their ideal selves are self-imposed. Be it laziness, depression, or a limited attention span, so much of what holds a person back originates in the brain itself. The book offers an elegant solution: a pill that can turn anyone into a super-intelligent version of themselves (though as it notes, the drug works better if you have some intelligence to begin with). I also thought it was interesting that the drug deadens certain human frailties like emotionalism, guilt, and anxiety. Sort of like the Nietzhian super-man who is unable to feel remorse or guilt for his actions, allowing him to stay focused on a self-centered trajectory of improvement. It also touches on some other interesting sub-texts like the nature of addiction, what it is like to deal with pressure and expectations, and how many people would typically define success. It reminded me a little bit of Ellison's "American Psycho" - both books have the same setting of corporate NYC, both discuss the trappings of wealth and the idea of the billionare as an untouchable demigod, both deal with a protagonist who becomes unable to feel remorse for his actions.
Although the movie has a better plot outline and is more coherent,the book is very entertaining in its own right. Others have noted the movie has a happier ending than the book. True, but the book seems to present a more realistic, if grim, outcome of staying on a performance drug. Unlike a lot of thrillers that are centered around crime or policework this one is set around Wall St and the stock market. It also provokes some thought about the power that pharmaceutical companies have.
My main take away from this is that that often the real limitations that prevent a person from achieving their ideal selves are self-imposed. Be it laziness, depression, or a limited attention span, so much of what holds a person back originates in the brain itself. The book offers an elegant solution: a pill that can turn anyone into a super-intelligent version of themselves (though as it notes, the drug works better if you have some intelligence to begin with). I also thought it was interesting that the drug deadens certain human frailties like emotionalism, guilt, and anxiety. Sort of like the Nietzhian super-man who is unable to feel remorse or guilt for his actions, allowing him to stay focused on a self-centered trajectory of improvement. It also touches on some other interesting sub-texts like the nature of addiction, what it is like to deal with pressure and expectations, and how many people would typically define success. It reminded me a little bit of Ellison's "American Psycho" - both books have the same setting of corporate NYC, both discuss the trappings of wealth and the idea of the billionare as an untouchable demigod, both deal with a protagonist who becomes unable to feel remorse for his actions.
Although the movie has a better plot outline and is more coherent,the book is very entertaining in its own right. Others have noted the movie has a happier ending than the book. True, but the book seems to present a more realistic, if grim, outcome of staying on a performance drug. Unlike a lot of thrillers that are centered around crime or policework this one is set around Wall St and the stock market. It also provokes some thought about the power that pharmaceutical companies have.
September 18, 2011
You will possibly know this as the Bradley Cooper movie Limitless (if you go searching for the book, look it up under the movie's title - I don't think it's published under the original title any longer).
The main character, Eddie Spinola, acquires some medication that makes him insanely smart. He absorbs information and processes it so quickly that he learns new languages in a day and is able to play the stock market like a toy xylophone. Unfortunately, the drug has its downsides as well, as one might imagine. Unexpectedly, this book reminded me of American Psycho quite a bit, especially when Eddie relates his interactions with people who are hanging off his every word. It's not so much that Eddie shares Patrick Bateman's sociopathic tendencies, but they share a similar tone when narrating their day-to-day thoughts and concerns.
(While not a sociopath, though, it IS pretty clear that the drugs suppress Eddie's conscience and moral compass - and I'll also add that the author does a great job showing this fact rather than ever telling us about it.)
Definitely worth a read, but the movie is probably more fun due to Bradley Cooper's presence.
The main character, Eddie Spinola, acquires some medication that makes him insanely smart. He absorbs information and processes it so quickly that he learns new languages in a day and is able to play the stock market like a toy xylophone. Unfortunately, the drug has its downsides as well, as one might imagine. Unexpectedly, this book reminded me of American Psycho quite a bit, especially when Eddie relates his interactions with people who are hanging off his every word. It's not so much that Eddie shares Patrick Bateman's sociopathic tendencies, but they share a similar tone when narrating their day-to-day thoughts and concerns.
(While not a sociopath, though, it IS pretty clear that the drugs suppress Eddie's conscience and moral compass - and I'll also add that the author does a great job showing this fact rather than ever telling us about it.)
Definitely worth a read, but the movie is probably more fun due to Bradley Cooper's presence.
April 4, 2011
I'm glad I read the book. They shouldn't have changed the title to match "the Movie", as the two stories are barely connected by names. The book is... it's The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Jekyl and Hyde, Frankenstein; the movie is Cinderella with chemicals. The book does a reasonable job of exploring the practical complications of the question "If I am my mind, and chemistry changes my mind, am I still me?"; the movie explores the question, "What happens if I find a pill that makes me full of win?". The book is a cautionary tale, the movie a paen to chemical technology. I'm no luddite; I'm just saying the book and the movie inhabit opposite ends of a spectrum. I even enjoyed both of them. The bad guy of the book is a completely different... not character; The movie takes a character that, in the book, is a supporting cast member, and makes him the villain, while completely removing the sinister implications of who the villain in the book is.
Another jarring thing about the movie is that in the end, Eddie goes on to "win", but there's no retribution for the apparent murder of a woman. In the book, this is fully addressed, although it's never quite clear whether or not Eddie actually *did* kill her.
I enjoyed both vehicles, but the book is a much deeper, thought provoking, practical examination of a current philosophical issue, and the movie is - well, just fun.
Another jarring thing about the movie is that in the end, Eddie goes on to "win", but there's no retribution for the apparent murder of a woman. In the book, this is fully addressed, although it's never quite clear whether or not Eddie actually *did* kill her.
I enjoyed both vehicles, but the book is a much deeper, thought provoking, practical examination of a current philosophical issue, and the movie is - well, just fun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2015
I saw this movie because the main character was a writer, burnt out and clueless. As a writer myself I can say I know the feeling. Anyway, I wasn't too thrilled about watching the movie because Bradley Cooper was the lead actor. It's not that I don't think he's any good, but rather he played the role of creep in 'Wedding Crashers' so well that whenever I saw him in another role I couldn't shake the character he played in Wedding Crashers. Well, that has all been erased. Not only did Cooper do a good job in the movie version, I loved it so much I decided to read the book the movie was based on. Fortunately, the movie follows the book very much, which I like.
Eddie Spinola is a burnt-out writer who's lost. He can't figure out how to begin his new book and his life seems to be going nowhere. A chance encounter with his ex-brother in-law (a former drug dealer) introduces him to a new drug with the potential of bringing the very best out of you. The best it brings out of you is enhanced form of thinking. The drug enables the user to access all of their brain capacity. The potential is limitless. But when Eddie begins feeling the side effects he begins to wonder if this was too good a thing. He can't sleep, he vomits, doesn't eat, can't remember what his past actions are. Soon this wonder drug makes him wonder if it's the end of his life.
If you saw the movie 'Limitless' (the title of the movie based on Glynn's book) you will enjoy this book. It goes into more detail about this type of drug, which has actually been promoted before. You'll find it very enjoyable. It has humor, drama, mystery, action, and suspense, everything a novel needs to be worth your time.
David Lucero, author
www.lucerobooks.com
Eddie Spinola is a burnt-out writer who's lost. He can't figure out how to begin his new book and his life seems to be going nowhere. A chance encounter with his ex-brother in-law (a former drug dealer) introduces him to a new drug with the potential of bringing the very best out of you. The best it brings out of you is enhanced form of thinking. The drug enables the user to access all of their brain capacity. The potential is limitless. But when Eddie begins feeling the side effects he begins to wonder if this was too good a thing. He can't sleep, he vomits, doesn't eat, can't remember what his past actions are. Soon this wonder drug makes him wonder if it's the end of his life.
If you saw the movie 'Limitless' (the title of the movie based on Glynn's book) you will enjoy this book. It goes into more detail about this type of drug, which has actually been promoted before. You'll find it very enjoyable. It has humor, drama, mystery, action, and suspense, everything a novel needs to be worth your time.
David Lucero, author
www.lucerobooks.com
September 11, 2023
A bit torn on what to rate this one. I appreciate the message and there are definitely great moments here, but unless you have a map of New York City living in your brain, it can get a little monotonous. And that's the chief complaint I have, dropping into a ton of telling, which - don't get me wrong - actually worked for me when describing how much work Eddie accomplished after his first hit of MDT, but quickly grew tiresome when it came to which streets he walked down to get from here to there.
As a sidenote, very interesting choice in the movie to turn this into a heroic tale that basically champions the use of performance enhancing substances without much (if any) acknowledgment of the significant drawbacks, or even the actual limitations of the drug (i.e., Eddie becomes adept in one language that he concentrates on as opposed to picking up native-level fluency by half-listening to audio of languages; mental activity is enhanced, but unfocused to the degree that Eddie does not follow through on most of his grand plans, constantly jumping from one thing to the next, perhaps explaining his "miscalculations"), that receive detailed attention in the book.
As a sidenote, very interesting choice in the movie to turn this into a heroic tale that basically champions the use of performance enhancing substances without much (if any) acknowledgment of the significant drawbacks, or even the actual limitations of the drug (i.e., Eddie becomes adept in one language that he concentrates on as opposed to picking up native-level fluency by half-listening to audio of languages; mental activity is enhanced, but unfocused to the degree that Eddie does not follow through on most of his grand plans, constantly jumping from one thing to the next, perhaps explaining his "miscalculations"), that receive detailed attention in the book.
April 11, 2011
If you were offered a pill that would make you smarter, more focused and infinitely more productive, would you take it? Would you bother to ask about the side effects first?
Protagonist Eddie Spinola isn't initially told what this tiny pill will do for -- or to -- him, but he knocks back the MDT-48 anyway, and his life immediately becomes a thrilling (and unmanageable) roller coaster.
I've not seen the movie, "Limitless," based on this book by Alan Glynn. The film previews got me interested in the story, and when I heard about how it only came to Hollywood's attention when some movie professional found a copy of "The Dark Fields" in a bookstore bargain bin, I knew I had to seek out this title for myself.
It's a great read.
Glynn tells an engaging, page-turning story. I was stopped in my tracks here and there by non-standard (according to U.S. English) spellings and punctuation conventions -- Glynn lives in Ireland -- but I was also deeply impressed by the sheer amount of research the author must have done in the preparation and writing of this novel. He goes into deep detail as he weaves all manner of topics into his story -- from conversational Italian and the principles of 20th-century design to the intricacies of day-trading on the stock market and broadband media corporate mergers. Glynn definitely did his homework, and his story is all the better for it.
But throughout the book, the question remains: If you had such a drug available, what would you do?
I was immediately -- and frequently -- reminded of an exhibit on the brain I saw last December at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Toward the end of the extensive exhibit -- full of information about the brain's anatomy and biochemistry, evolution, how we learn and process information and languages, etc. -- there was a smaller section about the future of brain research. One display panel talked about advances in pharmacology allowing us to enhance natural abilities and cognitive functions, sort of like steroids for the brain. The exhibit posed a tantalizing and troubling question for conversation: if such a pill were available -- to make you, say, ten times smarter than you are now, would you take it?
Eddie Spinola's story in "The Dark Fields" may serve as a cautionary tale of the dangers of untested and unregulated neuropsychopharmacology -- that's not really a spoiler, since you know from the very first page that Eddie's in trouble -- but I also wonder if a drug like MDT-48 were truly safe, what people might be able to do with (or on) it. Maybe Eddie's problem was that he focused solely on his own gain, rather than trying to make the world a better place, and that the drug didn't and couldn't help him resolve the feelings of unworthiness that lay at his core.
(I'm also steering clear of the obvious theme of addition here . . . )
I have no doubt that there will be -- or may already be -- Eddie Spinolas out in the world as the quiet race for the perfect smart drug continues. I've deliberately not answered the central question of the book -- what would I do? -- in this space, because that's a much longer and larger conversation. And because, frankly, I'm not sure.
Protagonist Eddie Spinola isn't initially told what this tiny pill will do for -- or to -- him, but he knocks back the MDT-48 anyway, and his life immediately becomes a thrilling (and unmanageable) roller coaster.
I've not seen the movie, "Limitless," based on this book by Alan Glynn. The film previews got me interested in the story, and when I heard about how it only came to Hollywood's attention when some movie professional found a copy of "The Dark Fields" in a bookstore bargain bin, I knew I had to seek out this title for myself.
It's a great read.
Glynn tells an engaging, page-turning story. I was stopped in my tracks here and there by non-standard (according to U.S. English) spellings and punctuation conventions -- Glynn lives in Ireland -- but I was also deeply impressed by the sheer amount of research the author must have done in the preparation and writing of this novel. He goes into deep detail as he weaves all manner of topics into his story -- from conversational Italian and the principles of 20th-century design to the intricacies of day-trading on the stock market and broadband media corporate mergers. Glynn definitely did his homework, and his story is all the better for it.
But throughout the book, the question remains: If you had such a drug available, what would you do?
I was immediately -- and frequently -- reminded of an exhibit on the brain I saw last December at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Toward the end of the extensive exhibit -- full of information about the brain's anatomy and biochemistry, evolution, how we learn and process information and languages, etc. -- there was a smaller section about the future of brain research. One display panel talked about advances in pharmacology allowing us to enhance natural abilities and cognitive functions, sort of like steroids for the brain. The exhibit posed a tantalizing and troubling question for conversation: if such a pill were available -- to make you, say, ten times smarter than you are now, would you take it?
Eddie Spinola's story in "The Dark Fields" may serve as a cautionary tale of the dangers of untested and unregulated neuropsychopharmacology -- that's not really a spoiler, since you know from the very first page that Eddie's in trouble -- but I also wonder if a drug like MDT-48 were truly safe, what people might be able to do with (or on) it. Maybe Eddie's problem was that he focused solely on his own gain, rather than trying to make the world a better place, and that the drug didn't and couldn't help him resolve the feelings of unworthiness that lay at his core.
(I'm also steering clear of the obvious theme of addition here . . . )
I have no doubt that there will be -- or may already be -- Eddie Spinolas out in the world as the quiet race for the perfect smart drug continues. I've deliberately not answered the central question of the book -- what would I do? -- in this space, because that's a much longer and larger conversation. And because, frankly, I'm not sure.
April 13, 2011
When I first started this book, I wrote: Wow. This book is blowing me away. If the movie is half as good as this I'll be surprised!
Then I got mid way through (maybe not even midway) and while the action scenes were page turners, the author had a tendency to give excruciating details about what Eddie Spinola (great character name!)was learning about when he took the "limitless" drug. It was like a condensed history lesson about things I could care less about and that did not further the story along. I tried really hard to slough through, but I finally gave up. Giving my disappointment with the book, I'm hoping the movie will be better.
Then I got mid way through (maybe not even midway) and while the action scenes were page turners, the author had a tendency to give excruciating details about what Eddie Spinola (great character name!)was learning about when he took the "limitless" drug. It was like a condensed history lesson about things I could care less about and that did not further the story along. I tried really hard to slough through, but I finally gave up. Giving my disappointment with the book, I'm hoping the movie will be better.
January 24, 2012
I think having seen the movie, made the book less enjoyable, all the key plot points are in the movie; minus all the long drawn out jargon that the author uses. There are some interesting things in the book that didn’t translate in the movie, but its too simlar. In the end the movie is much more enjoyable.
June 17, 2011
I saw the trailer to the film Limitless some time ago, and thought “Cool – that looks excellent” and then didn’t get a chance to see it at the flicks, so when I saw the book cheap on Kindle (a cool £1) I thought I’d give it a bash.
I didn’t realise that the book had actually been re-released under a different name to tie-in with the film. The book was originally published in 2001 and was called The Dark Fields.
I have to admit, I was completely drawn in right from the very beginning.
Eddie Spinola is a bit of a noone. He’s working on a rather dreary book that is part of a wider series, but he’s finding it hard to meet his deadlines. He is single, living in a small messy apartment and not exactly realising his dreams. After a chance encounter with his ex brother-in-law he tries a new designer ‘smart’ drug (MDT-48). This focuses his mind in such a way that anything seems within his grasp (hence the title) – like ‘Viagra for the brain’. Nothing could have prepared him for what happens next.
The over-riding moral of the story I guess is “Don’t do drugs kids!”, but I couldn’t help reading the whole book thinking “Oh my God – I NEED this stuff. I need it NOW!”. The idea of being able ot take a pill that literally spurs you into action without feeling mentally, emotionally or physically drained is just so appealing. OK, so there were rather tragic side-effects, but the whole point of drugs is that you believe that YOU would be able to control it. I’d at least like the opportunity to try!
I obviously haven’t seen the film (yet), but I can see why the book was chosen to be made into one – the writing is extremely fast-paced right from the beginning, and draws you into Spinola’s world effortlessly. It’s not a great literary masterpiece, but it is extremely enthralling, and a real page-turner (or button-stabber in my case).
I didn’t realise that the book had actually been re-released under a different name to tie-in with the film. The book was originally published in 2001 and was called The Dark Fields.
I have to admit, I was completely drawn in right from the very beginning.
Eddie Spinola is a bit of a noone. He’s working on a rather dreary book that is part of a wider series, but he’s finding it hard to meet his deadlines. He is single, living in a small messy apartment and not exactly realising his dreams. After a chance encounter with his ex brother-in-law he tries a new designer ‘smart’ drug (MDT-48). This focuses his mind in such a way that anything seems within his grasp (hence the title) – like ‘Viagra for the brain’. Nothing could have prepared him for what happens next.
The over-riding moral of the story I guess is “Don’t do drugs kids!”, but I couldn’t help reading the whole book thinking “Oh my God – I NEED this stuff. I need it NOW!”. The idea of being able ot take a pill that literally spurs you into action without feeling mentally, emotionally or physically drained is just so appealing. OK, so there were rather tragic side-effects, but the whole point of drugs is that you believe that YOU would be able to control it. I’d at least like the opportunity to try!
I obviously haven’t seen the film (yet), but I can see why the book was chosen to be made into one – the writing is extremely fast-paced right from the beginning, and draws you into Spinola’s world effortlessly. It’s not a great literary masterpiece, but it is extremely enthralling, and a real page-turner (or button-stabber in my case).
March 8, 2012
Alan Glynn wrote the novel "The Dark Fields" Which was later changed into "Limitless". This book is a definite page-turner for me. I am reading this book after seeing the movie several months ago. I notice that many parts were interpreted in the movie and I am recieving a whole new insight on the plot of the story. It is interesting to see the differences between the film and the book. Limitless is a great example of the word Automaton. The dictionary definition for Automaton states the following: "A mechanism that is relatively self-operating; Especially: Robot." Taken from Webster's Dictionary. When I read this book I have noticed how robot-like the main character, Eddie, functions when on the pill, "MDT-48". The first time I notice this is when he first takes the pill. Eddie returns to his apartment, and over the course of several hours manages to clean his whole apartment and write a great majority of the book he is working on. Later on that night he crashes and realizes what he has done leading him to want more. Over the course of the book he begins to take more pills which leads to more astonishing events. Eddie realizes that he needs the pill or else he begins to feel very slowed down. The idea of this pill is a very interesting concept to me and so far I have enjoyed reading about it. Although there is a lot of dialogue in this book at times, which I tend to fine boring for the most part, Alan Glynn does a great job of tying it into the story to keep things interesting, which I enjoy. Normally I would not care for a fictional novel, but this one really intrigues me and makes me want to continue reading. Definently one of the greater books I have read. I still have some chapters to go, and I hope my enjoyment continues throughout reading this. I would definently recommend this book to anyone who is interested in suspenseful reads. 5/5 stars. -Tyler Simard
April 15, 2018
This wasn't a very good book, because it was not very well-written, not because the concept was poor. There is a drug that makes you all you can be. You are productive, driven, creative, and you can learn very fast. This makes you (usually) rich and powerful and thin. But if you ever stop taking the drug, you don't just “go back to normal”. You suffer blackouts (well, you do this even while on the drug, and sometimes get aggressive and kill people and don't remember it), have headaches, insomnia and lose your ability to focus and concentrate – so you end up stupider than when you started. This is a great idea! And how the protagonist comes across a stash, and what the consequences are, etc. But the author tackles this from a scientific and technical and business angle. He barely even touches on the many interesting psychological, mental and philosophical matters that are brought up by the use of this drug. Very sad to see such a great idea wasted.
UPDATE: 04/15/18
https://youtu.be/X6Xebo1pngM
Take Your Pills
UPDATE: 04/15/18
https://youtu.be/X6Xebo1pngM
Take Your Pills
March 14, 2019
Limitless was based upon an interesting concept: a drug has been developed that stimulates brain function. Eddie Spinola’s friend offers him 1 pill of a new drug called MDT-48 and he takes it and goes home and cleans and reorganizes his apartment and manages to finish the book he is writing. The drug also has some interesting side effects: he doesn’t want to smoke, he wants to eat healthy items, he wants to exercise, he wants his apartment to remain clean and organized, he wants to read. Eddie visits his friend to get more of this amazing drug. His friend ends up murdered and Eddie swipes his stash of MDT-48 along with a notebook with what Eddie assumes are lists of his customers. Eddie starts taking the drug daily and can learn a foreign language in a day, read massive books in 20 minutes and retain all the information he’s read. He���s suggesting some terrific ideas for new books to his editor. He can converse on any topic and everywhere he goes he is the center of attention. He decides that he is going to invest in the stock market and with his abilities should be able to make a fortune. This is the part of the book that really bogged down. There was a lot of info about day trading and Eddie gets tied up with a billionaire who is about to merge with another company.
There were a couple of things that bothered me about this book. First that Eddie never seemed to think about what he was going to do when the drug ran out. I thought the stock market/business portion of the book was a little boring. I liked that it was written in first-person – I really got a sense of the effect this drug had on him. And there was a surprising, unexpected twist at the end.
There were a couple of things that bothered me about this book. First that Eddie never seemed to think about what he was going to do when the drug ran out. I thought the stock market/business portion of the book was a little boring. I liked that it was written in first-person – I really got a sense of the effect this drug had on him. And there was a surprising, unexpected twist at the end.
January 24, 2020
I mostly didn’t like this novel, yet I rate it four stars. Why? Because I’m super-jealous that I didn’t have this idea for a novel. One of my all-time favorite novels is Memoirs of an Invisible Man by H.F. Saint which is basically the same sort of high-concept thriller, but Saint’s novel (the only thing he ever wrote, sadly) was a gem, a masterpiece of the genre, and a blast to read.
If we’re out for full disclosure, I have to say that I watched the movie first, having never heard of the book before (perhaps owing to its stupid title, or because of its suckiness). This is one of those cases in which the film outshines the book. Even the movie title of “Limitless” is far better than the Author’s original “The Dark Fields” which sounds like a lesbian romance novel. I had my problems with the movie as well, but those originated in the novel.
My first and biggest problem with the book: so, you suddenly have this “limitless” intelligence, and the only thing you want to do with it is make a pile of money? That’s the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever heard. The book really pours it on about how awesome it is to be stinking rich. He describes Carl Van Loon’s home and lifestyle in such a way as to make the Greeks’ gods on Mount Olympus seem a bunch of old winos in some hippy squat in a shitty neighborhood. Everything the rich have costs a bazillion trillion gazillion dollars which just makes them better people than us, almost a separate species, a series the author wishes he could mate with but that goes against the laws of biology.
Here is one scene that is supposed to give the reader a hard-on (literally) but made me cringe from the writer’s obsequious nature:
the uniformed doorman, the swirling turquoise marble, the mahogany panels, the brass radiator-grills. I was surprised by how small the elevator-car was, but its interior was very plush and intimate, and I imagined that such a combination could give the experience of being in it, and the accompanying sensation of motion – if you were with the right person – a certain erotic charge.
It's ironic that I am reading this at the same time I’m plowing through the hilarious series Silicon Valley because they have lots of rich a-holes portrayed on that show, but they do it to take the piss out of them, not to slobber all over their knobs (pardon my using two bodily function metaphors in one thought).
The protagonist is such a whiny little bitch. He has limitless intellect and he can’t figure out how to get some Russian mafia moron off his case? He spends more time complaining about being so smart than he does taking advantage of it. Eddie is such a whiny little bitch that he takes the cowards way out of suicide instead of using his last hits of the drug to figure a way out.
Like his supplier, Vernon, tells him, the drug works better if you’re already smart. Eddie is a fucking idiot. He lets the Russian moron steal his stash because he has so cleverly hidden it in a tin in his apartment in plain view.
What the book is really about is being the best version of ourselves. Unfortunately, this doesn’t come in pill form. You can’t learn Spanish overnight and then read Cien Años de Soledad the next morning in the original. The same goes for playing the piano or anything else with learning. You can either wait around for the pill, or start working.
If we’re out for full disclosure, I have to say that I watched the movie first, having never heard of the book before (perhaps owing to its stupid title, or because of its suckiness). This is one of those cases in which the film outshines the book. Even the movie title of “Limitless” is far better than the Author’s original “The Dark Fields” which sounds like a lesbian romance novel. I had my problems with the movie as well, but those originated in the novel.
My first and biggest problem with the book: so, you suddenly have this “limitless” intelligence, and the only thing you want to do with it is make a pile of money? That’s the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever heard. The book really pours it on about how awesome it is to be stinking rich. He describes Carl Van Loon’s home and lifestyle in such a way as to make the Greeks’ gods on Mount Olympus seem a bunch of old winos in some hippy squat in a shitty neighborhood. Everything the rich have costs a bazillion trillion gazillion dollars which just makes them better people than us, almost a separate species, a series the author wishes he could mate with but that goes against the laws of biology.
Here is one scene that is supposed to give the reader a hard-on (literally) but made me cringe from the writer’s obsequious nature:
the uniformed doorman, the swirling turquoise marble, the mahogany panels, the brass radiator-grills. I was surprised by how small the elevator-car was, but its interior was very plush and intimate, and I imagined that such a combination could give the experience of being in it, and the accompanying sensation of motion – if you were with the right person – a certain erotic charge.
It's ironic that I am reading this at the same time I’m plowing through the hilarious series Silicon Valley because they have lots of rich a-holes portrayed on that show, but they do it to take the piss out of them, not to slobber all over their knobs (pardon my using two bodily function metaphors in one thought).
The protagonist is such a whiny little bitch. He has limitless intellect and he can’t figure out how to get some Russian mafia moron off his case? He spends more time complaining about being so smart than he does taking advantage of it. Eddie is such a whiny little bitch that he takes the cowards way out of suicide instead of using his last hits of the drug to figure a way out.
Like his supplier, Vernon, tells him, the drug works better if you’re already smart. Eddie is a fucking idiot. He lets the Russian moron steal his stash because he has so cleverly hidden it in a tin in his apartment in plain view.
What the book is really about is being the best version of ourselves. Unfortunately, this doesn’t come in pill form. You can’t learn Spanish overnight and then read Cien Años de Soledad the next morning in the original. The same goes for playing the piano or anything else with learning. You can either wait around for the pill, or start working.
April 3, 2011
I'm wavering between 2 and 3 stars on this one. I love the premise, the idea - and it's not far-fetched at all - that a pill could help us utilise our full mental potential. How addictive that would be! Glynn's writing is good as are his characters. If anything he overdid the research in my opinion: there's way too much information regarding how his MC conquered the stock market - pages of it. For me he should have summed this all up in one paragraph: For the next couple of months I analysed and mastered the stock market, earning myself a shit-load of money - and then moved on. And then there's the story's ending, which I'm pleased to hear was rewritten for the film. Yes, the ending is true to life, but this is fiction, not life, so I believe it should have been a bit more hopeful. Glynn could have done so much more with this great idea. Still, it's worth reading if for no other reason than it makes you think.
July 11, 2016
Очень интересный сюжет данной книги не оставил меня равнодушным и книга очень понравилась и оставалась не менее интересной не смотря на то что несколькими годами раньше я смотрел фильм снятый по мотиву данной книги с Брэдли Купером и Робертом Де Ниро в главных ролях.
Этот тот редкий случай, когда должен признать, что фильм и существенная корректура сценария превзошли саму книгу автора.
Идея повышенных возможностей работы человеческого мозга с помощью химических препаратов и достижении человеком высот и сверхвозможностей благодаря их действию далеко не нова, но книга и фильм подняли данную идею на уровень выше. И, как не хотелось бы пытаться предсказывать будущее такой возможности, тем не менее должен признаться, что даже поверхностные знания прогресса в нейробиологии заставляют меня сказать, что будущей не просто за горой, а что мы уже находимся на данной горе, и осталось ещё совсем не много...
Этот тот редкий случай, когда должен признать, что фильм и существенная корректура сценария превзошли саму книгу автора.
Идея повышенных возможностей работы человеческого мозга с помощью химических препаратов и достижении человеком высот и сверхвозможностей благодаря их действию далеко не нова, но книга и фильм подняли данную идею на уровень выше. И, как не хотелось бы пытаться предсказывать будущее такой возможности, тем не менее должен признаться, что даже поверхностные знания прогресса в нейробиологии заставляют меня сказать, что будущей не просто за горой, а что мы уже находимся на данной горе, и осталось ещё совсем не много...
February 25, 2014
This was very similar to the movie. I had actually seen Limitless before I read the book and as I'd loved the film wasn't sure at all how the book would hold up. I loved it.
The books about a new super drug that allows you to preform 200% but there is a major downside. The come down is a total bitch! I loved the characters, and its was wonderful seeing in my mind Bradley Cooper as Eddie Spinola. The book moves at a fast pace and when the deaths and confusion start it go from good to excellent.
The books about a new super drug that allows you to preform 200% but there is a major downside. The come down is a total bitch! I loved the characters, and its was wonderful seeing in my mind Bradley Cooper as Eddie Spinola. The book moves at a fast pace and when the deaths and confusion start it go from good to excellent.
July 22, 2015
This is the movie Limitless. If you saw the movie, you should still read the book. It's intriguing, and the ending is different. Remember, this is the original story. I couldn't give it five stars due to some repetitive situations between the halfway and three-quarter points of the book, but still a fun ride. Overall, a recommended read. I look forward to reading Winterland, even though I haven't even looked to see what it's about yet.
June 7, 2021
I was in love with the movie and hunted the book during all my exchange studies in England. Then I got it aaand it was a flap. The text is a very example of boring with all the unnecessary descriptions and stuff. I nearly died when I had to read several pages of descriptive walking down the street with some clothes from the cleaning service. I GOT IT YOU'RE WALKING. Sheesh.
The movie is better.
The movie is better.
January 6, 2024
Entretenido sin más, la historia la explica muy bien la sinopsis y no está mal, pero me resultó un poquito pesado en algunas partes.
May 14, 2016
I picked this book up on a whim as I had seen the film a while ago and hadn't realised that it was actually based on a book.
The story is told from the point of view of Eddie Spinola, your average heading towards mid-life crisis type of guy, who is suddenly given the chance to turn his life around with a mystery drug provided by his ex brother in law. The sudden improvement in his ability to think and do things that seemed to be beyond him before provides for an exhilarating ride as he explores the potential for this brain enhancement drug (I even started tidying my room up in between reading, it had that effect). Of course, everything comes with a downside as Eddie starts having memory lapses, during which time he may or may not have seriously injured a person. With his drug supply limited by the murder of his brother in law, he decides to stop using the drug and immediately hits some serious withdrawal issues. This section was depressing to read as you can just feel Eddie's abilities ebbing away, Flowers for Algernon style and he practically becomes a zombie.
The final part of the story, where Eddie is back on a more controlled dosage of the drug, follows a more familiar route as he tries to track down the truth about the drug, and is threatened by people who want in on his secrets. The ending is a downbeat one (as opposed to the film), where he finally glimpses the scale of the conspiracy behind the drug, amidst a backdrop of war as the USA invades Mexico (rather prescient to what is going on today in the US elections, considering it was written in 2001. Just don't let certain presidential candidates read this book).
The whole story is set in flashback, told rather simply and directly as Eddie writes down exactly what has happened to him over the months that the story is set. The writing style deliberately echoes Eddie's state of mind over this period, and it becomes clear that what you are reading is with the benefit of hindsight and with a mind free of the drug.
The book, originally called The Dark Fields but renamed here to reflect the film title, possibly fails to live up to it's exhilarating first part but it has a lot to say about unfulfilled dreams and how it is too tempting for many to cheat, lie, steal or even kill to get what you want without really earning it. It has some important points to make about personal responsibility where being morally reprehensible is often seen as a virtue, particularly in the business world.
A very entertaining book.
The story is told from the point of view of Eddie Spinola, your average heading towards mid-life crisis type of guy, who is suddenly given the chance to turn his life around with a mystery drug provided by his ex brother in law. The sudden improvement in his ability to think and do things that seemed to be beyond him before provides for an exhilarating ride as he explores the potential for this brain enhancement drug (I even started tidying my room up in between reading, it had that effect). Of course, everything comes with a downside as Eddie starts having memory lapses, during which time he may or may not have seriously injured a person. With his drug supply limited by the murder of his brother in law, he decides to stop using the drug and immediately hits some serious withdrawal issues. This section was depressing to read as you can just feel Eddie's abilities ebbing away, Flowers for Algernon style and he practically becomes a zombie.
The final part of the story, where Eddie is back on a more controlled dosage of the drug, follows a more familiar route as he tries to track down the truth about the drug, and is threatened by people who want in on his secrets. The ending is a downbeat one (as opposed to the film), where he finally glimpses the scale of the conspiracy behind the drug, amidst a backdrop of war as the USA invades Mexico (rather prescient to what is going on today in the US elections, considering it was written in 2001. Just don't let certain presidential candidates read this book).
The whole story is set in flashback, told rather simply and directly as Eddie writes down exactly what has happened to him over the months that the story is set. The writing style deliberately echoes Eddie's state of mind over this period, and it becomes clear that what you are reading is with the benefit of hindsight and with a mind free of the drug.
The book, originally called The Dark Fields but renamed here to reflect the film title, possibly fails to live up to it's exhilarating first part but it has a lot to say about unfulfilled dreams and how it is too tempting for many to cheat, lie, steal or even kill to get what you want without really earning it. It has some important points to make about personal responsibility where being morally reprehensible is often seen as a virtue, particularly in the business world.
A very entertaining book.
August 1, 2013
A vivid imagery of time lapsed reality distorted by fragmented moments both out of body and out of character. MDT-48, a designer drug for the intellect and recollection becomes the quick addiction of Eddie Spinola transforming him from a struggling author of sorts into a high powered stock market trader and broker of multimillion dollar company mergers.
I couldn’t put this down, speed reading with vivaciousness akin to Eddie’s own reading ability whilst consumed by MDT-48. I simply couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.
LIMITLESS is one of those books where you know the world is going to come crashing down on the lead character and all you can do it wait for the cataclysmic event to end it all. Be it gangsters hell bent on acquiring the drug, evasive and mysterious drug companies monitoring every moment, or the law seeking justice for a murder - all paths lead in one direction.
It should be noted that I’m yet to view the film adaptation, as such; this review is without bias or basis for comparison. Needless to say, I enjoyed LIMITLESS from start to finish and will no doubt come back for more. 5 stars.
I couldn’t put this down, speed reading with vivaciousness akin to Eddie’s own reading ability whilst consumed by MDT-48. I simply couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.
LIMITLESS is one of those books where you know the world is going to come crashing down on the lead character and all you can do it wait for the cataclysmic event to end it all. Be it gangsters hell bent on acquiring the drug, evasive and mysterious drug companies monitoring every moment, or the law seeking justice for a murder - all paths lead in one direction.
It should be noted that I’m yet to view the film adaptation, as such; this review is without bias or basis for comparison. Needless to say, I enjoyed LIMITLESS from start to finish and will no doubt come back for more. 5 stars.
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