Book review: The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker
Genre: Literary & Sci Fi
Release date: February 25, 2025
Goodreads rating: 4.10
My rating: 5
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I loved The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker! I found it unique and gripping. It’s a definite 5 stars for me.
Jane O is a New Yorker who one day has a psychotic episode that she struggles to understand. She turns to Dr. Byrd, a psychiatrist. A patient-doctor relationship unfolds where both try to put the puzzle pieces together.
The story is recounted from two first-person perspectives. Dr. Byrd’s perspective is in the form of therapy session notes that he logged for himself (but that he also needs to decide if he will share with the police); Jane’s perspective is in the form of letters that she writes for her infant son to one day read as an adult.
This story captivated me because it made me question what—of Jane’s narrative—was factual and what was not—and the impact of each possibility on the outcome of the story. In this regard, I felt very much part of the story, working alongside Dr. Byrd, a police investigator and Jane herself to try to piece together the reason for Jane’s mysterious episodes.
I don’t want to say too much… this is a book where spoilers could ruin the reading experience, but I’ll say that it delves into the mysterious workings of the brain and the study (or not) of some aspects of it. This quote from the book summarizes this well:
“Certain biases in the sciences mean that we have left a great many of the most fundamental elements of human experience—and perhaps of reality itself—unstudied by our most powerful tool, the scientific method.”
This book comes out on February 25 and I highly recommend it. This is one of those books that will stay with you… that will make you think, that will make you wonder… and this, long after the book is finished.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.