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Product Description
Book Description
Now a major motion picture - starring Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro and Abbie Cornish
Product Description
A stunning international thriller and a wild, compulsive ride into the greedy vortex of modern life.
Imagine a drug that made your brain function to its full potential.
A drug that allowed you pick up a foreign language in a single day.
A drug that helped you process information so fast you could see patterns in the stock market.
Just as his life is fading into mediocrity, Eddie Spinola comes across such a pill: MDT-48 - a sort of Viagra for the brain. But while its benefits materialise quickly, so do certain unwelcome side-effects. And when Eddie decides to track down other users, he soon discovers that they're all dying, or already dead...
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I read this before seeing the film of the same name and found them to be two different experiences.
There is no doubt that Alan Glynn's book is a page turner. The set up takes place within the first 10 pages, so there is no waiting for things to get up and running. The tale is writen in the first person and follows Eddie Spinola a 'down on his luck' copywriter who meets an old friend who introduces him to MDT-48, a smart drug that massively enhances the functioning and potential of the human brain. Imagine being able to master a foreign language in a day or see patterns in the stock market.
After taking the first pill Eddie becomes highly focused and motivated on his work. Glynn seems to have actually modelled procrastination to motivation in the way he describes it, so well that you may find yourself actually putting the book down once or twice to get on with some tasks you may have been avoiding. But be warned, that is the only time you will put the book aside as the story develops at such a pace that it pulls you into the climax at speed.
The book was first published in 2001 as 'The Dark Fields'and has taken ten years to make it to the big screen. Having seen the film after reading the book I have to say there are some big differences. And I would say read the book before going to the cinema.
There is no doubt that Alan Glynn's book is a page turner. The set up takes place within the first 10 pages, so there is no waiting for things to get up and running. The tale is writen in the first person and follows Eddie Spinola a 'down on his luck' copywriter who meets an old friend who introduces him to MDT-48, a smart drug that massively enhances the functioning and potential of the human brain. Imagine being able to master a foreign language in a day or see patterns in the stock market.
After taking the first pill Eddie becomes highly focused and motivated on his work. Glynn seems to have actually modelled procrastination to motivation in the way he describes it, so well that you may find yourself actually putting the book down once or twice to get on with some tasks you may have been avoiding. But be warned, that is the only time you will put the book aside as the story develops at such a pace that it pulls you into the climax at speed.
The book was first published in 2001 as 'The Dark Fields'and has taken ten years to make it to the big screen. Having seen the film after reading the book I have to say there are some big differences. And I would say read the book before going to the cinema.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
Limitless is a superb thriller by Alan Glynn. The concept itself is fantastic - when Eddie Spinola discovers a drug which taps into the brain and accesses subconscious skills and resources, he becomes a modern-day super hero. He has the ability to learn anything he wants and uses his new found abilities to create a perfect life for himself. Only when he starts blacking-out and noticing terrible consequences, does he question the drug and soon discovers that other users are either dying or dead.
The story itself is thrilling. It's full of twists and turns, and the ups and downs of Eddie's drug use. Eddie quickly becomes consumed by the drug and the pace of the book matches his new found energy, sometimes almost exhausting the reader as we try to keep up with his `high'. While the pace of the novel is tiring, the intensity of Eddie's new interests are also quite draining. Eddie reads and absorbs newspapers and books so quickly that becomes an expert on politics and the stock exchange. He is able to talk so freely and so enthusiastically about these subjects, even despite the fact he doesn't quite understand the things he finds himself talking about, which makes it a hard book to follow in places. As it dawns on him what's happening, the pace slows down slightly and the reader is less bombarded by Eddie's newfound knowledge, which is something of a relief. Having said that, however, I found myself so invested in the character of Eddie and wanting to know how his story ends, I was still on the edge of my seat.
This novel is so thought-provoking, as well as having the fantastic story. Told in first person by Eddie, you really feel that you are on this journey with him, feeling his highs and lows. It's a very powerful novel - full of emotions, mystery, and conspiracy - a `thriller' in every sense of the word. While I personally found the first half of the novel to be so information-heavy and struggled to keep focused, I'm glad I persisted and I found the rest of the book to be a thrilling read. It's obvious after reading Limitless that all Eddie's earlier opinions on politics, language, art, investment banking, etc. were all necessary for the story to allow the reader to understand more of what was going on in Eddie's brain and experience the information-overload that he was feeling.
An exceptional concept and well worth the effort!
The story itself is thrilling. It's full of twists and turns, and the ups and downs of Eddie's drug use. Eddie quickly becomes consumed by the drug and the pace of the book matches his new found energy, sometimes almost exhausting the reader as we try to keep up with his `high'. While the pace of the novel is tiring, the intensity of Eddie's new interests are also quite draining. Eddie reads and absorbs newspapers and books so quickly that becomes an expert on politics and the stock exchange. He is able to talk so freely and so enthusiastically about these subjects, even despite the fact he doesn't quite understand the things he finds himself talking about, which makes it a hard book to follow in places. As it dawns on him what's happening, the pace slows down slightly and the reader is less bombarded by Eddie's newfound knowledge, which is something of a relief. Having said that, however, I found myself so invested in the character of Eddie and wanting to know how his story ends, I was still on the edge of my seat.
This novel is so thought-provoking, as well as having the fantastic story. Told in first person by Eddie, you really feel that you are on this journey with him, feeling his highs and lows. It's a very powerful novel - full of emotions, mystery, and conspiracy - a `thriller' in every sense of the word. While I personally found the first half of the novel to be so information-heavy and struggled to keep focused, I'm glad I persisted and I found the rest of the book to be a thrilling read. It's obvious after reading Limitless that all Eddie's earlier opinions on politics, language, art, investment banking, etc. were all necessary for the story to allow the reader to understand more of what was going on in Eddie's brain and experience the information-overload that he was feeling.
An exceptional concept and well worth the effort!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
I bought this after I saw it in the bargain books section, and thought it looked interesting. I haven't seen the film so had no preconceptions.
Initial impressions were good: the prose is well written and pacy; the dialogue is believable; the characters are interesting; the story is compelling; the scenery is well drawn and vivid, and from the start I couldn't put it down. There's no doubt that, in many ways, this is a fantastic book.
However, this is a 3 star review so there are clearly some failings, too. Chief among these, for me, is the ending: without wishing to give anything away the deus ex machina unraveling of the hero's story left a sour taste in my mouth. Eddie, the narrator and protagonist of the tale, is at the mercy of his circumstances throughout the story, yet he constantly struggles and fights to find a way through everything. He is a driven man, and there are plenty of little hints throughout the telling which point to the way in which the story should have ended. He makes various enemies throughout the story, and one in particular (a Russian - still trying not to give much away!) could easily have become the key character in the story's ending. However, the ending is actually driven by a faceless character who we haven't met before, and is thoroughly disappointing given the driven nature of the story until that point. It reads as though Alan Glynn reached the point where he thought "I've got to finish this now" and he does so rapidly and without buildup. As I've pointed out, there is plenty of drama and buildup in the tale, but the ending doesn't really fit and leaves the hero without option or ability to act.
There are some other issues, too, notably with threads that are left open - did Eddie really commit the crime in the hotel room? - but these are forgivable because of the first-person perspective (if the narrator doesn't know, how can he tell the reader?) and the semi-hallucinatory nature of much of the story. There's also the fact that the story is heavily influenced by Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde, and if you know that tale you'll recognise much of this one despite the thoroughly modern fixtures and fittings.
Having said all that, the story is certainly well written and kept me reading happily right up until the denouement. If it weren't for the ending this would easily have merited four stars: as it is, it's a flawed gem of a story.
Initial impressions were good: the prose is well written and pacy; the dialogue is believable; the characters are interesting; the story is compelling; the scenery is well drawn and vivid, and from the start I couldn't put it down. There's no doubt that, in many ways, this is a fantastic book.
However, this is a 3 star review so there are clearly some failings, too. Chief among these, for me, is the ending: without wishing to give anything away the deus ex machina unraveling of the hero's story left a sour taste in my mouth. Eddie, the narrator and protagonist of the tale, is at the mercy of his circumstances throughout the story, yet he constantly struggles and fights to find a way through everything. He is a driven man, and there are plenty of little hints throughout the telling which point to the way in which the story should have ended. He makes various enemies throughout the story, and one in particular (a Russian - still trying not to give much away!) could easily have become the key character in the story's ending. However, the ending is actually driven by a faceless character who we haven't met before, and is thoroughly disappointing given the driven nature of the story until that point. It reads as though Alan Glynn reached the point where he thought "I've got to finish this now" and he does so rapidly and without buildup. As I've pointed out, there is plenty of drama and buildup in the tale, but the ending doesn't really fit and leaves the hero without option or ability to act.
There are some other issues, too, notably with threads that are left open - did Eddie really commit the crime in the hotel room? - but these are forgivable because of the first-person perspective (if the narrator doesn't know, how can he tell the reader?) and the semi-hallucinatory nature of much of the story. There's also the fact that the story is heavily influenced by Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde, and if you know that tale you'll recognise much of this one despite the thoroughly modern fixtures and fittings.
Having said all that, the story is certainly well written and kept me reading happily right up until the denouement. If it weren't for the ending this would easily have merited four stars: as it is, it's a flawed gem of a story.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
excellent book
Highly enjoyable story about a pill that improves your brain power. I haven't seen the movie like many of the other reviewers. I would highly recomend this excellent story.
Published 1 month ago by Airline Traveller
As usual, the book is better than the film
I admit that I saw the film first, but was a bit irritated by the gaping plot holes. Reviews online suggested the book was different enough to the film and overcame those plot... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Rosey Lea
Excellent original thriller
Read this before watching the film if you can because it is more exciting. Very well written and easy to read. Read more
Published 5 months ago by A. D. Wallace
Great value, great read.
Got this book on the strength that a friend told me the movie version was good.
The book, always being better than the movie made me search for this on Kindle, and at a... Read more
The book, always being better than the movie made me search for this on Kindle, and at a... Read more
Published 6 months ago by SeantheBaptist
Great Book
Thought this book was great, a real page turner with an interesting and highly original concept (read the synopsis) I couldn't put it down and even turned a night out at the pub to... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. M. J. Payne
Limitless
Originally titled The Dark Fields .I read this before seeing the film of the same name and found them to be two very different experiences. Read the book first. Read more
Published 7 months ago by NYX
Too much financial talk
The premise of this book was fantastic but unfortunately, I found this book to be rather boring. At the beginning of the novel I was really pulled in and thought that it was going... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Stepping Out of the Page
I Reached My Boredom Threshold
Give me a pill that will make me super brainy and I could conquer the world, or at least invent something good enough for to be able to retire early. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Sam
This book alters the chemistry of your brain..! Great - !!
A fabulously compulsive read. I haven't seen the film, and knowing what usually happens when studio big-wigs get their hands on a 'property' ( all the edginess is sacrificed in... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Lexx
Limited.
I read this after watching the film. It was an inflight movie and I hadn't realised that I had previously put the book onto my Kindle. Read more
Published 8 months ago by lickeyendblues
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