Adam Roberts

Now You See Me…

Invisible: The Dangerous Allure of the Unseen

By

The Bodley Head 320pp £25 order from our bookshop

Why, Philip Ball asks, are we so fascinated by invisibility? What would we do if we happened upon the Ring of Gyges – or of Frodo Baggins? ‘The chances are,’ Ball thinks, ‘it will have something to do with power, wealth or sex. Perhaps all three, given the opportunity.’ Power, wealth and sex would constitute a pretty potent publishing trifecta as far as snagging readers’ attention is concerned. Imagine if the pop-sci book that tapped those three phenomena actually existed. Imagine if it were more than a mirage, flickering on the edge of sight.

Sign Up to our newsletter

Receive free articles, highlights from the archive, news, details of prizes, and much more.

Follow Literary Review on Twitter

  • Last Tweets

    • From the Archive: Martyn Bedford on Ian McEwan's 'Atonement' ,
    • In 'Silenced Voices' reports the ongoing story of the human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, who has been… ,
    • The mystery of Jack the Ripper's identity has long been agonised over. But what do we know about his victims?… ,
    • A piece of Literary Review history from way back in 1983: John Haffenden talks to the great Iris Murdoch. ,
    • Britain’s only travelling lit fest, the Garden Museum Literary Festival is heading to Houghton Hall, Norfolk, for a… ,
    • 'The 19th-century German sage is not my idea of a pleasant travel companion' goes hiking with Friedr… ,
    • If you want ideas about what to read next, sign up to our free email newsletter, and get book reviews, archive mate… ,
    Follow Us