Lexicon

Written by Max Barry

Narrated by Heather Corrigan and Zach Appelman

Sticks and stones break bones.
Words kill.

They recruited Emily from the streets. They said it was because she's good with words.

They'll live to regret it.

Wil survived something he shouldn't have. But he doesn't remember it.

Now they're after him and he doesn't know why.

There's a word, they say. It shouldn't have got out. But it did.

And they want it back...

Find out why in one of the most mind-bending, page-turning, thrilling novels you'll ever read.

Winner of the Aurealis Award for Science-Fiction and GoodReads finalist in the SF category.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette UK Audio
• Release date: Jun 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781444779561

Max Barry

Max Barry began removing parts at an early age. In 1999, he successfully excised a steady job at tech giant HP in order to upgrade to the more compatible alternative of manufacturing fiction. While producing three novels, he developed the online nation simulation game NationStates, as well as contributing to various open source software projects and developing religious views on operating systems. He did not leave the house much. For Machine Man, Max wrote a website to deliver pages of fiction to readers via e-mail and RSS. He lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife and two daughters, and is thirty-eight years old. He uses vi. www.maxbarry.com

Reviews for Lexicon

[fiddleback_ · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Power words and Love.

[amymacevilly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As it starts off, it's kind of Harry Potter like as the main character is recruited, but then it becomes very thriller-like. Many twists and turns. Very enjoyable read. The language science in it is light (and sometimes a little off): more psychology.

[thegalaxygirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book makes you wonder -- and fear -- what rough beast might be slouching toward Bethlehem to be born.And regarding the ending: when I am told that two competing desires will always try to express themselves, and when one of those desires is love, it satisfies me very deeply that love, on a primal level, wins.

[zadeb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I originally rated this book four stars. I really liked it, but there are a few things about it that left me wanting. Since that original reading, though, I've come back to this book at least three times and unless I die in the very near future, I will definitely reread it yet again. Any book that can elicit four or more rereadings from someone with kids and a grad degree in the works deserves the full five stars.

[usuallee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Smart, fun sci-fi tinged thriller.

[unsquare_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lexicon is the rare book that I found both completely unpredictable and intensely thrilling. I’d call it a page-turner, but I listened to the audiobook version, so instead I’ll tell you that I was so enthralled that I spent the several hours just sitting on my couch listening so that I could finish it. That’s also rare – normally I only listen to audiobooks while I’m doing something else (dishes, chores, exercise, driving, etc.) – so I’d definitely call it a mark in Lexicon’s favor.

Fans of Lev Grossman’s The Magicians will find much to enjoy here. Like that book, Lexicon tells the story of a school for talented youngsters that involves far more sinister and heartbreaking developments than ever graced the pages of Harry Potter. However, where The Magicians passes through pitch-black satire into chilling horror, Lexicon is equal parts paranoid “wrong man” thriller and cracked coming-of-age story, with constantly shifting motivations and alliances that hammer the fact that trust is a liability.

In Lexicon’s world, language is a technology indistinguishable from magic, and the right words make it possible to control anyone as long as you know their psychological profile. A society of “poets” founded on these principles collects words of power and trains recruits in the art of persuasion at an exclusive private school. In the outside world, this society’s activities extend from brute force mental takeovers of susceptible civilians to more subtle campaigns of influence embedded in advertising or political websites.

The book jumps between two primary story lines: the kidnapping, by poets, of Will Park, a middle-mannered man who is an “outlier” unaffected by their words of power, and the recruitment, schooling and eventual downfall of a seventeen-year-old con artist named Emily Ruff who joins the poets to escape her life on the street. At first, the connection between these story-lines isn’t entirely clear, and in fact they almost feel like entirely different books. Will is living in a paranoid thriller while Emily comes of age in a young adult novel with the occasional dark moment.

However, the genius of Lexicon is the way Barry doles out revelations and slowly but surely pulls the rug out from under you. It isn’t long before the connection between Will and Emily’s stories starts to become clear, and you begin to wonder if Barry is actually doing what it seems like he is doing. Barry seems to delight in undermining expectations, and it’s oftentimes hard to know who to root for when so many of the characters take part in despicable events. Even still, I found myself drawn into their stories, wondering if my worst fears or dearest hopes might come true. I wasn’t entirely sure how the book might resolve itself until the very last moments, but that resolution didn’t feel any less earned because of it.

There is the occasional minor plot hole, and one character’s stated motivations don’t completely make sense in the end, but none of that detracted from my enjoyment. Lexicon was an absolutely thrilling read, and I can’t recommend it enough.

The funniest thing about Barry is that when I read Jennifer Government many years ago, I didn’t particularly like it. However, I’ve read two more of his books this year (Company was the other), and thoroughly enjoyed both. I suppose it just goes to show that you can’t always judge an author by a single book. I’ll definitely be checking out his other books soon.

[spiceca_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am admittedly a Max Barry fan after my first read of Jennifer Government. If you have experienced his writing style and enjoy, then this one will also not disappoint. As a logophile myself this one was of particular interest.The power of words is strong and Barry takes it to w hole new level. I did figure a couple twists out but only just before they were revealed. A solid read in the speculative fiction category that I can heartily recommend.

[ladyars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great premise, well researched, entertaining.

[tduvally-355175 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I liked this so much I want to see it on TV, a sequel and comic adaptations.

[dmturner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fast paced, well written, realistic fiction, a compulsive read, and based on an interesting underlying idea if you don't think about it too closely: What if there exists an underlying language that is the equivalent of machine language, that gives direct instructions to the brain? And what if people learned to use that language? Yeah, it's the good old "true language" staple of so much fantasy literature about magic. However, though it's basically popcorn, it's really good popcorn.

[bookishtexpat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I sped through this book and I enjoyed the story but just didn't feel like there was anything especially spectacular about the writing. The plot line was a nice nod to magic but with much more intrigue and maturity, and I actually found most of the characters to have a nice balance of likability and flaw. I would have liked a bit more time spent in the school or with the other poets/students, but I did appreciate the switching between past, present, perspectives, and location. Overall it was an enjoyable read and a fun take on the power of words, magic, and kicking ass.

[kardaen-358849 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've been a Max Barry fan since he was Maxx Barry. I loved Jennifer Government, and I've made it a point to read every book he's written. Max's infectious, dark humor has always been a hallmark of his work, but the tone of Lexicon surprised me. It feels like an older, more mature brother of his other works. It's a blisteringly brilliant book. I was a fan before this novel came out but this new book puts Max into a different tier.

Be careful...reading Lexicon will compromise you, turning you into one of his proselytes for this heart-stopping thriller. It's a profoundly intelligent tale that covers a global conspiracy to use words as keys to unlock the human mind.

The novel follows a young street hustler drafted into a secret organization, made into a weapon by careless inattention, and a seemingly innocent bystander, the only survivor of a horrific disaster. Usually his barb filled prose are more than enough for me but he goes for a different approach in this book. The normal tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek style is set aside for a more serious tone, elevating Max Barry into the upper echelons of science fiction writers. He has obviously done a lot of historical research to ratchet this story up several notches and combined with the philosophical undertones, it really messed with my head. Barry jumps back and forth through the timestream, which serves to maintain a blistering pace and keeps you guessing who is one whose side and what's going to happen next.

Equal parts smart, funny, and action-packed, it also has a heart, and a very satisfying finish. Barry has upped his game to the next level and I'm starting the bandwagon right now for Hugo. This novel is going to linger in my psyche for quite awhile.

[melrailey-412132 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the most unique and smart thrillers that I've read in a long time. Max Barry is extremely creative in the world that he builds. I love the importance of words. The convergence of his two narratives was brilliant. There were a couple of times when the narrative lulled and I'm still a little ambiguous about that ending but overall it was a great story.

[pdcread · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The town of Broken Hill is closed off after an 'environmental disaster'. A handful of people know exactly what happened in there, one of them is Emily Ruff, a poet with a mastery of the the language of persuasion, and Wil, but he doesn't remember what happened there.

Will is immune to the manipulations of the poets, and he is being hunted down by this nameless organisation of poets, as they think that his link to the 'bareword' in Broken Hill. As him and his protector stay one step ahead of this trying to kill him he starts to learn about his past and the power of the poets.

As Wil and Emily's stories converge they are headed back to the town of Broken Hill both seeking this bareword and the chance for ultimate control.

This book started really well, fast paced, secretive organisations, thrilling and a conspiracy of mass control of the population with a couple of likeable characters. But after about half way I felt that it had kind of lost the plot a bit, and I had too. It was a shame really as it was a really great concept. More 2.5 Stars.

[livingtech_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Compelling and ambitious, I blew through this novel at a pace I hadn't expected. Well worth a read!

[lexxa83 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Made it about 1/4 of the way through this before throwing in the towel. You would think in a book about the power of words the author would have been able to find alternatives to using the "f" bomb every other sentence. The characters were not in the least likable, and the vulgarity was off-putting and did nothing to advance the plot. In truth, I was ready to stop reading by the 2nd chapter, but forced myself to give this book a chance since the plot seemed so interesting. Unfortunately, by the time I had heard my two-hundredth f*uck (I don't even have a problem with swearing, more unrefined repetitive use of the SAME WORD) I decided there were plenty of other things to read on my TRB and moved on.

[sussura · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great read - excellent pacing. This is a complex book and I love teasing out the puzzles in complex books, so well done, Max Barry. The idea behind Lexicon, and the many ways in which that idea is handled throughout the book make excellent late-night mind-candy.

[tldegray-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love the premise behind this book, that words have power. Not just "the pen is mightier than the sword" power, but magical power. And I very much love that some words--barewords in the book's terminology--have ultimate power. Power that may be tied to the many Tower of Babel like myths throughout the world.

I found the early parts of the book to be confusing in that scenes switched back and forth between people in the book's present and people in its past. It took until the two times merged for me to realize this. When I did, it was a sudden click that provided me with a lot of enjoyment, but I can't help but wonder how the book would have read to me if I'd figured it out earlier.

The main characters are not nice people. But some are nicer than others, and some have motivations for what they do, and that's what intrigues me.



ARC provided by publisher.

[csdaley-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Man, I really wanted to like this book more. The whole concept of words that kill was one I loved. The first 60 pages were dynamite and then it just lost steam for me. It took forever to get where it was going. The ending was bang up and redeemed it a little for me. All in all it was enjoyable but left me feeling like it could have been more.

[antao-3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

My first Max Barry. Maybe my last...

Suspension of Disbelief necessary to read the book.

The characters are overall pretty weak. The rest of the novel is not solid enough to compensate for this shortcoming. The particular of the central plot device is also way, way over the top.

This is one of those books where the sum does not equal some of the good of its parts. The idea is brilliant, the writing is somewhat solid, but the execution is quite flawed, and left me wanting.

Lexicon's gimmick plays on a premise that any lover of language will enjoy (I surely did), ie, that words have power, literally.

Unfortunatelly getting into the science of this magic system quite in depth was not enough to save the novel. In fact, repeating this over and over again throughout the book became quite exhausting. While some of the ideas regarding how this magic system worked were quite scientific, the restatement of the details ad nauseum got exhausting.

I was constantly hammered over the head with all the nuances and details that went into how words functioned, and whatnot. By the end of it, I felt like I was reading more about psychology than magic. I like my magic systems to be logical and have science behind them, but I don't want to read a treatise on how they work.

Now, let's digress a little on the power words used in the book. On this topic the novel also fails miserably. Some of the power words throughout the book are just plain ridiculous and completely unutterable. They look like someone (a 5-year old...?)just put together a bunch of random letters together. That's why I've started this review by talking about the necessity of Suspension of Desbelief being necessary to try enjoying the novel. All this takes away the believableness of the magic system and the seriousness of it.

In this internet age is language mightier than the sword...? The answer is no, if you go by this novel.
"

[david_david_katzman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lexicon by Max Barry is a change of style and tone for the author of the charming yet incisively satirical Jennifer Government. I quite enjoyed Jennifer Government, which was fun, fast-paced and yet sharply political in its critique of the privatization of government functions, the constant drumbeat of taking the public good and looking to make profit from it. An example, by the way, being how Nestle rents land and gets a government permit to suck up public water supply and resell it for many millions of dollars, even during droughts, even near Flint, Michigan while it was starving for water.In Lexicon, Barry is again taking on some political issues including our privacy rights through corporate and government tracking and the political of social persuasion, which might cover political propaganda and advertising. He does so through the concept of a fantastical invented “power” to use words to control minds. This ability can be taught, although it has a science-y veneer on it (like an extreme version of NLP, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which the CIA began researching in the 50s), in the way it’s conceived it’s essentially a mind control spell using words. This premise, now retrospectively, rather obviously relates to the brainwashing that allowed half the country to rationalize voting for a sexual abuser for President. So in that regard, the themes here are timely.The tone of this book has shifted dramatically from his previous work. Lexicon is dark and extremely violent, with much murder and torture. It is a primarily an intense and fast-paced thriller. There is hardly the slightest humor here; it’s quite a grim and serious. Does that work for Barry? Well, for the most part, if you can stomach it. I found it to wear on me a bit. I think perhaps it just took itself a little bit too seriously for my taste. Perhaps I went into it from Jennifer Government expecting a little fun, but it’s all dark. As a political allegory, it was imperfect, but generally valid. It gets confused in trying to associate what actually happens in the story with a message, but I think once the premise is set thematically, the plot is where the thriller line comes into play. One might say that the theme is a veneer that doesn’t live that deeply within the plot, but for the most part, that’s okay. The thriller storyline is pretty well done. I will say, that having just read Dark Matterimmediately after this, being another Science Fiction thriller, Dark Matter by comparison is a superior thriller. Both from the perspective of the science behind the story and the intensity of the drama. A great thriller has to make you care about the characters so much that you feel their panic and fear, wanting them to survive. While Barry writes a nice plot with many unexpected twists and cliffhangers, and I did care to some extent about the main character, the connection was not as strong as it could have been. It could be the changing points of view detracted from the drama, whereas Dark Matter is so tight on the main character, it leaves you intensely invested in the main character’s survival.Regarding the political message of the story, there was one two-page chapter that stuck out for me and really bothered me. Barry would occasionally cut away from the storyline to intersperse excerpts from news articles, blog or social media posts, or message board threads that related to events happening in the story. One two-page blog post that was about how “every media is biased,” and it was in the context of “people get mad at me for watching Fox News” but all of YOUR media is biased, blah-blah-blah. And the article just kind of floated there, with unchallenged context and not directly related to other aspects of the story. It angered me because it manipulates the meaning of “bias.” FOX NEWS is NOT “biased” just like every other news source out there. There are certain news sources, I’m thinking of truly progressive news magazines, such as The Nation that work very hard to think critically and research facts that they believe to be an accurate and true analysis of situations. Yes, they have an overarching point of view, but they have come to this based on a sense of fairness and justice for all. This is an undisguised ideology of equality. What they claim to stand for is what they stand for. Whereas FOX comes in seeking to MANIPULATE facts and words to promote a DECEPTIVE ideology. They claim to be unbiased and factual when in fact they are biased and deceptive. And they actively promote politicians who claim to support the working class and middle class when in fact they really only support the most wealthy and corporations. They deceive and lie, so, no, the bias of FOX versus the bias of The Nation is not the same thing. And that chapter stuck out like a sore thumb in Barry’s political motifs. All in all, it was a solid book, with drama and a fascinating premise. I found the ending a bit abrupt and perhaps inappropriate to the story that lead up to it, but I won’t post a spoiler. It seemed like a rather facile twist. Here’s a spoiler though…if you can only pick ONE sci-fi thriller, I’d go with Dark Matter.

[tadad_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The huge amounts of hype around this book had me expecting more than I thought it delivered.The premise that people could be categorized extremely precisely and then verbally manipulated (Holy Myers-Briggs, Batman!) was well done. I thought the characters were distant and never really came totally alive. The ending was specifically Not Good.There are a lot of Barry fans out there, so I suspect that’s where the hype is coming from. Maybe I’ll try another of his at some point but this one was only mildly entertaining for me.

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Members of a shady, secret organization can control people using only words, but when one of them gets hold of a bareword, which has the power to compel everyone who sees it, an internal war breaks out.A cinematic page-turner of a book. There are chases and shootouts galore. The story moves at a dizzying pace between past events and what's happening now, and into and out of the heads of various characters. Unlike many reviewers, I didn't find these shifts at all confusing. On the contrary, I thought Barry handled them eloquently, and I never felt lost in the timeline or point of view. My favorite character was Eliot, not one of the two protagonists but, I felt, the most deeply developed and relatable of the characters. I wish the story had focused more on him and his relationship with Emily rather than being what it was, which at heart is a love story. Love stories are invariably tricky, because if the reader doesn't wholly and completely buy into the romance, then the major characters' decisions seem rather pointless. No, I didn't buy the love story here. Harry comes across as someone incapable of feeling deep love--in fact, that's a major plot point--and Emily's version of love, as consistently portrayed, skews much closer to dangerous obsession. I mean, she's stalker-ish. By focusing on the love story, I think Barry omits the most interesting part of his premise, which is the organization of "poets" he has created. Who are they? What are their origins? What are their goals? Barry avoids answering these oh-so-interesting questions and leaves the reader wondering, if we don't know what the stakes truly are, then why should we care. This deficit keeps a good book from being a truly great book, unfortunately.

[sandsjd · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fast and fun read. Thought the ending was hurried.

[csmith0406-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good entertaining read

really enjoyed this one, kind of close to horror and in some places reminded me of Stephen King. looking forward to more from this author.

[beetlebub2000_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Really interesting phrasings such as 'ran into a pole and all my thoughts fell out.' Intriguing idea of words being weapons of control. Brings to mind The Flame Alphabet, though they are more like distant cousins from different generations than close relations. I'd read another Max Barry to sample more of his work.

[communitylibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A book about the power of words!!! The literal power of words. Awesome!

[angiestahl-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Really interesting phrasings such as 'ran into a pole and all my thoughts fell out.' Intriguing idea of words being weapons of control. Brings to mind The Flame Alphabet, though they are more like distant cousins from different generations than close relations. I'd read another Max Barry to sample more of his work.

[rosa.mill · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! This book was just not what I was expecting at all. I think I had confused it with another title and so I had no idea what it was about. I loved the characters and adventure and the parallel story telling. I as also a huge fan of the acknowledgements, definitely worth reading. Also there was a Rosalia de Castro reference--that made me smile.

[lilibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A secret society runs a school where people are taught words that can control others based on their psychology and use that power to control others.