Bewilderment
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The astrobiologist Theo Byrne searches for life throughout the cosmos while single-handedly raising his unusual nine-year-old, Robin, following the death of his wife. Robin is a warm, kind boy who spends hours painting elaborate pictures of endangered animals. He's also about to be expelled from third grade for smashing his friend in the face. As his son grows more troubled, Theo hopes to keep him off psychoactive drugs. He learns of an experimental neurofeedback treatment to bolster Robin's emotional control, one that involves training the boy on the recorded patterns of his mother's brain...
With its soaring descriptions of the natural world, its tantalizing vision of life beyond, and its account of a father and son's ferocious love, Bewilderment marks Richard Powers's most intimate and moving novel. At its heart lies the question: How can we tell our children the truth about this beautiful, imperiled planet?
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Book Details
- ISBN
- 9780393881141
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Authors
- Richard Powers
- Publisher
- W. W. Norton & Company
- Published Date
- September 21, 2021
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 288
- Physical Info
- 1.1 in H x 8.9 in L x 6 in W (1.15 lb)

Masterful storytelling with vivid imagery. I could feel myself ebb and flow with his tides. Neurodivergence is a blessing and a curse. May all beings be well and at peace. One day….
As a son of a scientist father and a poet mother, and the father of an autistic daughter, this book hooked me in some vital deep part of me. Loss and joy. Science, love, hope, discovery, and beauty collide with the unmanageable destruction of ignorance and greed coupled with governmental power. And still there's the spark glimpses hope for humans and the glory of discovery imagined and real. This is the third Powers book after Over story and Playground, all with wondrous, soulful, honest writing. I'm n.n to another with gratitude for the chance to dive in.
I loved it because Richard Powers is a master at educating us through brilliantly assembled words. I loathed it for its frighteningly accurate portrayals of our ecological and political climates.
what a delightful book. About an amazing boy who was probably part genius. About a father who was also very smart and worked hard to help his son after his wife died. It is a truly charming story.
Hard content, dystopian, and tragic. Read if you like this kind of thing but this one was heavy. I did enjoy the concept, even if it is realistic.
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