Night Film by Marisha Pessl
I didn’t know the end or what I’d find when it was over—if I’d stare at the rubble and recognize his story as one of evil or fallen grace, or if I’d see myself in all he’d done, trying to save his daughter, in his insatiable need to stretch life as far as it would go, risking it breaking.
Somehow, I sensed as soon as he told me, he’d find a way to be gone, faster than the wind across a field. I’d wake up somewhere far away, wondering if I’d imagined it, if he’d been here at all, inside this quiet house poised at the edge of the world.
The one thing I did know, as I stepped toward him, was that he was going to sit down beside me and tell me his truth.
And I would listen.
A Note about the Interactive Elements of Night Film
Dear Reader,
If you want to continue the Night Film experience, interactive touch points buried throughout the text will unlock extra content on your smartphone or tablet. These hidden Easter eggs include new images and audio. If you have a device with a rear-facing camera (connected to WiFi or a cellular network), please follow these steps to access the bonus content:
1. Visit NightFilmDecoder.com to learn how to download the free app.
2. Install the Night Film Decoder app on your device.
3. Search for the bird image below in select illustrations throughout Night Film. When you see it, launch the app on your device and scan the illustration with the camera until a Play button appears on the screen. Hint: Not every one hides a secret.
4. Press the Play button and enjoy.
If you experience any issues with the Night Film Decoder app, please email [email protected].
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Night Film would not have been possible if not for the guidance and support of a world-class group of people.
Binky Urban: Your reality is even better than your myth. Thank you for your sage advice, friendship, huge heart, and always telling me like it is. Many thanks to the team at ICM who are the best at what they do: Margaret Southard, Molly Atlas, Daisy Meyrick, Karolina Sutton, Rachel Clements, and Ron Bernstein.
Kate Medina: Your editorial insight and passion for Ashley’s story continually challenged me as a writer, pushing this book to new heights and depths. Thank you for giving me the courage to tread even deeper down those dark corridors (and for Alexander McQueen).
Lindsey Schwoeri: Your close and perceptive reading of that early draft led me in an entirely new direction, cracking new and unexpected doors for me to open. Thanks for pointing them out or I might never have known they were there.
Anna Pitoniak: Your enthusiasm and creative suggestions were a breath of fresh air. The way you juggled with Ginger Rogers–style aplomb so many of the different elements that it took to assemble this book was awe-inspiring. Thank you for never missing a beat.
To my Dream Team at Random House who worked round the clock with such fearless passion on my behalf:
Gina Centrello, thank you for being my fervent champion.
To Sally Marvin and Karen Fink—thank you for your zeal, your outside-the-box ideas, and being so totally cool.
Many thanks to Debbie Aroff for dreaming up the many ways in which to merge the Night Film universe with the real world. Thank you, too, to Maggie Oberrender for your behind-the-scenes contributions.
To Paolo Pepe, Barbara Bachman, and Simon M. Sullivan—I am so grateful for your willingness to push book design in a new direction. You put together a stunning package that even Cordova would approve of.
Many thanks to my digital team, the tech prophets Ken Wohlrob and Matt Schwartz—you help me to push the envelope and reimagine what’s possible.
Laura Goldin—thank you for taking the time from your hectic schedule to be my advocate.
Thank you to Richard Elman, Benjamin Dreyer, and Lisa Feuer, who somehow made the production of this book happen on time and ahead of schedule.
Thank you to the stellar copy editor Amy Brosey and a huge thank you to Loren Noveck, whose Mensa-level Sherlock Holmes–like powers of deduction were amazing and invaluable. (They could use you at the C.I.A.)
Thank you to Jocasta Hamilton and the rest of the team at Hutchinson in London for their support, enthusiasm, and the House of Wolf.
Cordova’s world never would have come to life with such dark vibrancy if it weren’t for the inimitable Tristan Woods-Scawen, whose enthusiasm, wild creativity, and outstanding art direction for the illustrations transcended time zones and exploded expectations. Cordova never would have stepped out of the shadows without you. I’m indebted to the entire team of visionaries at Kennedy Monk: Stuart Monk, Bruce Kennedy, Jolyon Meldrum, Steven Harrison, Colin Taylor, Charlotte Kelly, and Michelle Thomas. It was a joy to work with you.
Thank you to my beautiful characters who have faces that whisper questions and glances that sear the brain: Sophie Blackbrough, Seb Castang, Verona Edo, Samantha Englebrecht, and Steven Harrison. I couldn’t have come up with a more mesmerizing cast if I’d invented you myself.
Thank you to the photographer, Paul Archer, who made art out of evidence. Much gratitude to Lucy Flower, David Wadlow, and Lisa Jahovic, whose attention to detail made every photo look timely, rich, and real.
A host of medical experts were generous enough to take time out of their busy days to answer my questions: Lawrence Levin, M.D., one of the most caring and insightful physicians in New York City, and Leonard H. Wexler, M.D., who educated and humbled me with the incredible work he does for children.
An eternal thank you to my assistant and right-hand man, Seth D. Rabinowitz. You’re my trusted confidant and partner-in-crime.
Thank you to my beloved family, friends, and other compatriots who contributed to this book in ways great and greater: James Rosow, Robert Strent, Nicole Caruso, Adam Weber (your twenty-two hours incarcerated in Brooklyn Central Booking was worth it for the Tombs), Nic Caiano, Noriel Abdon, Josh Thomas, Elke Pessl, and Don Marvel.
I will forever be grateful to my amazing mom and first reader, Anne, who teaches me that the true meaning of success is someone who leaves much love and light in her wake. So often you know what I’m trying to say before I do.
Finally I want to thank my late grandmother, Ruth, who lived with true grace. Her favorite quote was “The day shall not be up so soon as I / To try the fair adventure of to-morrow.”
Let’s keep living it.
IMAGE CREDITS
Unless specified, all images © Marisha Pessl
Adapted from an original image © SuperStock/Corbis
Adapted from an original image © Getty Images
Adapted from an original image © Photonet.de/Lehnartz
© Joel Gillespie
Adapted from an original image © Getty Images
Adapted from an original image © Masterfile
© Tristan Savatier
© Stephen Alvarez/National Geographic Stock
© Getty Images
© The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved. / ARS, New York / DACS 2013
Using image © Anke Van Wyk / Dreamstime.com
Using image © Andreiuc88 / Dreamstime.com
Using image © Parkinsonsniper / Dreamstime.com
© Hakan Karlsson / Dreamstime.com
Adapted from an original image © Jen Hamilton-Emery
© Punchan / Dreamstime.com
© Daniel Sanchez Blasco / Dreamstime.com
© Tverkhovinets / Dreamstime.com
Adapted from an original image © Bettmann/CORBIS
© Diane Scheuermann
© Debbie Grant
Using image © Joel Gillespie
© Michael Mellinger
Adapted from an original image © David Curtis
Adapted from an original image © Martin Grace Photography
© Elke Meitzel / cultura / Corbis
© Alexey Stiop / Dreamstime.com
Adapted from an original image © Melanie Pepper
Using image © Andriscam / Dreamstime.com
Marisha Pessl grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and now lives in New York City. Special Topics in Calamity Physics, her debut novel, was a best seller in both hardcover and paperback. It won the 2006 John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize (now the Center for Fiction’s Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize), and was selected as one of the 10 Best Books of the Year by The New York Times Book Review.
www.marishapessl.com
Marisha Pessl, Night Film