title: The Anatomy of Dreams: A Novel
author:  Chloe Benjamin 
description: "A debut novel of subtlety, depth, intrigue and tenderness. Chloe Benjamin is a great new talent." (Lorrie Moore)<br /><br />"The way that Benjamin gives equal weight to both the romantic relationship and the novel's more cerebral, philosophical questions is impressive -- and a feat we hope to see in many more books to come." (<i>Nylon</i>)<br /><br />"Uncertainty lingers through much of Benjamin's book, which has all the trappings of a scary thriller, but which skillfully converts itself into something more genteel and, in a way, more methodical: a study of the grim work of growing up." (<i>Washington Independent Review of Books</i>)<br /><br />"After reading Chloe Krug Benjamins<i> The Anatomy of Dreams,</i> youll never dream the same way again. Benjamins debut is a majestic collision of sci-fi thriller and love story that explores, as the title claims, the anatomy of dreams  their power, both chilling and beautiful through the lens of a young couple. Sylvie and Gabe meet as teens at a California boarding school and, years later, become sleep researchers investigating lucid dreaming under the instruction of their former teacher, an intelligent and mysterious man with potentially sinister intentions. Though anchored in reality, their story takes surreal turns.Its a riveting tale that will instantly transfix readers, like a dream youre not quite ready to wake up from." (<i>Bustle</i>)<br /><br />"A sly, promising, and ambitious debut." (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>)<br /><br />Mounting tension and [an] atmosphere of secrecy will definitely keep the pages of this taut psychological exploration turning right up until the tense, satisfying denouement. (<i>Booklist</i>)<br /><br />"Rich in metaphor and hypnotic rhythms, the prose is lyrical and dreamlike." (<i>Isthmus</i>)<br /><br /><xml> </xml><xml> </xml>"Chloe Benjamin's ambitious debut novel matches the subtle surrealism of a dream with the underpinnings of a thriller. Back and forth in time like so many memories coming to light at once, Benjamin has produced a wholly original tale." (Emma Straub, author of Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures)<br /><br /><xml> </xml><xml> </xml><i>"</i>A beautiful, haunting plunge into a mysterious world where the real and the dream are cleverly blurred. Sylvies story drew me in from the first, and the subtle menace kept me turning pages to its surprising conclusion. Chloe Benjamin has crafted an eerie, compelling first novel which, like the lingering effects of a vivid dream, resonates long past its finish." (Karen Brown, author of The Longings of Wayward Girls)<br /><br /><xml> </xml><xml> </xml>A vibrant, ambitious novel that wrestles with the big complexities of early adulthoodthe impossibility of fully knowing a partner, the quixotic desire for meaningful work, and the surprisingly sudden nature of obsession. Chloe Benjamins impressive debut shimmers and surprises with its wonderfully original fusion of compelling quirk and surreal mystery." (Dean Bakopoulos, author of My American Unhappiness)
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter One
  
  
  Jennifer was halfway between waking reality and the place where vivid dreams
  trail off. She moved her hand to the cool pillow next to her and a tear slid
  down her face. She didn’t want to open her eyes. She wanted to go back to
  sleep back to the dreams that had become her sanctuary. She wanted to switch
  her real world for the one she dreamed every night. The one that only a few
  short months ago was more than, “just a dream.”
  
  
  Jennifer finally opened her eyes, sat up, and brought her feet to her cool
  tile floor, her toes curling on contact. She looked at her alarm clock sighing
  audibly when she realized that once again, she had beat it by waking up 45
  minutes earlier than it was set to go off. She hated that, before everything
  in her life had been turned up-side down she remembered she would hit snooze
  until she had no choice but, to get-up and rush to work. Each morning she
  would kiss the man she loved, rush to peek in on Brittany, make a mad dash