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The Reservoir
A former Wall Street veteran, quarantined by the coronavirus, becomes consumed with madness—or the fulfillment of his own mythic fate
The Reservoir follows an unexceptional man in an exceptional time. We see our present-day pandemic world and New York City through the eyes of a former Wall Street veteran, Ridley, as he, in his enforced quarantined solitude, looks back upon his life. He examines his wins, his failures, the gnawing questions—his career, his divorce, his estranged daughter—and wonders what it all means and who he really is.
Sitting and brooding night after night, gazing out his huge picture window high above the Central Park Reservoir, Ridley spots a flashing light in an apartment across the park as if a lonely quarantined person is signaling him in Morse code. His determination to find out who this mystery woman is, this fellow quarantine damsel in distress trapped in her own Fifth Avenue tower, leads him on an epic quest that will ultimately tempt him with either delusional madness or the fulfillment of his own mythic fate.
Is he a dying man going mad or an everyman metamorphosing into a hero? Or both? We accompany Ridley as he leaves the safety of his apartment window to save the Fifth Avenue femme fatale and descends into a dangerous, increasingly surreal world of global conspiracies, madness, and sickness of this viral time; beyond that, into the enduring mysteries of love and fatherhood; and deeper still, into the bedrock mystery of life itself. As Ridley's actions grow more and more uncharacteristic, he realizes the key to all the mysteries of now, and even all of history, seem to lie deep beneath the freezing waters of the reservoir.
The Reservoir is a twisted rom-com for our distanced time, when the merest touch could kill and conspiracy theories propagate like viruses—a contemporary union of Death in Venice , Rear Window , and The Plague .
The Reservoir follows an unexceptional man in an exceptional time. We see our present-day pandemic world and New York City through the eyes of a former Wall Street veteran, Ridley, as he, in his enforced quarantined solitude, looks back upon his life. He examines his wins, his failures, the gnawing questions—his career, his divorce, his estranged daughter—and wonders what it all means and who he really is.
Sitting and brooding night after night, gazing out his huge picture window high above the Central Park Reservoir, Ridley spots a flashing light in an apartment across the park as if a lonely quarantined person is signaling him in Morse code. His determination to find out who this mystery woman is, this fellow quarantine damsel in distress trapped in her own Fifth Avenue tower, leads him on an epic quest that will ultimately tempt him with either delusional madness or the fulfillment of his own mythic fate.
Is he a dying man going mad or an everyman metamorphosing into a hero? Or both? We accompany Ridley as he leaves the safety of his apartment window to save the Fifth Avenue femme fatale and descends into a dangerous, increasingly surreal world of global conspiracies, madness, and sickness of this viral time; beyond that, into the enduring mysteries of love and fatherhood; and deeper still, into the bedrock mystery of life itself. As Ridley's actions grow more and more uncharacteristic, he realizes the key to all the mysteries of now, and even all of history, seem to lie deep beneath the freezing waters of the reservoir.
The Reservoir is a twisted rom-com for our distanced time, when the merest touch could kill and conspiracy theories propagate like viruses—a contemporary union of Death in Venice , Rear Window , and The Plague .
243 pages, Library Binding
First published May 27, 2021
124 people are currently reading
858 people want to read
About the author
David Duchovny
18 books1,335 followersBorn and raised in New York City David Duchovny earned an A.B. in English literature from Princeton University, and an ABD in English literature from Yale University. He was on the road to earning his Ph.D. when his interest in playwriting led him to acting. Subsequently, he emerged to become one of the most highly acclaimed actors in Hollywood.
Globally known for his roles in the Fox Television’s monster hit The X-Files and Showtime's Californication, David has made his way into our pop culture lexicon. David Duchovny remains the only actor to have won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series in both the Comedy and Drama categories.
David Duchovny has published four novels, Holy Cow: A Modern-Day Dairy Tale (2015), a New York Times Bestseller; Bucky F*cking Dent (2016); Miss Subways (2018) and Truly Like Lightning (2021).
Additionally, David Duchovny has completed two studio albums, Hell or Highwater (2015) and Every Third Thought (2018), and his third album is slated for release in summer 2021.
Globally known for his roles in the Fox Television’s monster hit The X-Files and Showtime's Californication, David has made his way into our pop culture lexicon. David Duchovny remains the only actor to have won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series in both the Comedy and Drama categories.
David Duchovny has published four novels, Holy Cow: A Modern-Day Dairy Tale (2015), a New York Times Bestseller; Bucky F*cking Dent (2016); Miss Subways (2018) and Truly Like Lightning (2021).
Additionally, David Duchovny has completed two studio albums, Hell or Highwater (2015) and Every Third Thought (2018), and his third album is slated for release in summer 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
June 6, 2021
Set in the more or less present day, this is a story of a man, Ridley, living in his NYC apartment during the pandemic. He is enjoying the view from his picture window, which looks over the Central Park reservoir, when a flashing light catches his eye, which he believes is a signal being sent across the night sky to him in Morse code. A fellow victim of the quarantine, reaching out through the dark for some comfort in contact, someone looking for reassurance that they are not alone.
He becomes obsessed with this person, his ‘mystery woman,’ she is his Rapunzel, someone who needs rescuing from their tower.
A short audible story by David Duchovny, as well as narrated by him which offers some twists and turns, some unexpected, but not all. There are some amusing moments in this, as well as some moments of danger. A reminder that despite our need for solitude at times, we do indeed need, desire that human contact, to hear a voice in response to our own questions, fears, needs and desires.
August 21, 2021
Duchovny has a marvelous voice. This short story was very enjoyable to listen to. Free for those that have Audible.
A suspense thriller that turns quite mystical. It really pulls you in…
4 out of 5 stars
A suspense thriller that turns quite mystical. It really pulls you in…
4 out of 5 stars
July 25, 2024
Духовны очень талантливый писатель, хотя я больше люблю, когда он смешной, а эта новелеточка, конечно, – гусиные мурашки мужика, которому смерть подула в пупочек. Плюс еще и ковид в литературе вообще такая история, которая устарела, не успев состариться, поэтому "Резервуар" читается во многом как полуразмытое послание в бутылке из 2020 года, где почти все уже подрастеклось и поблекло, но, впрочем, осталось еще прилично искренности человека, который пытается договориться о чем-то с жизнью, не замечая, что уже давно говорит в пустоту.
September 6, 2023
A wild fever-dream of a book. Lyrical and mystical with a vibe like it was written by a philosophical street poet. Each page felt like it could be lyrics to a song, or a wild dream sequence in an experimental play. I had to sit with this book for a bit once I finished it. I was not prepared for the ending.
There seems to be deeper hidden meanings within the play of words that alight these pages. I feel like I need to go back and read it again and I'll find so much more now that I know where the story goes.
There seems to be deeper hidden meanings within the play of words that alight these pages. I feel like I need to go back and read it again and I'll find so much more now that I know where the story goes.
May 28, 2021
Good buildup, but . . .
Suspense builds believably, but then collapses into a flat resolution that this reader found unsatisfying. Three stars. Good narration.
Suspense builds believably, but then collapses into a flat resolution that this reader found unsatisfying. Three stars. Good narration.
June 7, 2021
Great short piece about paranoia, conspiracies, and mental illness. Or is it?
August 25, 2022
David Duchovny may have some insightful writing chops and maybe he will write a great novel in the future, but I was disappointed in Reservoir. While the premise held promise, it almost lost me altogether about halfway through. I persevered, but unfortunately came through to a disappointing ending.
Briefly, it is about a man in New York, reaching out to make a connection with a previously unknown woman, during the pandemic.
Perhaps I expected too much. I was, I admit, hoping that this short piece of fiction would be funnier than I found it. It only produced a few widely spaced chuckles. And, to give him deserved credits, I found there were moments of perceptive observations and understanding. So, taking the story more seriously, it then devolved into something almost incomprehensible, with a weird twist at the end where the story switches from one person’s perspective, briefly, to another’s. It was almost as though he hurried through the ending in hopes of getting it finished.
I listened to the Audible version and Duchovny narrated the piece himself. He may have done better to have another actor do the reading, someone who would modulate the reading a bit more, or give it a bit more variety of tone throughout. However, this is a very small criticism, for I could see how others could appreciate his vocal style more than I. They might hear it as “edgy,” if that makes sense.
I would look forward to reading something else by this author, but this book only gets 2.5 stars from me, rounded down.
Briefly, it is about a man in New York, reaching out to make a connection with a previously unknown woman, during the pandemic.
Perhaps I expected too much. I was, I admit, hoping that this short piece of fiction would be funnier than I found it. It only produced a few widely spaced chuckles. And, to give him deserved credits, I found there were moments of perceptive observations and understanding. So, taking the story more seriously, it then devolved into something almost incomprehensible, with a weird twist at the end where the story switches from one person’s perspective, briefly, to another’s. It was almost as though he hurried through the ending in hopes of getting it finished.
I listened to the Audible version and Duchovny narrated the piece himself. He may have done better to have another actor do the reading, someone who would modulate the reading a bit more, or give it a bit more variety of tone throughout. However, this is a very small criticism, for I could see how others could appreciate his vocal style more than I. They might hear it as “edgy,” if that makes sense.
I would look forward to reading something else by this author, but this book only gets 2.5 stars from me, rounded down.
June 4, 2021
I really really like the way in which Duchovny writes here. It is fluid and at times almost dream-like. I was wary of reading the work of a hollywood actor-cum-novelist, but I am thoroughly impressed. I think I have no choice but to get ahold of his new something-or-other-about-lightning book, if it has anything like the style and voice found here.
January 3, 2025
Who knew Mulder wrote books? More to the point, who knew he was good at it?!
It's not a heartwarming story though; if you want to relive the terror and devastation of the Covid pandemic then look no further.
I'll be reading more of his work.
It's not a heartwarming story though; if you want to relive the terror and devastation of the Covid pandemic then look no further.
I'll be reading more of his work.
September 28, 2023
3.5. Surprinzatoare intr-adevar.
March 2, 2025
UN THRILLER CAMUSIAN
„Acumulare” explorează teme precum obsesia, izolarea și percepția realității. Povestea urmărește un newyorkez ale cărui mișcări par a fi monitorizate, ducându-l într-un joc periculos între viață și moarte.
Pe măsură ce misterul se adâncește, cititorul este martor la o călătorie interioară în care momentele de claritate ascund capcane periculoase.
Romanul este scris ca un thriller camusian, în care personajul principal caută sensul vieții, însă mintea îi joacă feste.
David Duchovny reînvie atmosfera orașului New York și oferă o frescă a lumii contemporane, evidențiind consecințele izolării extreme pe fundalul pandemiei.
„Acumulare” explorează teme precum obsesia, izolarea și percepția realității. Povestea urmărește un newyorkez ale cărui mișcări par a fi monitorizate, ducându-l într-un joc periculos între viață și moarte.
Pe măsură ce misterul se adâncește, cititorul este martor la o călătorie interioară în care momentele de claritate ascund capcane periculoase.
Romanul este scris ca un thriller camusian, în care personajul principal caută sensul vieții, însă mintea îi joacă feste.
David Duchovny reînvie atmosfera orașului New York și oferă o frescă a lumii contemporane, evidențiind consecințele izolării extreme pe fundalul pandemiei.
June 7, 2021
"The virus had made him want to say something".
This is a relatable story of loneliness and the realization that we were all locked in even before the pandemic. Short, weird, bittersweet and ironic, The Reservoir is like a time lapse of life and death. Bonus points to Duchovny's narration that made it all more vivid in my head.
This is a relatable story of loneliness and the realization that we were all locked in even before the pandemic. Short, weird, bittersweet and ironic, The Reservoir is like a time lapse of life and death. Bonus points to Duchovny's narration that made it all more vivid in my head.
June 17, 2021
This short story is what happens when you put a writer in a pandemic lockdown in an apartment overlooking Central Park. Is it a symptom or a symbol? That's up for debate, but it is a story for our time and one that I won't forget anytime soon. On a personal note, if you are not ready for pandemic fiction, wait a minute (or a year) before you listen to this one.
June 11, 2022
Loneliness, isolation, disconnection from friends and family, reflection on what's important in life, all gift-wrapped in a vivid fever dream.
Excellent writing punctuated with wit and humor typical of Duchovny's other works. Enjoyable, very quick read.
And the DH is clearly the biggest hoax that has ever been thrust upon the world.
Excellent writing punctuated with wit and humor typical of Duchovny's other works. Enjoyable, very quick read.
And the DH is clearly the biggest hoax that has ever been thrust upon the world.
August 16, 2021
From “The Reservoir”:
So he texted her: “It must be a doppelgänger.” But the fucking phone – the stupid, fucking, ignorant, arrogant phone – would not spell “doppelgänger.” And he wasn’t even trying for an umlaut. It kept correcting him like it knew better. Like it knew his own mind better than he did. The effrontery of these things! The gaul! That he would have come this far in life, and learned - no mastered - so many things, just to have this shiny little piece of shit correct him? He wound up to throw the phone out the window, but stopped, and told himself out loud to “calm the fuck down.” His daughter was worried about him. He took a deep breath, and coughed. He gave up on typing “doppelgänger” and just texted: “Must be some other handsome bloke looks like me, lol. I’m fine. All good. You? Love to the kids. Thanks for checking in. Miss you! Daddy-o.” He tossed in a couple of smiley faces and prayers of thanks emojis for good measure, pressed send, and threw the phone as hard as he could against the wall.
So he texted her: “It must be a doppelgänger.” But the fucking phone – the stupid, fucking, ignorant, arrogant phone – would not spell “doppelgänger.” And he wasn’t even trying for an umlaut. It kept correcting him like it knew better. Like it knew his own mind better than he did. The effrontery of these things! The gaul! That he would have come this far in life, and learned - no mastered - so many things, just to have this shiny little piece of shit correct him? He wound up to throw the phone out the window, but stopped, and told himself out loud to “calm the fuck down.” His daughter was worried about him. He took a deep breath, and coughed. He gave up on typing “doppelgänger” and just texted: “Must be some other handsome bloke looks like me, lol. I’m fine. All good. You? Love to the kids. Thanks for checking in. Miss you! Daddy-o.” He tossed in a couple of smiley faces and prayers of thanks emojis for good measure, pressed send, and threw the phone as hard as he could against the wall.
September 23, 2022
This novellla is set during the covid pandemic, with late middle-aged Ridley isolated in his NYC eyrie overlooking the Central Park reservoir. To say he’s restless as he contemplates his life—his Wall Street career, his divorce, his estrangement from his daughter—is a huge understatement. Then late one night, he sees a flashing light in a window far across the park and becomes convinced that a beautiful woman is attempting to communicate with him. So of course there’s nothing for it but to leave the safety of isolation and venture into the park—and the danger of contagion—to find her.
A slight entertainment that has pretentions to bigger things, with self-conscious parallels to The Plague and Death in Venice. (Sorry, Mr. Duchovny, not buying it.) And the ending is just a letdown, a fever-dream cop-out.
A slight entertainment that has pretentions to bigger things, with self-conscious parallels to The Plague and Death in Venice. (Sorry, Mr. Duchovny, not buying it.) And the ending is just a letdown, a fever-dream cop-out.
September 19, 2021
3.5 stars
An interesting story... a little bit of suspense, paranormal and allegory all packed up. I would have liked to see some parts expanded, but with other parts maybe not AS detailed as well. Really interesting to see how much influence Covid had in the story. It certainly memorializes the impact a pandemic still has on people, as well as our cultural history.
Also, David Duchovny's narration is... sublime. I could listen to him all day (which technically I guess I did, finishing the short story in just one day!).
An interesting story... a little bit of suspense, paranormal and allegory all packed up. I would have liked to see some parts expanded, but with other parts maybe not AS detailed as well. Really interesting to see how much influence Covid had in the story. It certainly memorializes the impact a pandemic still has on people, as well as our cultural history.
Also, David Duchovny's narration is... sublime. I could listen to him all day (which technically I guess I did, finishing the short story in just one day!).
July 26, 2022
I knew David Duchovny had a master’s degree in English Literature from Yale and was more than just an actor, but I was still pleasantly surprised at how well he writes. He has a fun style and comes up with interesting scenes and ideas. He includes a lot of pop culture and literary references in his storytelling. This was just a short, pandemic- themed novella. A bit of a fever dream at times. But I really enjoyed it!
June 10, 2022
My full review here: https://hausofroses.blogspot.com/2022...
4.5 stars - A quick read, that after sitting in on the book discussion, I feel like it touches on more than just a spooky history of the reservoir and an interesting woman. The Reservoir is a raw narrative on what it really was like during the thick of the lockdown.
4.5 stars - A quick read, that after sitting in on the book discussion, I feel like it touches on more than just a spooky history of the reservoir and an interesting woman. The Reservoir is a raw narrative on what it really was like during the thick of the lockdown.
July 10, 2022
This is written very stream-of-conscious; I didn't really enjoy it. Almost every new paragraph I was asking myself "why are we talking about this? How did we get to this topic?" It just felt very disjointed. If it hadn't been so short, and if inflicting passages on my siblings hadn't sparked joy, I probably wouldn't have finished this.
September 4, 2021
He’s really good, who would have thought!
May 19, 2024
I've been trying to finish this for a while because I like COVID fiction and short stories that mean something. This didn't completely land for me but it was somewhat interesting and atmospheric.
January 7, 2026
The Reservoir by David Duchovny (yes, that one)
A slim, pandemic‑era meditation on isolation and connection, weaving humor and melancholy into one man’s solitude in New York City. A sharp, reflective vignette that shows Duchovny’s wit and philosophical bent, with prose that’s lean yet layered.
A slim, pandemic‑era meditation on isolation and connection, weaving humor and melancholy into one man’s solitude in New York City. A sharp, reflective vignette that shows Duchovny’s wit and philosophical bent, with prose that’s lean yet layered.
July 21, 2023
David Duchovny will always be, to my mind, inextricably tied to Agent Fox Mulder. (Sorry, David. X-Files was a big part of my teenage/young 20s life). And I tend to be very skeptical of celebrity-turned-novelist's books. But I read his 2021 novel, "Truly Like Lightning," and he won me over. Either he has a wizard for an editor or he is the real deal.
So when I saw this little novella about a lonely man in NYC during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic I picked it up knowing I could finish it in a day. It's a weird little story about a man unravelling (or is he?) as he notices what he thinks is a beautiful femme fatale signalling to him from across Central Park. It's hard to say much else without giving the entire story away, but it's a well-written meditation on the feeling of distance and longing for human contact and meaning that I think a lot of people felt during that first wave of the pandemic in the city. The last part of the story made a bit of a jarring left turn that seemed a bit out of the blue, but not entirely unexpected.
Grumpy old white men narrators aren't usually my favorite - and even less so, grumpy old rich white men, which you'd have to be, to live in the Ardsley building off Central Park - but Duchovny writes them well and with empathy and I enjoyed this.
So when I saw this little novella about a lonely man in NYC during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic I picked it up knowing I could finish it in a day. It's a weird little story about a man unravelling (or is he?) as he notices what he thinks is a beautiful femme fatale signalling to him from across Central Park. It's hard to say much else without giving the entire story away, but it's a well-written meditation on the feeling of distance and longing for human contact and meaning that I think a lot of people felt during that first wave of the pandemic in the city. The last part of the story made a bit of a jarring left turn that seemed a bit out of the blue, but not entirely unexpected.
Grumpy old white men narrators aren't usually my favorite - and even less so, grumpy old rich white men, which you'd have to be, to live in the Ardsley building off Central Park - but Duchovny writes them well and with empathy and I enjoyed this.
September 3, 2021
This was a really well-written story that requires your full attention…but it’s well worth it! This isn’t one of those stories where you can pre-occupy yourself with something that will pull your attention away from the story and it won’t be a huge deal. Lol. You have to stay with this one! But luckily it’s not hard, the pacing is fabulous, heart-pounding, and you’ll want to listen hard…you’ll find you haven’t even blinked in like 3mins at times!!! Lol. It’s a cool story and like I said, intelligently written. There were more than a few gems dropped in there that made me smile. You know what I mean. Lines that make you go “THIS, this line right here, is why I read…..how did this author do that?!.” So beautiful, smart, and amazing. I love when that happens in a book. There are a few of those in here but for the most part listen to this one for the story, the fast-paced style, and the perfect performance of Duchnovy. You won’t regret it. SO worth your time. Enjoy!
May 9, 2022
Easily read in one sitting, Duchovny's novella dumps us right into the heart of the pandemic during the government shut down. Our protagonist has isolated himself in his NYC apartment, refusing to see his daughter and grandkids for fear of becoming sick. To busy himself, he's been recording time lapse videos of the sunsets over the reservior. As he reviews what he's recorded, he believes he sees someone from across the way flashing their lights on, off, on, off over the course of the night and immediately becomes obsessed with finding them.
Things quickly begin to escalate for him... a mysterious woman calls his name from below his twenty story window. He chases her into Central Park, and then out onto the water...
A heart wrenching peek into the mental and physical impacts of the pandemic on one man, but one that will certainly be felt by many.
Things quickly begin to escalate for him... a mysterious woman calls his name from below his twenty story window. He chases her into Central Park, and then out onto the water...
A heart wrenching peek into the mental and physical impacts of the pandemic on one man, but one that will certainly be felt by many.
August 26, 2022
From reading a little about this novella, I suspected I'd enjoy it; I had no idea I'd love it. It's a siren song in the pandemic silence of New York City nights. It's literary, flowing, passionate, and smooth in its darkness, while capturing the horror of 2020 with journalistic accuracy. There are many books written by actors, but they rarely come close to matching the actors' performances. The opposite is true with this one. Nothing Duchovny has done on-screen is a match for this book. It's the kind of thing one reads and then reads again, contemplating both its beauty and meaning for years.
My highest recommendation.
My highest recommendation.
November 26, 2022
A good introduction to Duchovny's writing style but light on content. This is a pleasant read / listen with some fantastic descriptive passages, but the narrative is more a slice of life during lockdown as opposed to any structured tale, and so it never quite grips in a way that some of his other work does.
A solid diversion for fans awaiting the next novel, and the free audible version is a good starting point to get a feel of how Duchovny writes, particularly when spoken by the man himself, but just feels a little lacking overall.
A solid diversion for fans awaiting the next novel, and the free audible version is a good starting point to get a feel of how Duchovny writes, particularly when spoken by the man himself, but just feels a little lacking overall.
June 3, 2021
This is the first David Duchovny book I’ve read (well, I listed to the Audible version, which he narrated). I feel the writing was well done, and the story had a lot of potential- I would have preferred it to be longer, but I feel that way about a lot of novellas. :) This is a quick listen if you have Audible- perfect to listen to while on a walk or perhaps while driving to work. I’m interested to check out other books by Mr. Duchovny.
August 23, 2022
For the first 2/3 of this novella, I was really into the story. Set in NYC during the pandemic, the main character's isolation and loneliness felt very familiar. The ending was a disappointment as the lines between what actually was happening and his fantasy/delusions became too blurred for me. I am glad I read it and it goes very quickly. Duchovny is a gifted writer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews