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mathman329's review against another edition
5.0
2023 Book Review - Book No. 10: “How High We Go in the Dark”, written by Sequoia Nagamatsu
Date started: 3/3/23
Date finished: 3/21/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading if you like sprawling timelines, short story anthologies, and reliving the year 2020)
Spoiler free review: In a pre-pandemic world, this book still would have been a great read if not necessarily as entirely accessible or relatable. In a post-pandemic world, this book is a rumination on some of the worst aspects of the past 3+ years. From beginning to end, though, Nagamatsu weaves a story across centuries that exhibits the resilience of humans in the face of the unknown, both at times fantastical and yet also not all that different from our real life experiences with Covid-19.
One of the things that I most enjoyed with HHWGitD was the way pieces from each of the vignettes popped up in later scenes. Even characters who might only appear in ancillary roles in their first stories reappear as stars in later sequences in imaginative ways. Along the way, these vignettes range from fictionalized normalcy to speculative fiction to full on sci-fi/fantasy. From a remote archaeological dig site to a surreal terminal amusement park to a collective comatose experience and a colonization voyage into the near future, each scene provides a different perspective on the effects of the pandemic and how humans handle these challenges.
With each story, not only do the genres change, but Nagamatsu’s writing style also changes with individual stories sounding as if they were written by Bukowski, Palahniuk, Dick, and Murakami, just to name a few. In a way, HHWGitD reads like more of an anthology than a single tale, and that is a testament to Nagamatsu’s ability to adapt his writing and give different voices to his characters. This book has shown up on numerous “Best of” lists from last year, and it’s very well deserved. If science fiction is a go to genre for you, move this to the top of your TBR list - you won’t be disappointed.
Date started: 3/3/23
Date finished: 3/21/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading if you like sprawling timelines, short story anthologies, and reliving the year 2020)
Spoiler free review: In a pre-pandemic world, this book still would have been a great read if not necessarily as entirely accessible or relatable. In a post-pandemic world, this book is a rumination on some of the worst aspects of the past 3+ years. From beginning to end, though, Nagamatsu weaves a story across centuries that exhibits the resilience of humans in the face of the unknown, both at times fantastical and yet also not all that different from our real life experiences with Covid-19.
One of the things that I most enjoyed with HHWGitD was the way pieces from each of the vignettes popped up in later scenes. Even characters who might only appear in ancillary roles in their first stories reappear as stars in later sequences in imaginative ways. Along the way, these vignettes range from fictionalized normalcy to speculative fiction to full on sci-fi/fantasy. From a remote archaeological dig site to a surreal terminal amusement park to a collective comatose experience and a colonization voyage into the near future, each scene provides a different perspective on the effects of the pandemic and how humans handle these challenges.
With each story, not only do the genres change, but Nagamatsu’s writing style also changes with individual stories sounding as if they were written by Bukowski, Palahniuk, Dick, and Murakami, just to name a few. In a way, HHWGitD reads like more of an anthology than a single tale, and that is a testament to Nagamatsu’s ability to adapt his writing and give different voices to his characters. This book has shown up on numerous “Best of” lists from last year, and it’s very well deserved. If science fiction is a go to genre for you, move this to the top of your TBR list - you won’t be disappointed.
emwgrace's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
errski's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book of short stories, but there is a connection throughout which I really enjoyed. The stories are all pretty different, and I definitely felt more connected and interested in some characters more than others. Overall I thought this book was good, and enjoyed reading it.
aanntruongg's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
harvey_hawks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Greatly enjoyed. Well-deserved comparison to Cloud Atlas.
unexplainabl's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Really enjoyed reading this. I love how all of the stories are connected in some way and would really like if we could read more in this world, even if some of the short stories had a longform version or a film/television series.
maryclaire92's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I really loved this. Essentially a short story collection with characters loosely related to each other, yet it takes place over the span of millennia. It begins at the outset of the release of an ancient arctic plague and shows snapshots of the ramifications throughout time and space. The author manages to take this borderline (and sometimes not borderline) sci-fi content and make it so devastatingly human. I needed time to digest each of these vignettes after listening and fell in love with the journeys of so many of these characters. City of Laughter and Pig Son were highlights for me, but the experience of listening to this entire audiobook was remarkable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Animal death, Child death, Terminal illness, and Pandemic/Epidemic
ebac622's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars… This book is sad, hopeful, beautiful, painful. Beautifully written about the enduring spirit of what it means to be a human. I will say this is a tough read at times with a deadly virus and the tragedy that ensues, but ultimately gives hope through each chapter.
trekkie1999's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
catherinehague's review against another edition
2.0
Quality writing, a little too depressing for now.