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tayslaughter13's review against another edition
5.0
Second time reading the trilogy. Even better this time, connected with everyone a little more, with the obvious exception of sweet weird little Whitby
adammusprime's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Annihilation: 4
Authority: 4
Acceptance: 3
Authority: 4
Acceptance: 3
antoniossomatos's review against another edition
4.0
Na verdade, um 3.5. As partes da trilogia não são equivalentes em termos de qualidade (com o 2º volume, Authority, a ser, de longe, a parte mais fraca para mim), e não senti que o final da narrativa estivesse bem no ponto certo no que toca a explicar ou deixar de explicar as questões deixadas em aberto previamente. Dito isto, há aqui ideias fascinantes (umas mais desenvolvidas que outras), e sequências que me ficaram na cabeça durante um bom bocado depois de as ler, o que fez da leitura, no geral, uma experiência bastante positiva.
muddy_gardener's review against another edition
5.0
I am only half way through the trilogy - but very much impressed. Love the way new info is unpeeled and restructures what you already know. How the ordinary becomes estranged. The fundamental driving question of the work -so far -being: what the actual .... is going on. Reminds me of William Gibson (except without any computers), Emily St John Mandel (written with more of an outline in mind up front I bet), HP Lovecraft (but less Gothic) - all of the above in a good way.
dreamgalaxies's review against another edition
3.0
I have a booktube channel now! Subscribe here.
Excellent language skills on display here, cool ideas about identity and what it means to be human, and our relationship with the natural world...but that's pretty much it. Oh, that and the central message that there is no One Great Truth (sorry, Fox Mulder). Feels like 'Lost' in the sense that the reader is left without any meaningful answers in a way that is frustrating, rather than mysterious. I like a certain amount of ambiguity in my endings, but this was too much for me. Also felt like one book rather than a true trilogy, but perhaps that's partially because I read it as a single volume. One character's perspective was randomly in second person, in comparison with the rest of the book, which I found really distracting and just...bad. I don't know, I just don't like second person narratives unless it's really well done. Be prepared to have to pay close attention to get through this one with some understanding of what happened. The action scenes, especially, are written as if to intentionally confuse. It makes sense with the narrative but it's...well, confusing nonetheless. Amazing setting, though--well-constructed and spooky.
Annihilation, the first book in the trilogy, is magnificent standing alone. If I could do it all again, I'd probably just stick to that book alone.
Excellent language skills on display here, cool ideas about identity and what it means to be human, and our relationship with the natural world...but that's pretty much it. Oh, that and the central message that there is no One Great Truth (sorry, Fox Mulder). Feels like 'Lost' in the sense that the reader is left without any meaningful answers in a way that is frustrating, rather than mysterious. I like a certain amount of ambiguity in my endings, but this was too much for me. Also felt like one book rather than a true trilogy, but perhaps that's partially because I read it as a single volume. One character's perspective was randomly in second person, in comparison with the rest of the book, which I found really distracting and just...bad. I don't know, I just don't like second person narratives unless it's really well done. Be prepared to have to pay close attention to get through this one with some understanding of what happened. The action scenes, especially, are written as if to intentionally confuse. It makes sense with the narrative but it's...well, confusing nonetheless. Amazing setting, though--well-constructed and spooky.
Annihilation, the first book in the trilogy, is magnificent standing alone. If I could do it all again, I'd probably just stick to that book alone.
nathanielcrossinggum's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of the absolute best, most personally influential speculative science fictions of my life. A great compilation of the three Southern Reach books. The appreciation of nature, humanity, our existential place on this beautiful, terrifying universe - Jeff Vandermeer manages to do it all.
shakita45's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
As this is a collection of three books, I'll address my thoughts to each one:
Annihilation: This is by far my favorite of the trilogy. I've read it twice now, and it feels so chilling and oddly peaceful at the same time. There's so many things going wrong for the MC, but there's an ethereal nature to it, and it leaves me feeling oddly wistful for the very painful and horrifying experience she went through just because of the way it's portrayed.
Authority: This book was a SLOG, and I almost DNF'd several times, because I found Control to be so. boring. I understand why they were setting up this character and that this book was needed as a ridge between Annihilation and Acceptance, but I was entirely unengaged by him and his experience, and I really only got into his narrative in the last, say, 10% of the Authority section.
Acceptance:The scream I scrumpt when we got the first chapter from Saul's point of view. I felt like this book was SO rich with revelation without "showing the monster" so to speak, even though they literally did show the monster, and I loved that the book ended on a very open note. Plus, the Director's letter to Saul at the very end cast the whole book in a very allegorical light, and I like having these two different lenses with which I can view the series.
With beautiful prose and a likable cast of unexpectedly diverse characters, I think this is an exquisite sci-fi series that's left me feeling rather compassionate towards the world at large, and hopeful in a way I think is much needed these days.
Annihilation: This is by far my favorite of the trilogy. I've read it twice now, and it feels so chilling and oddly peaceful at the same time. There's so many things going wrong for the MC, but there's an ethereal nature to it, and it leaves me feeling oddly wistful for the very painful and horrifying experience she went through just because of the way it's portrayed.
Authority: This book was a SLOG, and I almost DNF'd several times, because I found Control to be so. boring. I understand why they were setting up this character and that this book was needed as a ridge between Annihilation and Acceptance, but I was entirely unengaged by him and his experience, and I really only got into his narrative in the last, say, 10% of the Authority section.
Acceptance:
With beautiful prose and a likable cast of unexpectedly diverse characters, I think this is an exquisite sci-fi series that's left me feeling rather compassionate towards the world at large, and hopeful in a way I think is much needed these days.
styx2749's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
justkentbob's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
reba_reads_books's review against another edition
2.0
I'm currently reading & loving VanderMeer's "Wonderbook", so giving up on this trilogy half-way through was a real bummer. He's talented with words, but I don't think his surreal style is for me. I enjoyed the movie better because the most compelling plot points are visually stunning and action/horror-packed. However, actually getting to those points in the book takes hours of listening to monotone, unreliable inner monologue. I couldn't process it. Throughout the entire first book I listened on 0.85 speed and still found myself getting lost, distracted, pausing, rewinding... This isn't the first time a book has made me feel flat out inadequate intellectually. If you have ADHD &/or a processing disorder like I do, buckle up for a challenging ride, or just pass altogether.