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vctoriaj's review against another edition
2.5
Not for me.
Boring and I couldn't have been less invested if I tried.
Boring and I couldn't have been less invested if I tried.
lancefestivalen's review against another edition
2.0
I came here looking for a comment on isolationist policies (a wall around Britain - Brexit, anyone?), the effects of climate change and maybe also a philosophical view on otherhood. I can't say I didn't get what I was looking for, but it turned out to be a bit more shallow and pretentious than I expected.
Lanchester begins to describe a post-Change Britain, but he never finishes this job. There are one or two leads, but never enough to paint a full picture. The same applies to the world outside the wall - there are hints, but no real concrete descriptions of what the world looks like at all.
This can be a good thing - to let the reader imagine these things for him-/herself - but to be able to do that, we need at least some hints as to what this world has become. But all we get is a walled-in Britain, an ocean, a rocky island, a pirate ship and an oil rig.
If I wanted to be nice, i'd say it's like a combination of "The Road" and "Waterworld" outside the wall and some sort of artificial, unsettling version of a rural England on the inside. But that wouldn't be entirely honest. The truth is, it's none of the above. And unfortunately, there's nothing to replace that description with.
Reading this leaves me wanting more, but not in a good way. Hell, the book doesn't even have a proper ending!
But all in all, it's still ok. There's still a wall that's being patrolled. There are still Defenders guarding Britain against the Others. There's still treachery, catastrophe, pirates and post-apocalyptic settings to compensate the lack of depth. Lanchester does a fair job of following whatever writer's manual he has in his back pocket. But that's all there is. And I expected more than that.
Lanchester begins to describe a post-Change Britain, but he never finishes this job. There are one or two leads, but never enough to paint a full picture. The same applies to the world outside the wall - there are hints, but no real concrete descriptions of what the world looks like at all.
This can be a good thing - to let the reader imagine these things for him-/herself - but to be able to do that, we need at least some hints as to what this world has become. But all we get is a walled-in Britain, an ocean, a rocky island, a pirate ship and an oil rig.
If I wanted to be nice, i'd say it's like a combination of "The Road" and "Waterworld" outside the wall and some sort of artificial, unsettling version of a rural England on the inside. But that wouldn't be entirely honest. The truth is, it's none of the above. And unfortunately, there's nothing to replace that description with.
Reading this leaves me wanting more, but not in a good way. Hell, the book doesn't even have a proper ending!
But all in all, it's still ok. There's still a wall that's being patrolled. There are still Defenders guarding Britain against the Others. There's still treachery, catastrophe, pirates and post-apocalyptic settings to compensate the lack of depth. Lanchester does a fair job of following whatever writer's manual he has in his back pocket. But that's all there is. And I expected more than that.
frank_book90's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
shimmery's review against another edition
4.0
The Wall surrounds Britain, separating the land from the rising sea water that has replaced disappeared beaches. Kavanagh and everyone else in his generation must spend years guarding it from the others who are desperately trying to get to safety. This means spending long stretches of time bored and cold and other times so much more terrible that they wish they could go back to being bored and cold.
This is a book I didn’t expect to like but did. Like might be the wrong word — it’s a dark story of a dystopia too easily imaginable, meaning it’s not exactly enjoyable. But I thought the narrator and the other characters were very believable/relatable and the story got human nature right in all its desperation to survive. It was a gripping read.
This is a book I didn’t expect to like but did. Like might be the wrong word — it’s a dark story of a dystopia too easily imaginable, meaning it’s not exactly enjoyable. But I thought the narrator and the other characters were very believable/relatable and the story got human nature right in all its desperation to survive. It was a gripping read.
bexlrose's review against another edition
4.0
Well jeez, that was depressing. And kinda terrifying since Trump is a thing. It's sort of post-apocalyptic but without being at all post-apocalyptic. Like, the apocalypse has happened and Britain is totally fine as long as it's got this huge wall around it and people defending it the entire time so that everyone within the wall can live their lives totally normally and everyone without can just starve and die and generally go to hell. It's a very well realised plot and it's deeply depressing for that reason, people defending the wall will kill anyone trying to get in on sight, it draws some very uncomfortable parallels with the way certain countries and certain people treat refugees. It's also exciting and intelligent and worthwhile. I hope it gets to the shortlist, I hope it doesn't win. 4 stars.
inconsequential_perplexities's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
5.0
concretewaterwindsky
DefendersBreedersOthersChange
wordsideaspoetrydespair
hope
DefendersBreedersOthersChange
wordsideaspoetrydespair
hope
aldusa's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
2.0
It tries to start well. A wall to keep riding sea level and immigrants out. Okay, reminds of Game of Thrones' Wall though. Children don't like parents and accuse them of changing world? A bit hard to digest but okay. But sea pirates in a world where trade has ceased and near coast of a country which has a wall in place of beaches? Are you kidding me? Why would anyone want to do that?
First couple of chapters were good but then there are chapters basically describing action scenes instead of developing the world or giving a mature treatment to the themes. You never quite learn what the big 'Change' is. Or meet the 'Others' as in see them talk. Or how come an Elite so power let international trade be destroyed. Didn't they lose a lot of money that way ? What if you refuse to do your time on wall? You get put in prison? Ain't it better than risking bring thrown into sea? Or why would a government so bent upon increasing it's population as to offer benifits to it's citizens would hate migrants so much? But, well, as to that last, governments are hypocritical that way.
The prose ain't much either. Author keeps repeating things to stress them and that is annoying.
First couple of chapters were good but then there are chapters basically describing action scenes instead of developing the world or giving a mature treatment to the themes. You never quite learn what the big 'Change' is. Or meet the 'Others' as in see them talk. Or how come an Elite so power let international trade be destroyed. Didn't they lose a lot of money that way ? What if you refuse to do your time on wall? You get put in prison? Ain't it better than risking bring thrown into sea? Or why would a government so bent upon increasing it's population as to offer benifits to it's citizens would hate migrants so much? But, well, as to that last, governments are hypocritical that way.
The prose ain't much either. Author keeps repeating things to stress them and that is annoying.