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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
The characters and events were so vividly written, I felt like I was watching a movie. An interesting angle on a future apocalyptic atmosphere, N v S, but this time it's because global warming has drastically changed the landscape, and fossil fuels are banned. i really liked the racial ambiguity of the characters. That gave it a totally different tone. There were a few things that were never fully explained - the Bouazizi kingdom and their involvement, and the prologue, why?- but I guess it wasn't really about that, so it was kept to a minimum? And I would have liked to have just a little more info as to the impact of the ending.
Tiene dos estrellas muy subjetivas. No puedo decir que me haya gustado pero quizá es más por lo descarnado y pesimista y la respuesta que me produce que por sus propios méritos. El libro esta bien escrito y no tiene defectos ni de técnica ni de argumento que le hagan bajar de las 3 estrellas. Pero, ayudado por la voz monótona y de deliberado acento sureño (por motivos obvios) del narrador y la carga de tristeza y miseria de la historia, me ha resultado cansino y algo predecible.
El libro es una distopía sobre un mundo en el que la sobreexplotación de los recursos y el cambio climático han alterado la situación política. los Estados Unidos están en declive y , otra vez, el Sur intenta una secesión. En la 2ª Guerra Civil asistimos a la miseria de los refugiados, a la perversión de los inocentes para convertirlos en fanáticos y a los crímenes de guerra. Potencias extranjeras desestabilizan la situación y para mayor depresión uno comprende que estos miserable Estados Unidos del futuro no son más que la Siria o la Ucrania del presente. Y que no vamos por mal camino en España para ello. 😢
El libro es una distopía sobre un mundo en el que la sobreexplotación de los recursos y el cambio climático han alterado la situación política. los Estados Unidos están en declive y , otra vez, el Sur intenta una secesión. En la 2ª Guerra Civil asistimos a la miseria de los refugiados, a la perversión de los inocentes para convertirlos en fanáticos y a los crímenes de guerra. Potencias extranjeras desestabilizan la situación y para mayor depresión uno comprende que estos miserable Estados Unidos del futuro no son más que la Siria o la Ucrania del presente. Y que no vamos por mal camino en España para ello. 😢
A haunting and bleak imagining of the future, all the more unsettling because it doesn’t seem entirely implausible.
This is one of the most thought provoking, eerily premonitory, gut wrenching, twisted, and smart pieces of fiction I've ever read. From the story to the character development to the structure of the novel, I couldn't put it down and read it in a day.
4 stars. Definitely an interesting story, and I loved the in-world documents that are dispersed in between the chapters of the narrative. Character development for some of the players is a bit shallow at times, but overall I enjoyed this story very much.
Not dystopian, but I could see it classified near much of Margaret Atwood's speculative fiction. I can certainly envision another civil war in examining American Habits. The parallels to the previous civil war fought in the United States were pretty striking. Oil replaced slaves as consumable resources. Do the disagreements come down to principles or practices?
I found the novel a little difficult to follow at times, rather, there were moments when I was less engaged. The excerpts broke up the narrative well. More would not have bothered me.
We often look for a point of entry when examining art or literature. Personal connections make the piece seem more relevant and accessible. This novel provided a point of barrier that I believe hindered my full appreciation. Sarat would be considered a hero for the Red, which is just a stand in for the South. With the parallels drawn to the actual Civil War, there is a level of discomfort in not only following her story, but at times rooting for her and hoping for her success.
For other readers, this might not represent such a perspective shift, but it was a point of friction/barrier for me. When the setting is more alien it's easier to go in with a clean slate, and whether or not your side with the protagonist, you are not dispelled from riding along. The wars in the Ender's Game series, for example, take place in a setting far enough removed that I was able to pick a side without the same cognitive dissonance. Siding with Sarat was sympathizing with the South and that was at times uncomfortable.
But, it was a good ... a very good story and one of the more interesting things I've read this year.
I found the novel a little difficult to follow at times, rather, there were moments when I was less engaged. The excerpts broke up the narrative well. More would not have bothered me.
We often look for a point of entry when examining art or literature. Personal connections make the piece seem more relevant and accessible. This novel provided a point of barrier that I believe hindered my full appreciation. Sarat would be considered a hero for the Red, which is just a stand in for the South. With the parallels drawn to the actual Civil War, there is a level of discomfort in not only following her story, but at times rooting for her and hoping for her success.
For other readers, this might not represent such a perspective shift, but it was a point of friction/barrier for me. When the setting is more alien it's easier to go in with a clean slate, and whether or not your side with the protagonist, you are not dispelled from riding along. The wars in the Ender's Game series, for example, take place in a setting far enough removed that I was able to pick a side without the same cognitive dissonance. Siding with Sarat was sympathizing with the South and that was at times uncomfortable.
But, it was a good ... a very good story and one of the more interesting things I've read this year.
I enjoyed this book the most when it was stepping away from the primary narrative to world-build. I was fascinated by the history that led to the imagined future and wish more space had been dedicated to fully fleshing it out - and with all of the primary documents, there was plenty of opportunity to do so. Once the world-building pieces dropped out about halfway through, I was much less invested in the story. It was well-written, but given the awesome premise, I wish the author had done more with it. The primary, character-driven storyline didn't require the speculative setting. Maybe that's the point, which works as a cautionary tale about war and terrorism, but since the dystopian premise was so compelling, I wanted it to be necessary.
I am not going to finish this book. I am just over half way finished and cannot go any further. I really liked Station 11, so I thought I would like this. Took too long for things to really start happening, and now I just no longer care.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes