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geekwayne's review
3.0
'Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel' by Zachary Thomas Dodson is a curious thing. It's a variety of genres that I like and it's a series of print styles that make the book feel like "found" manuscripts. When it was done, I just wished it had been a bit more.
There are two stories at the heart of this novel. One takes place in Chicago in 1843 and concerns a man going West to seek his fortune and to prove his love to the woman he has left behind. The other storyline takes place 300 years later in a city state in a dystopian Texas. In both stories, a man is trying to find his way, and there is a woman he loves who is helping. There are more similarities, but to tell those would be to spoil things.
It's a clever enough collection of old books, letters, manuscripts and drawings. The problem is that the story moved along too slowly for me. Once I figured things out (and it was fairly early on), then it was just getting to the end. The big reveal had already happened for me, but I felt like the novel tightened up towards the end. I like this sort of thing. I've just had other, better experiences.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Doubleday Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
There are two stories at the heart of this novel. One takes place in Chicago in 1843 and concerns a man going West to seek his fortune and to prove his love to the woman he has left behind. The other storyline takes place 300 years later in a city state in a dystopian Texas. In both stories, a man is trying to find his way, and there is a woman he loves who is helping. There are more similarities, but to tell those would be to spoil things.
It's a clever enough collection of old books, letters, manuscripts and drawings. The problem is that the story moved along too slowly for me. Once I figured things out (and it was fairly early on), then it was just getting to the end. The big reveal had already happened for me, but I felt like the novel tightened up towards the end. I like this sort of thing. I've just had other, better experiences.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Doubleday Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
lsparrow's review
4.0
I loved this book and the circular nature to the narrative. An alternate timeline/dystopian tale with the feel of a file of writings and drawings. I did wish that there was more focus on the female characters.
bc288's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
kateempee's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
My feelings at the end of this book are pretty similar to the way I felt when I watched the movie The Fountain several years ago - "well, that was visually stunning, but I can't really tell you what the story was about." This was hovering between 3.5 and 4 until I reached the very end of the book, at which point my rating of it dropped. I expected the varying story lines to All tied together in a different way, I did not expect to spend 20 minutes after completion scouring the internet to find out what the ending meant.
In short, it is great if you want to read something for the visuals and The vibes more than anything else, but not something to read if you really want a coherent plot
In short, it is great if you want to read something for the visuals and The vibes more than anything else, but not something to read if you really want a coherent plot
adraper2323's review
4.0
I love the different sections and creativity of this book! It was a very interesting read. I am left with a lot of questions, though.
nerdbrarian's review
5.0
I love the creative way writers are telling stories these days. While I think this can sometimes be overused and gimmicky (think S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dourst), sometimes they can add to the wonder of a tale. It is this illuminated aspect that led me to Bats of the Republic. Weaving together the stories of two men separated by 300 years, we are given a story mapping out the intersection of magic and science, love and loss, and right and wrong. Dodson uses letters, an old novel, sketches and maps to relate the tale of Zadock Thomas, a naturalist sent on a grave mission into the unsettled wilds of Texas in 1843, and Zeke Thomas, his descendent living 300 years later in the city-state of Texas, one of the few safe zones that survived society's collapse. Despite the years that separate them, their challenges, joys and fears are mirrored of each other's. The trek is long, but in the end you learn how connected our lives truly are.