Scan barcode
bluepigeon's review
5.0
Fantastic novel about some of the toughest stuff of the human condition. Viet Dinh's After Disasters dissects the human condition within the particular bubble of the disaster relief efforts. Told from the point of view of two foreigners (Ted, a naive American who is new to disaster relief work, and Andy, a young British fireman, who is on his first ever disaster rescue) and an Indian doctor, Dev, the story takes place during the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat. Dinh expertly weaves in the stories of the three men along with the logistics of how rescue work happens, from the political games all the way to the people who come to define themselves by the aid they are reputed to be able to conjure. Not too far into the story, it becomes clear that the three men have something in common.
Recommended for those who like rivers, mystery meat and museums.
Recommended for those who like rivers, mystery meat and museums.
ssindc's review
4.0
A Kindle First selection worth selecting.
A mosaic, a collection of snapshots, seemingly jumbled vignettes of those (committed and dedicated) individuals brought together by disaster through the global community of disaster relief, rapid response, rescue, and aid. Pieced together, there's a story of sorts, a carefully crafted puzzle with more than enough content and emotion to construct a compelling, thought-provoking, and frequently moving novel.
Warning and disclosures: this is heavy, and at times, brutal - and brutally graphic - stuff. Damage, destruction, devastation, disappointment, displacement ... and loss dominate the landscape. So, even if it's a relatively small book, it's not exactly a quick (or light) read. Also, gay relationships (and HIV) feature prominently, and - well, I don't know how else to say it - but I wouldn't recommend the book to homophobes.
I wasn't sure what to make of it at first; indeed, I found the early passages slightly disorienting. But the prose and the characters (and their lives) and the story grew on me. Ultimately, I liked the book - and the title - more as the book progressed. Moreover, I'm a sucker for an appropriate ending - not necessarily a good or a nice or a happy ending, but an appropriate ending - and Dinh came through and wrapped up the package just about right.
A mosaic, a collection of snapshots, seemingly jumbled vignettes of those (committed and dedicated) individuals brought together by disaster through the global community of disaster relief, rapid response, rescue, and aid. Pieced together, there's a story of sorts, a carefully crafted puzzle with more than enough content and emotion to construct a compelling, thought-provoking, and frequently moving novel.
Warning and disclosures: this is heavy, and at times, brutal - and brutally graphic - stuff. Damage, destruction, devastation, disappointment, displacement ... and loss dominate the landscape. So, even if it's a relatively small book, it's not exactly a quick (or light) read. Also, gay relationships (and HIV) feature prominently, and - well, I don't know how else to say it - but I wouldn't recommend the book to homophobes.
I wasn't sure what to make of it at first; indeed, I found the early passages slightly disorienting. But the prose and the characters (and their lives) and the story grew on me. Ultimately, I liked the book - and the title - more as the book progressed. Moreover, I'm a sucker for an appropriate ending - not necessarily a good or a nice or a happy ending, but an appropriate ending - and Dinh came through and wrapped up the package just about right.
ethelkleppinger's review
2.0
I read this as a Kindle First pick, and it's not my usual type of read (as a disclaimer here). Also a disclaimer: It explores male sexuality and that seemed to bother a lot of the Amazon reviewers.
I think the author bit off more than he could chew. It screamed "I am trying to be a Serious Literary Story!" but it was more meandering and confusing than anything else to me.
The book explores the lives of four men who respond to the 2001 earthquake in India. Their lives become intertwined. That said, it's more of a story about how the men feel about each other and their families; it's all character development with a little bit of plot. The story also jumps ALL over the place in terms of time. Flash back! Flash forward! Flash back! all on the same page.
I found parts of it wildly compelling, such as the descriptions of actual rescues or attempted rescues and the intricacies of politics in post-disaster areas. Other parts were boring and hard to follow (basically all of Piotr's story). One of the main characters had a much smaller part than the other three, and I didn't understand why he was in the book at all. I didn't relate to or care about the characters, either, as they were so utterly detached. It's amazing how much characterization happened and yet it was not interesting.
I wanted to like this book, but I did not.
I think the author bit off more than he could chew. It screamed "I am trying to be a Serious Literary Story!" but it was more meandering and confusing than anything else to me.
The book explores the lives of four men who respond to the 2001 earthquake in India. Their lives become intertwined. That said, it's more of a story about how the men feel about each other and their families; it's all character development with a little bit of plot. The story also jumps ALL over the place in terms of time. Flash back! Flash forward! Flash back! all on the same page.
I found parts of it wildly compelling, such as the descriptions of actual rescues or attempted rescues and the intricacies of politics in post-disaster areas. Other parts were boring and hard to follow (basically all of Piotr's story). One of the main characters had a much smaller part than the other three, and I didn't understand why he was in the book at all. I didn't relate to or care about the characters, either, as they were so utterly detached. It's amazing how much characterization happened and yet it was not interesting.
I wanted to like this book, but I did not.
ranaelizabeth's review
5.0
In the world of YA dystopia and overwritten MFA nonsense, it's tough to remember that "literary" is a genre. And this is definitely literary, it's gorgeous and poetic and absolutely wonderful. There's such good stuff here; touches on trauma and aid workers, HIV and death, the quiet moments of pain and confusion and desire. And yeah, just what it means to be human.
Dead dog warning though, horrific and heartbreaking dead dog.
More...