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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
The first book was riveting and difficult to put down. This book was humdrum and difficult to pick up. I'll still read the third book because I am a completist, come what may...
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer has some scintillating moments and a deeper message, but these positive elements do not make the Kafkaesque reading experience any more enjoyable.
I struggled through Annihilation but eventually came to acknowledge its genius. I was looking forward to readingAuthority because I find bureaucracy and office politics to be more fascinating than a natural setting; I thought the book might explore the limitations of how administrations respond to and understand natural phenomena. And at its core, this is what Authority explores. We follow a protagonist (ironically called “Control”) who inherits the Southern Reach directorship in the aftermath of the events of Annihilation. We watch as he turns around in circles trying to get any foothold of understanding about his organization and the phenomenon known as Area X it claims to study. The reading experience is murky, confusing, and frustrating. Probably intentionally so. But I felt that my frustration and boredom prevented me from appreciating at what VanderMeer is trying to say through this book.
To be clear, I recognize the intelligence and unique perspective behind Authority. There is also one incredible scene of horror toward the end that almost—but not quite—makes the slog of this read worth it. Ultimately, however, Authority has made me realize that this series isn’t quite to my taste, and I don’t plan on completing the trilogy.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's funny to go from a 5-star first book to a 2-star second. But while VanderMeer's writing style (that eerie, paranoid, circuitous way he has of making you catch glimpses of things on the edges of the picture he's painting) was still there, the setting and main character in this book was not equipped to really make it flourish.
I think what bothers me the most about this book was that I don't feel like I really learned anything. Area X is being monitored by a clandestine organization. Okay. The rest of it was very... small scale. The character, Control (huh?), was very stereotypically paranoid - in exactly the way you would expect an ex-spy who still works for the organization that he's no longer allowed to spy for to be. Everyone else felt like caricatures of people (kind of what Annihilation was going for by not naming anyone but in the opposite respect) because, though they had names, they weren't really... defined?
Though in the last two sections, VanderMeer's style was able to break free of the constraints of a really ugly building and a really boring mind as the scope of the problem got bigger. And then I was 100% on board. But having to slog through 2/3 of the book to get there when Annihilation had felt so effortlessly genius and needling was more than I wanted to give.
I'm going to read the last one, but if I find out it's possible, I'm going to recommend that readers skip Authority and go right to Acceptance. (Or maybe just stick with Annihilation as a standalone if Acceptance follows this same path.)
I think what bothers me the most about this book was that I don't feel like I really learned anything. Area X is being monitored by a clandestine organization. Okay. The rest of it was very... small scale. The character, Control (huh?), was very stereotypically paranoid - in exactly the way you would expect an ex-spy who still works for the organization that he's no longer allowed to spy for to be. Everyone else felt like caricatures of people (kind of what Annihilation was going for by not naming anyone but in the opposite respect) because, though they had names, they weren't really... defined?
Though in the last two sections, VanderMeer's style was able to break free of the constraints of a really ugly building and a really boring mind as the scope of the problem got bigger. And then I was 100% on board. But having to slog through 2/3 of the book to get there when Annihilation had felt so effortlessly genius and needling was more than I wanted to give.
I'm going to read the last one, but if I find out it's possible, I'm going to recommend that readers skip Authority and go right to Acceptance. (Or maybe just stick with Annihilation as a standalone if Acceptance follows this same path.)
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Unfortunately, this was a pretty big let down from the first book. The main character is uninteresting and not at all fun to follow. Most of our time is spent with Control over-analyzing his surroundings and workplace drama. We also have to follow along with his constant tangents that just feel like they meander for no particular reason. I found myself getting lost a lot. I had to keep referring to summaries of the chapters, only to realize that I didn't actually miss anything, it's just written that way. While the ending added a lot more intrigue, it doesn't save it. If this weren't a part of a series I would have definitely dropped it. I'm sure there is important information established here to set up the next book, but the actual experience of reading this one was just exhausting.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
With its dilapidated institutional setting and meditative tone, it reminds me oddly of a George Smiley novel. I’m still not sure whether I like this book, at least not until I finish the trilogy.
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Good but lacks the ethereal beauty of the first. Confusing but compelling.