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starfleeting's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book years ago for summer reading for school and I remember, at the time, not wanting to read it. Not just because summer reading always felt like a chore at that age but because the premise of it scared me.
Thankfully, the book itself is thoughtful and engrossing. Starts out kinda slow but picks up, and you remain engaged with it all the way through, wanting to know what happens to these characters and the world they now live in.
Not a book I would rec for anyone in a low mood because it's still heavy subject matter, but I remember liking it more than I thought I would.
Thankfully, the book itself is thoughtful and engrossing. Starts out kinda slow but picks up, and you remain engaged with it all the way through, wanting to know what happens to these characters and the world they now live in.
Not a book I would rec for anyone in a low mood because it's still heavy subject matter, but I remember liking it more than I thought I would.
ekatsafanas's review against another edition
5.0
Alas Babylon defines the picture of what our world could become and how we as a society would be forced to deal, should we remain hostile with other countries and our neighbors.
I read this book for the first time in eighth grade and to this day remember how to keep food unspoiled in the event of an emergency. This knowledge came in very handy when living without power after hurricanes in Florida!
I read this book for the first time in eighth grade and to this day remember how to keep food unspoiled in the event of an emergency. This knowledge came in very handy when living without power after hurricanes in Florida!
lohhre's review against another edition
4.0
I really really enjoyed this book! Thought I was going to hate it but that wasn't the case. It was slow but I did not mind that. I enjoyed every chapter for what it was.
kangokaren's review against another edition
4.0
Stayed up late finishing. The fact that it was written in 1959 makes the book all the more poignant. It is a stark look at some of the things we might have faced had the Cold War become hot.
robivy's review against another edition
4.0
I love post-apocalyptic distopian novels, and this one is no exception. Great story and character development. I would definitely recommend.
theadequategatsby's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyable easier to read book with a cool snapshot of Florida in the 1950s.
It’s a post apocalyptic setting, but to me I get more from the Florida cultural snapshot than the post apocalyptic setting.
bbones86's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A good example of mutual aid in a post-catastrophe setting. Compelling characters, moving drama. Wish they didn't kill the black character at the end, though.
mcj_writer96's review against another edition
3.0
Alas Babylon is one of the first stories that poses the question of what society would be like after a war between the US and USSR got hot. Information about what such a society, and the aftermath of what the war would be like, has grown since the publishing of the book and some of this book’s optimistic views about life after the War seems a bit outdated.
Some of the language present is a bit unpleasant. But Frank did consider himself progressive and the main character argues for civil rights.
A neat tale that isn’t very long and has never had any major adaptation (besides a 60’s TV play), so if you want to know the story, you’ll have to read it.
Some of the language present is a bit unpleasant. But Frank did consider himself progressive and the main character argues for civil rights.
A neat tale that isn’t very long and has never had any major adaptation (besides a 60’s TV play), so if you want to know the story, you’ll have to read it.