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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I wish I'd done a review of the trilogy before reading this!!! loved loved the first half, but found the second half a bit less penetrable
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
Like most Vandermeer books, giving a rating or review of Absolution is extremely difficult.
It's not just that the story and characters are complex and confusing (though they certainly are), but that there's so much to take away from the story. I simultaneously feel like I'm projecting myself into the book, reading things that aren't that and interpreting themes never intended AND that I've completely missed the point and there's a whole layer to it I've failed to see.
It's a challenging read. I think initially I was a bit disappointed that it didn't hook me the way all of the other Southern Reach books did. It's certainly intriguing and well written, but trying to fit the story presented here with my, admittedly only half remembered, understanding of the larger story was difficult and I think hindered by enjoyment a bit. It's better to take this book on face value (or to reread the series before hand).
Still, the characters were engaging, the story always just out of reach of our understanding, and the moments that hit, hit hard.
It's not just that the story and characters are complex and confusing (though they certainly are), but that there's so much to take away from the story. I simultaneously feel like I'm projecting myself into the book, reading things that aren't that and interpreting themes never intended AND that I've completely missed the point and there's a whole layer to it I've failed to see.
It's a challenging read. I think initially I was a bit disappointed that it didn't hook me the way all of the other Southern Reach books did. It's certainly intriguing and well written, but trying to fit the story presented here with my, admittedly only half remembered, understanding of the larger story was difficult and I think hindered by enjoyment a bit. It's better to take this book on face value (or to reread the series before hand).
Still, the characters were engaging, the story always just out of reach of our understanding, and the moments that hit, hit hard.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The thing about the Southern Reach series is that no book will ever again be Annihilation. VanderMeer reached some stunning heights with his first book in the series and nothing will quite hit the same
But my god does Absolution come close
It's both a sequel and a prequel, hopping about the timeline and characters (I will admit to having to look up who they were because it's been so long since I read the original trilogy). It's creepy and claustrophobic and awesome in the sense that it inspires awe, in the sense that that doesn't always mean something positive. The writing can be dense - especially in the final section from Lowry's PoV, in which the word "fuck" is used with the frequency of perhaps the space bar at times - but it's well worth it. And of all the scenes in this book that hit, the ending was one of the best
But my god does Absolution come close
It's both a sequel and a prequel, hopping about the timeline and characters (I will admit to having to look up who they were because it's been so long since I read the original trilogy). It's creepy and claustrophobic and awesome in the sense that it inspires awe, in the sense that that doesn't always mean something positive. The writing can be dense - especially in the final section from Lowry's PoV, in which the word "fuck" is used with the frequency of perhaps the space bar at times - but it's well worth it. And of all the scenes in this book that hit, the ending was one of the best
He watched as they receded into that vast indifference, the arc of sky. He almost wished he had followed them. Even when they did not come back.