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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
I loved reading about Old Jim and the strange events preceding Area X, but some of the stuff that happened felt so random re: the original trilogy. the best part of this book was the highlighting of certain characters, organizations, and events that were mysterious or only briefly mentioned in the originals - this added a lot of life to the Southern Reach universe.
but the second part of this novel (narrated by Lowry of the first expedition) was... not as great. for the love of god why was Lowry so insufferable to read about? he literally says/thinks some variation "fuck" almost every other word for the first few chapters of his portion of the book. this is chalked up to being a consequence of his drug use, but like, it's to such excess and goes on for so long it's nearly unreadable. thankfully he doesn't do this AS MUCH once he enters Area X, but god is he still annoying as hell. I honestly enjoyed being in the heads of every other narrating character in the series, but not Lowry. in part this is on purpose, he's not really a likable or "good" character; but it felt overboard and just made his part unpleasant to read a lot of the time. there was still some good old scary Area X content in this portion of the book though, and a little twist that was cool. overall I would give this 3.5-4ish stars, rounding up because there was still a lot of great content and writing here and GR doesn't allow half stars (wah wah)
but the second part of this novel (narrated by Lowry of the first expedition) was... not as great. for the love of god why was Lowry so insufferable to read about? he literally says/thinks some variation "fuck" almost every other word for the first few chapters of his portion of the book. this is chalked up to being a consequence of his drug use, but like, it's to such excess and goes on for so long it's nearly unreadable. thankfully he doesn't do this AS MUCH once he enters Area X, but god is he still annoying as hell. I honestly enjoyed being in the heads of every other narrating character in the series, but not Lowry. in part this is on purpose, he's not really a likable or "good" character; but it felt overboard and just made his part unpleasant to read a lot of the time. there was still some good old scary Area X content in this portion of the book though, and a little twist that was cool. overall I would give this 3.5-4ish stars, rounding up because there was still a lot of great content and writing here and GR doesn't allow half stars (wah wah)
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Reading Absolution is like living in Area X: confusing, disgusting, beautiful, strange. It’s designed to obscure, to hypnotize. And at times that makes it a difficult read, I think somewhat purposefully. Characters have similar names, nicknames, fake names, names that are a random string of words; Paragraphs and descriptions drift and disorient you; Plot points and mysteries dangle and dissolve. It’s, fittingly, a mutant of a book.
At its worst, it’s an overindulgence in the weird— a pothole I think many of VandeerMeer’s books stick into. Where you find yourself finishing a chapter and going: “what was that? Why was that? Does this even mean anything?”
At its best, Absolution is poetry. It’s an extension of one of the best first contact stories there is. The only acceptable description of something truly alien coming to dinner. The entropy of disaster. The disaster of entropy and the meaninglessness of it all.
In the end, I find it an average of these two moments. A fitting prequel and final episode to the Southern Reach books. Some things are just too complex, too strange, to fully understand. Accepting that and enjoying that and living in that are ok. And that’s where I find myself at the end and the beginning of VanderMeer’s Southern Reach books: looking at the bloated, beautiful, psychedelic carcass of it all and wondering.
As per the usual with anything by vandermeer, absolutely spectacular, exactly what I read this for. 10/10 my guy
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a wild ride
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Cannibalism
I really wanted to like this. I just couldn’t. The whole thing was just a bad fever dream without a plot.
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh Jeff… you sly dog you got Lowry monologuing!!! (the real horror of The Southern reach). This behemoth took me so long to finish!! What can I say…apart from man, I love this series, I adore this world and wish so much more was uncovered and unpacked, as if this wasn’t already a meticulous and sprawling fever dream (unsurprising of course). I loved Old Jim’s arc and how it dovetailed with Saul’s at the end of Acceptance, but was still left wanting more, although his strangeness/outlier position makes sense (his perspective distinct enough from Saul’s and Gloria’s, his fate entwined with theirs while in some ways complicit in facilitating it). The Lowry arc was an insane move I couldn’t have predicted, but I almost wish we could’ve spent more time with the first expedition. Lowry’s narrative voice is funny and a change of pace (edit: he’s actually a crazy good foil to The Biologist on second thought) but man is he hard to get through at points. But a win for good ole body horror, as it returns in this one with a vengeance. What never grows stagnant is Vandermeer’s prose, it twists and churns, it is unnerving and as harsh and unforgiving as its landscape, it weaves and burrows deep into the brain. This does lead to some of the most impenetrable prose and rushed pacing in some areas, then truly devastating and lush and beautiful lines in others. And then, as always, language completely collapses and rendered inhospitable at all to describe Area X. Don’t go in expecting to get all the answers you seek if you’ve made it through books 1-3, but there are some really fun reveals along the way. The advice I have with any of Vandermeer’s work now—leave an open mind, try to enjoy the ride, and avoid what’s lurking in the corner of your eye….
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism