160 reviews for:

The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War

Jeff Sharlet

4.1 AVERAGE

misterfix's review

4.0

dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

---

If you are feeling down and the daily drumbeat of existential doom and gloom asking with very real horror and tragedy have left you hanging on then please don't read this.

However, if you accept that there are exceptionally dark storm clouds all about and though they may be dense and overpowering, you still know that information is power and that with communication and hard work positive change and connection is still possible.... well, maybe you still shouldn't read. OK, I'm kidding but just know that this book will challenge you to maintain that spirit BUT I found solace of a sort in this beautiful book. I've met and befriended a lot of folks like the author encounters on his journey and there's a part of me that absolutely understands why they believe what they believe and feel the way they do. I'm not done caring and I truly appreciated learning more about places I don't read or hear about in the country I live in. There's a lot of painful poetic encounters in these essays and if we turn away then we've lost.

academic_mama's review

2.5

challenging dark

---

Crucial topic. The writing is poetic, vivid, lots of metaphor and things unsaid. The reader needs to make some connections that Sharlat leaves implied. 

This is pretty much my least favorite kind of writing 😬

I was looking for more of a book than a series of essays. 

alexfromatlanta's review

4.75

informative reflective medium-paced

mollitorm's review

3.5

challenging reflective medium-paced

mothgirlie's review against another edition

3.75

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

kecresser's review

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

bookwarm_220's review

3.75

dark informative reflective medium-paced

---

Poetic prose, keen observations about the political and societal culture.  Sharlet travels cross country talking to "regular citizens" to take the temperature of the far right.  Skillfully weaves together guns, religion, conspiracy theories, anger, misogyny, and insurrection, predicting a civil war to come.  Very entertaining storytelling, framing Ashli Babbitt as a metaphor for the confluence of ignorance, anger, religion, and violence.  My interest started to flag about two-thirds through because I was tired of spending time with such repulsive individuals, and that's the reason for only 3.75 stars.  I was emotionally exhausted from the revolting subject.  But Sharlet is a terrific writer, and this is a worthy read.

hello_knitty's review against another edition

3.5

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

aarikdanielsen's review

4.5

adventurous challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

three_martini_lunch's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced