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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
"There was a secret shape to it all that lived inside us, a map that slowly circled within our minds like a personal cosmology."
The thing that really fascinates me about VanderMeer is how his books partially read like poetry. It does make them harder to read, but it is a beautiful experience. In this case, though, I must admit that I wasn't always sure I understood the rules of the post-apocalyptic world the story was set in. It took me relatively long to understand who the Magician was supposed to be (a female drug dealer from another part of town) or how to imagine the Balcony Cliffs (Apartment block where Wick and Rachel live) or why some genetically modified characters had wasps instead of eyes (poetic or meant literally?).
On the other hand, I really loved Borne, the weirdest and sweetest pot plant ever written about who slowly develops the ability to talk and doesn't know who he is and where he came from.
At its essence, this novel is about the love of a mother, and about the pain of seeing your child grow apart from you. The novel never dramatizes the feeling and portrays all characters with respect and authenticity. Even though the child is technically an alien plant, the expression of the Rachel's feelings always appeared very real to me, probably precisely because VanderMeer never states what characters are feeling, but lets you experience it through his poetic descriptions.
There were parts of the book where it felt hard to keep going. I cared too much about Borne, but didn't feel so interested in other characters like the giant bear Mord. On the other hand, I was really digging the ending which is very Shyamalan-style, and I love the environmental science fiction theme. I would still recommend this novel, just because of how strange and wonderful an experience VanderMeer's writing style is. I think his kind of novels are the type you are equally likely to hate or to fall in love with.
"In the beginning, I could remember the childlike delight he took in so many simple things that subsumed or put aside his dread, his fear, his stress. The most hackneyed, clichéd, sentimental things. Like a ray of sunlight or a butterfly. Because that was such a contrast to the brittle quality of his suspicion. The wariness he wore like an exoskeleton, to disguise the shy boy underneath."
The thing that really fascinates me about VanderMeer is how his books partially read like poetry. It does make them harder to read, but it is a beautiful experience. In this case, though, I must admit that I wasn't always sure I understood the rules of the post-apocalyptic world the story was set in. It took me relatively long to understand who the Magician was supposed to be (a female drug dealer from another part of town) or how to imagine the Balcony Cliffs (Apartment block where Wick and Rachel live) or why some genetically modified characters had wasps instead of eyes (poetic or meant literally?).
On the other hand, I really loved Borne, the weirdest and sweetest pot plant ever written about who slowly develops the ability to talk and doesn't know who he is and where he came from.
At its essence, this novel is about the love of a mother, and about the pain of seeing your child grow apart from you. The novel never dramatizes the feeling and portrays all characters with respect and authenticity. Even though the child is technically an alien plant, the expression of the Rachel's feelings always appeared very real to me, probably precisely because VanderMeer never states what characters are feeling, but lets you experience it through his poetic descriptions.
There were parts of the book where it felt hard to keep going. I cared too much about Borne, but didn't feel so interested in other characters like the giant bear Mord. On the other hand, I was really digging the ending which is very Shyamalan-style, and I love the environmental science fiction theme. I would still recommend this novel, just because of how strange and wonderful an experience VanderMeer's writing style is. I think his kind of novels are the type you are equally likely to hate or to fall in love with.
"In the beginning, I could remember the childlike delight he took in so many simple things that subsumed or put aside his dread, his fear, his stress. The most hackneyed, clichéd, sentimental things. Like a ray of sunlight or a butterfly. Because that was such a contrast to the brittle quality of his suspicion. The wariness he wore like an exoskeleton, to disguise the shy boy underneath."
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When I first started reading Borne I was skeptical of the writing style and as such found it difficult to connect with the characters. What started as a strange, confusing plot became a beautiful story as I continued through the book and began to understand the universe Rachel, Wick, and Borne lived in. Jeff VanderMeer throws the reader into this chaotic environment dominated by a giant bear and haunted by a mysterious "Company" while omitting answers to obvious questions. This shove into the unknown almost parallels the life of a scavenger like Rachel who has to wake up and explore this dangerous world without the knowledge of what may occur. This may not be the easiest book to read but it is definitely worth the effort if you like post-apocalyptic plots with unique dilemmas for the characters to overcome, fascinating environments flush with creatures to discover, and interesting interactions between characters.
Well written, but just not my thing. Definitely the weirdest dystopian book I have ever read!
In a city that is largely a wasteland of Company ruin controlled by Mord, a gigantic bear, Rachel and her partner Wick survive by cleverness and scavenging. One day, Rachel finds a something on Mord and brings it home. Soon, it is clear it is a living, growing thing she names Borne. But what is Borne and does it represent salvation or terror? There are beautifully written moments, along with terror and humor and a plot synopsis (even this one) sounds absurd, but it feels very real and possible.
[I received an e-galley of this book through Netgalley.]
[I received an e-galley of this book through Netgalley.]
Some words to describe this book: incomprehensible, silly, fascinating, articulate, beautiful, weird, confusing, inconclusive. And somehow, despite the giant flying bear introduced on page two, the cover quote was not lying about calling it believable - a testament to Vandermeer’s ability to commit to a premise so hard that nothing is beyond believability.
Confusing and weird. Every time I considered giving up on it, something happened to pull me back in, but I still don’t think it was a great book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death of parent