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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
I was not sure what to expect going into Borne. I loved parts of the Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer, many people will at least have heard of Annihilation which was made into a pretty striking Alex Garland film with Natalie Portman. The trilogy was equal parts ethereal and unknowable in a way that both enticed me and confounded me. Unfortunately, I think Borne falls more into the latter category for me.
Borne eschews Area X of the Southern Reach for an equally strange and opaque post-apocalyptic city ruined by some unsaid climate or technological disaster. In the collapse of human civilization, scavengers roam the cityscape trying to just make it to the next day. Amongst them a giant flying bear, some sort of biotechnical project, dominates the city and fights against a human named The Magician. Amidst the chaos, a scavenger named Rachel salvages a mutated creature she names Borne and raises him with her partner Wick.
The central crux is the relational dynamic between Rachel and Borne and how he develops as a sentient being with unknown powers. The structure of it all is very unconventional and the main thrust of the book did not do enough to keep me interested moment to moment. There were story hooks all around and VanderMeer often did not seem interested in using or resolving them in a timely way. All of the elements were there for something that could really captivate me but it just felt like they were not assembled in a satisfying way.
VanderMeer’s touch of poetic weirdness does stand out, his descriptions vividly paint the city and its strange inhabitants but it is unfortunate that the actual story and plot did not grab me in the same way.
Borne eschews Area X of the Southern Reach for an equally strange and opaque post-apocalyptic city ruined by some unsaid climate or technological disaster. In the collapse of human civilization, scavengers roam the cityscape trying to just make it to the next day. Amongst them a giant flying bear, some sort of biotechnical project, dominates the city and fights against a human named The Magician. Amidst the chaos, a scavenger named Rachel salvages a mutated creature she names Borne and raises him with her partner Wick.
The central crux is the relational dynamic between Rachel and Borne and how he develops as a sentient being with unknown powers. The structure of it all is very unconventional and the main thrust of the book did not do enough to keep me interested moment to moment. There were story hooks all around and VanderMeer often did not seem interested in using or resolving them in a timely way. All of the elements were there for something that could really captivate me but it just felt like they were not assembled in a satisfying way.
VanderMeer’s touch of poetic weirdness does stand out, his descriptions vividly paint the city and its strange inhabitants but it is unfortunate that the actual story and plot did not grab me in the same way.
dark
Excellent story, although the extreme post-apocalyptic dystopia is not easy to read about as everything goes to hell in a handbasket these days.
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:
Yes
This book made me hate reading. It is written with love and care and is singularly the most boring book I’ve ever read. The message smacks you in the face as if illustrated in a child’s picture book. The constant attempt at poetic language and frankly obscene use of passive voice don’t hide that exactly three things happen in this book. The main character spends 98% of the book just kind of “out of it” for no reason and I found myself unable to relate to her in any way.
Jeff Vandermeer is a great author. It is, however, a shame that this book was published as text. It feels far more like a surrealist painting wherein the viewer is made to smoke 8 joints before seeing the piece and is not allowed to leave until they vomit or mercifully die of boredom. Goddamn I hate this book. Neat concepts though I suppose. It really would’ve made a good painting.
Jeff Vandermeer is a great author. It is, however, a shame that this book was published as text. It feels far more like a surrealist painting wherein the viewer is made to smoke 8 joints before seeing the piece and is not allowed to leave until they vomit or mercifully die of boredom. Goddamn I hate this book. Neat concepts though I suppose. It really would’ve made a good painting.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
I love how Jeff VanderMeer refutes the modern sci-fi idea that we will solve all our hyperobject problems through technological development.
"Myths should no longer aggregate as they do in some of these novels as wistfulness for car commercials, for off-road vehicles, Starbucks lattes, traveling Shakespeare productions, or in general for those moments when we could pretend that we did not need to change" -Jeff VanderMeer
"Myths should no longer aggregate as they do in some of these novels as wistfulness for car commercials, for off-road vehicles, Starbucks lattes, traveling Shakespeare productions, or in general for those moments when we could pretend that we did not need to change" -Jeff VanderMeer
Borne is a strange read, and after pondering fairly difficult to review. There aren't many books that I've read that are anything like this, and the strangeness of it all gives it a ephemeral feel. I'm still not entirely sure what I read, but it was an interesting experience.
The story is almost impossible to describe without sounding like a crazy person. Rachel is a survivor in a post apocalyptic setting, one day she stumbles across a sentient blob, who she names Borne. Borne was stuck to a 30 foot tall bear that can fly, is semi-intelligent, and literally rules the city the characters inhabit. From there she raises the sentient blob much like one would raise a child, if the child could morph their body at will and was programmed to eat things. All of this is happening in a world where carrying a bag of killer-genetically-engineered-beetles is the norm. The setting gets in the way at times, just due to the bizarre nature of it, but it allows for the story to try to address really interesting questions.
The main question: what makes us human? is interesting as Rachel raises Borne from a blob that eats lizards to a larger blob that gets his own apartment and reads books. This again sounds crazy, but somehow VanderMeer makes me want to consider it. A lot of this has to do with his writing style. Those who've read Annihilation will recognize the almost out-of-body, dream like quality of the narration. Borne takes a different path then Annihilation overall, despite many similarities. Although both occur in twisted and horrifically beautiful places, Borne somehow injects a sense of comedy and absurdity into the story. That's not to say this book is lighthearted and fun, it's pretty brutal and dark, but where Annihilation reveled in the darkness Borne gives the impression that there could be some light at the end of it all.
Overall, I liked it, but I feel that the setting dragged down the arc of the story. There are plenty of memorable scenes featuring giant bears or weird biologically engineered people, but it all feels very tenuously strung together. The fact that the book refuses to answer or explain many of these strange occurrences is endearing, but I assume many would be turned away by the style.
The story is almost impossible to describe without sounding like a crazy person. Rachel is a survivor in a post apocalyptic setting, one day she stumbles across a sentient blob, who she names Borne. Borne was stuck to a 30 foot tall bear that can fly, is semi-intelligent, and literally rules the city the characters inhabit. From there she raises the sentient blob much like one would raise a child, if the child could morph their body at will and was programmed to eat things. All of this is happening in a world where carrying a bag of killer-genetically-engineered-beetles is the norm. The setting gets in the way at times, just due to the bizarre nature of it, but it allows for the story to try to address really interesting questions.
The main question: what makes us human? is interesting as Rachel raises Borne from a blob that eats lizards to a larger blob that gets his own apartment and reads books. This again sounds crazy, but somehow VanderMeer makes me want to consider it. A lot of this has to do with his writing style. Those who've read Annihilation will recognize the almost out-of-body, dream like quality of the narration. Borne takes a different path then Annihilation overall, despite many similarities. Although both occur in twisted and horrifically beautiful places, Borne somehow injects a sense of comedy and absurdity into the story. That's not to say this book is lighthearted and fun, it's pretty brutal and dark, but where Annihilation reveled in the darkness Borne gives the impression that there could be some light at the end of it all.
Overall, I liked it, but I feel that the setting dragged down the arc of the story. There are plenty of memorable scenes featuring giant bears or weird biologically engineered people, but it all feels very tenuously strung together. The fact that the book refuses to answer or explain many of these strange occurrences is endearing, but I assume many would be turned away by the style.
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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