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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
It's fine.
That is the problem though. It is hard for me to totally separate this from the superior tv series. The problem here is that he takes a fascinating premise with a lot of opportunities and then does incredibly little with it.
I like the exploration of various cults, but the central characters never came into their own and none of the various plots ever coalesce.
It lacks the surreal atmosphere of the show, as well as the show's exploration of grief, anger, religion, and philosophy.
I like the ending, but the whole work felt as though it was building up to something and it never got there.
The show is better in almost everyone way, just watch it.
That is the problem though. It is hard for me to totally separate this from the superior tv series. The problem here is that he takes a fascinating premise with a lot of opportunities and then does incredibly little with it.
I like the exploration of various cults, but the central characters never came into their own and none of the various plots ever coalesce.
It lacks the surreal atmosphere of the show, as well as the show's exploration of grief, anger, religion, and philosophy.
I like the ending, but the whole work felt as though it was building up to something and it never got there.
The show is better in almost everyone way, just watch it.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
I've never watched the show, but the book version of The Leftovers is the best exploration I've ever read of society's collective grief and the surreal malaise following 9/11 (despite 9/11 having nothing to do with the plot). Not a whole lot of action, but still a masterful character journey through the collective psyche of a society grappling with unimaginable loss.
Jill's experience particularly resonated with me given that the Sudden Departure happened five days after she started high school, whereas 9/11 happened two weeks after I started high school. The parallel drew me into the narrative in a way I hadn't anticipated, making Jill's journey and self-destructive coping mechanisms particularly poignant.
For such a heavy subject, there's a lot of comedy – Perrotta's musings about the monotony of city council meetings (including borderline-surreal public comment periods) made me laugh out loud. That being said, I almost DNF'd over the suggestion that "there's something pathetic about watching It's A Wonderful Life by yourself," which is one of my favorite holiday traditions (and no I am NOT owned thank you very much).
Despite this minor grievance, I'm glad I stuck with it. It's a compelling dive into the chaos of loss and the human capacity to find meaning in the aftermath – highly recommend for those ready to confront the messy, beautiful paradox of grieving and living.
Jill's experience particularly resonated with me given that the Sudden Departure happened five days after she started high school, whereas 9/11 happened two weeks after I started high school. The parallel drew me into the narrative in a way I hadn't anticipated, making Jill's journey and self-destructive coping mechanisms particularly poignant.
For such a heavy subject, there's a lot of comedy – Perrotta's musings about the monotony of city council meetings (including borderline-surreal public comment periods) made me laugh out loud. That being said, I almost DNF'd over the suggestion that "there's something pathetic about watching It's A Wonderful Life by yourself," which is one of my favorite holiday traditions (and no I am NOT owned thank you very much).
Despite this minor grievance, I'm glad I stuck with it. It's a compelling dive into the chaos of loss and the human capacity to find meaning in the aftermath – highly recommend for those ready to confront the messy, beautiful paradox of grieving and living.
Gripping. And even a little thought-provoking, especially as a mom.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
I liked the premise of the book and there were some really well written parts, it just didn’t pull me in as much as I wish it would have.
I was a bit surprised at how much I liked this audiobook since the ratings aren’t very high.
In 1995, [a:LaHaye Tim|6680188|LaHaye Tim|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png] and [a:Jerry B Jenkins|7426680|Jerry B Jenkins|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png] released their first book in the "[b:Left Behind|27523|Left Behind (Left Behind, #1)|Tim F. LaHaye|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406505054s/27523.jpg|972769]" series which concluded after 16 books. "[b:The Leftovers|10762469|The Leftovers|Tom Perrotta|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404872433s/10762469.jpg|15455523]" is a book by [a:Tom Perrotta|15907|Tom Perrotta|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1204163131p2/15907.jpg] published in 2011. The series and the book are very different. Perhaps they shouldn't be compared, but I will.
The Left Behind book series tells of the events following the Rapture. The Rapture event is consistent with the Biblical description of the event: Christians being caught up, leaving the earth before events so dreadful that no one should want to live through them. It then proceeds to follow the subsequent occurances using one of two popular interpretations of Last Days.
The Leftovers book tells of events following a Rapture. This is probably NOT the Rapture of the Bible since the people who disappear seem to be selected randomly. Not Christians. Their religious beliefs are irrelevant; spiritual, atheist, agnostic - all are "chosen". It then follows humanity's response to this significant but un-understandable event. People seem to respond in one of four ways: 1) they join the Guilty Remnant (G.R.), a highly legalistic, irrational, and self destructive cult, 2) they follow "Holy Wayne", a charismatic man with the ability to ease their pain, 3) they drop out of society and join the Barefoot People, a drugged out hedonistic group, or 4) the majority continue on with their lives but in a hollow manner.
In conclusion, its a sad book. The "Rapture" had no meaning because those selected were done so randomly. Because the central event of the book had no meaning, you couldn't "figure it out". You were left with emptiness with no solution. At least the Left Behind series had a sense of hope permeating it for those who were saved after the Rapture.
The Left Behind book series tells of the events following the Rapture. The Rapture event is consistent with the Biblical description of the event: Christians being caught up, leaving the earth before events so dreadful that no one should want to live through them. It then proceeds to follow the subsequent occurances using one of two popular interpretations of Last Days.
The Leftovers book tells of events following a Rapture. This is probably NOT the Rapture of the Bible since the people who disappear seem to be selected randomly. Not Christians. Their religious beliefs are irrelevant; spiritual, atheist, agnostic - all are "chosen". It then follows humanity's response to this significant but un-understandable event. People seem to respond in one of four ways: 1) they join the Guilty Remnant (G.R.), a highly legalistic, irrational, and self destructive cult, 2) they follow "Holy Wayne", a charismatic man with the ability to ease their pain, 3) they drop out of society and join the Barefoot People, a drugged out hedonistic group, or 4) the majority continue on with their lives but in a hollow manner.
In conclusion, its a sad book. The "Rapture" had no meaning because those selected were done so randomly. Because the central event of the book had no meaning, you couldn't "figure it out". You were left with emptiness with no solution. At least the Left Behind series had a sense of hope permeating it for those who were saved after the Rapture.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
One of those rare times where the visual medium really is better than the book. Feels like an excellent premise wasted on something so flat, but I’m grateful that it brought us a great TV show.
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced