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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
felt like a carrot was being dangled in front of me the entire time I was reading this
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Read for work. More like a 3.5. What a tidy little novella. A highly polished look at wealth, luxury, and class in a time of great fear. The recurring touches on transformation and infection, the shifting nature of… well… nature, and a general sense of uncanny make this a deeply unsettling read. For a book written in the late sixties, this has a real feel of “covid novel” about it. The narrative voice is at times a little distanced and withdrawn, which sometimes benefits the storytelling and highlights it’s most shocking moments - but at others, leave you feeling a little lacklustre. Overall, a good read. I may have given up if it weren’t so short. It’s slim size enhances the good parts.
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I ended up devouring this across the space of two commutes. An eeriley prescient short novel from the 60s, this focuses on a group of wealthy survivors isolating in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, and how they cope (spoiler: they don't). Reading this in year four of COVID-19 being a thing is a hell of an experience. You just get this small slice of their life, which is a new kind of liminal hell, and the fun, horrific ambiguity of not knowing what will come next as those around you come down sick (with radiation poisoning in this instance), and the management making weird ass fucking decisions. Definitely worth a read.
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A short psychological/sociological exploration of the aftermath of a nuclear war. It’s not a thriller, it’s not blood curdling, but it does darken the soul and make one think. Recently reissued in paperback, this is worth the time if the topic interests you .
reflective
slow-paced