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funeraldancer's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I read this book for the first time in high school and lost my original copy to an old friend, but found another one recently. 10 years or so having passed since the last time I read it, I appreciate it more now than when I was 16. Ishmael is very easily digestible, despite its philosophical weight, as the two main characters speak very plainly. One thing that I will note is that some of the revelations here seem more quaint now than they probably did in 1992, considering the Takers have driven us even closer to utter annihilation. The narrator's ultimate conclusion that it's crucial for people educated by Mother Culture to have a positive, i.e., actionable, remedy to the story we're currently enacting is still potent and valuable. Despite some of the main points seeming very of-their-time, there are many moments in Ishmael that I had forgotten about that felt like "why hadn't I thought of it that way?" moments - which ultimately means the book was successful in what it set out to do.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death and Confinement
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