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flajol's review against another edition
3.0
Early post-apocalyptic fiction. Very dated in attitudes, but that's to be expected.
akhuseby's review
2.0
I have such mixed reactions to this book. First, huge, massive negative: explicit white supremacy. The protagonist flat out says in several places that the white race is the one meant to survive. Yes, the author is 19C British, but I have read a lot from that time period and this is extreme, Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden” level awful. Second, the book could have been half as long. Author has the tendency to get into these long, rambling, orientalist fugue states where he catalogues locations and references to Eastern countries, histories, and objects. Third, in a nutshell, the story is: man goes on polar expedition (not uncommon in the era and fairly well told), bizarre environmental catastrophe ensues, everyone dies but protagonist, protagonist begins wandering the planet on ships and trains initially seeking other humans but eventually gives up and decides to.... embrace his inner arsonist? Dude starts burning down every city he encounters. Burning indiscriminately. Not to get rid of toxins but because he can. So, you’re the only human left on earth and you decide that you’re going to spend what time you have destroying things? Add this to the white supremacy and it’s just a groan-fest.
So why the two stars? Fair question. The writing sometimes attains beauty, sentences that I reread for the pleasure of them. Usually these were environmentally descriptive. The author did have talent and such moments kept me reading. For the meditations on environment and empire, it was interesting, but I would never assign this book to my college students. The racist language is so extreme. Sad that someone who did have talent used it to write a book about destroying cultures and hating other people. Added to this that the ending involves and Adam and Eve plot that is sexist, fundamentalist zealotry, and no thanks.
So why the two stars? Fair question. The writing sometimes attains beauty, sentences that I reread for the pleasure of them. Usually these were environmentally descriptive. The author did have talent and such moments kept me reading. For the meditations on environment and empire, it was interesting, but I would never assign this book to my college students. The racist language is so extreme. Sad that someone who did have talent used it to write a book about destroying cultures and hating other people. Added to this that the ending involves and Adam and Eve plot that is sexist, fundamentalist zealotry, and no thanks.
literatureaesthetic's review against another edition
2.0
read for uni — i appreciate this for being one of the first ever apocalyptic/sci-fi novels, but it was an absolute pain to get through
amberjosephine's review against another edition
2.0
The Purple Cloud contains occasionally beautiful prose, but I wholeheartedly despise the narrator's sense of entitlement and his overall racist, misogynistic, and frankly creepy demeanor throughout the novel. I read this for class and am glad I did, but I'm far more delighted to be done with it.
lexarobinson's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75