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thesillyman's review against another edition
5.0
'Amnesia Moon' is up there with some of my favorite books. It's a fine mix of surreal sci-fi and full blown mystery that kept me hooked throughout.
This journey across a disjointed and confused America is perfectly dreamlike. Each character and place has their own unique mysteries to unlock. I really couldn't recommend this book more.
This journey across a disjointed and confused America is perfectly dreamlike. Each character and place has their own unique mysteries to unlock. I really couldn't recommend this book more.
dustin_o's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-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
2.25
arachne_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Review 1: It went down easy and left me with little to chew on. It seemed to lean morally toward this idea of family as means to combat the disjoint nature reality and sorting out one's identity, and many of the oddnesses Lethem has Chaos encountering seem like over-large shadow puppets of things in American culture. I wanted more from it. (Initially gave it 3 stars)
Review 2 (after thinking about it and chewing on it much much more): I was completely wrong. That "moral leaning" I was on about was kind of my own knee-jerk reaction to portrayals of family, and my own fraught relationship with mine. It becomes hard for me to see past it sometimes.
I think what Lethem has done here is far more expansive than what I initially thought. Chaos has the ability to push his dreams on those around him: he faces a crisis because other characters, characters with an ability the same as his, try to manipulate, force, and coerce him into joining their particular vision of a re-made world, try to harness his dreams toward their ends. We as readers see how abusively this power is used by others-- Kellogg appears to be an example of this, as well as Ian and Ilford. Kellogg rings a little differently, father-figure like, as Chaos comes to realize his ability to reject the totalitarian possibility of his own dreaming and aid Edie, Melinda, and Edie's sons. It reads like a rejection of force, and some of the more detrimental notions we culturally attach to masculinity.
By the end of the book, what I initially read as "happy family" propaganda has much more of a ring of respect for others' identity in it. When Chaos dreams Edie and sons back to the forms we'd met them in as readers (as opposed to Ian's projections onto them in order to better control Edie), one of Edie's sons mentions that he really liked the tail Ian's dreams had given him. We get treated to the implication that Chaos will restore that-- not unlike the pieces of identity people toss at us and we decide we'll pick up and keep along the way.
Chaos's return to Edie still read a little like a rescue, the damsel in distress, especially with Ian's treatment of Edie being so abusive. That pushed a button. But overall, there's some pretty subversive patterns and rejections in there. On second thought, I like it much more than I thought I had on the first pass. There was in fact a LOT to chew on.
Review 2 (after thinking about it and chewing on it much much more): I was completely wrong. That "moral leaning" I was on about was kind of my own knee-jerk reaction to portrayals of family, and my own fraught relationship with mine. It becomes hard for me to see past it sometimes.
I think what Lethem has done here is far more expansive than what I initially thought. Chaos has the ability to push his dreams on those around him: he faces a crisis because other characters, characters with an ability the same as his, try to manipulate, force, and coerce him into joining their particular vision of a re-made world, try to harness his dreams toward their ends. We as readers see how abusively this power is used by others-- Kellogg appears to be an example of this, as well as Ian and Ilford. Kellogg rings a little differently, father-figure like, as Chaos comes to realize his ability to reject the totalitarian possibility of his own dreaming and aid Edie, Melinda, and Edie's sons. It reads like a rejection of force, and some of the more detrimental notions we culturally attach to masculinity.
By the end of the book, what I initially read as "happy family" propaganda has much more of a ring of respect for others' identity in it. When Chaos dreams Edie and sons back to the forms we'd met them in as readers (as opposed to Ian's projections onto them in order to better control Edie), one of Edie's sons mentions that he really liked the tail Ian's dreams had given him. We get treated to the implication that Chaos will restore that-- not unlike the pieces of identity people toss at us and we decide we'll pick up and keep along the way.
Chaos's return to Edie still read a little like a rescue, the damsel in distress, especially with Ian's treatment of Edie being so abusive. That pushed a button. But overall, there's some pretty subversive patterns and rejections in there. On second thought, I like it much more than I thought I had on the first pass. There was in fact a LOT to chew on.
nadinekc's review against another edition
3.0
Not on a par with Gun, With Occasional Music or Motherless Brooklyn for me, but still a fun, imaginative and quick read. The pacing seemed a bit off - the first 3/4 of it was a meandering road trip, while last quarter brought in a slew of new people and plots, which made the ending feel rushed.
b_mcg's review against another edition
5.0
"Amnesia Moon" is excellent sf in the tradition of Harlan Ellison and Philip K. Dick. In keeping with that style, Lethem's surrealism is much more overtly on display than in his later works. Combining elements of post-apocalyptic fantasies and near-future science fiction with questions of dreams, reality and existence, "Amnesia Moon" is difficult to pin-down. It traverses close to where the reader may expect but never falls perfectly in line. It asks questions, but only hints at answers. The sense that something is just a little off and can't quite seem to be righted permeates the book. Characters and plot are interesting in so far as they allow the reader to explore the setting, but it is the mood and setting that are the real stars of "Amnesia Moon."
nharkins's review against another edition
2.0
I... think? there's some interesting metaphors buried in here, but it's mostly incoherent. If you like David Lynch at his worst, then you might dig this.
chetana_89's review against another edition
2.0
You can also read my reviews here
I was going through the posts over at the Book Smugglers when I read about The Angry Robot Publishers. I went to their site and was really psyched about the books showcased there. I read a few blurbs of the books on the site and I was very excited about them. Amnesia Moon was one of them.
I did not know what to expect from this book. The description sounded different and intriguing. I still do not know what to make of the book after having finished reading it. If a book is to be classified as good if it makes you keep coming back for more, then this is a good book. But I kept wanting to go back to the book because I could not understand what was going on in the book. It was weird. I can't say if it was a good/bad weird. I think I liked it. It was a plotline with which a lot more could have been done. A lot more could've been done with the concept of the dream sharing. If this was where the story was going this could've been made in to a novella instead of a Novel. Maybe I just didn't get the book (not just maybe, I just didn't understand a lot of the book). But in my opinion it was still a better read than the first 2 installments of the Rizzoli and Isles series. So this was a 2.5/5 for me.
I was going through the posts over at the Book Smugglers when I read about The Angry Robot Publishers. I went to their site and was really psyched about the books showcased there. I read a few blurbs of the books on the site and I was very excited about them. Amnesia Moon was one of them.
I did not know what to expect from this book. The description sounded different and intriguing. I still do not know what to make of the book after having finished reading it. If a book is to be classified as good if it makes you keep coming back for more, then this is a good book. But I kept wanting to go back to the book because I could not understand what was going on in the book. It was weird. I can't say if it was a good/bad weird. I think I liked it. It was a plotline with which a lot more could have been done. A lot more could've been done with the concept of the dream sharing. If this was where the story was going this could've been made in to a novella instead of a Novel. Maybe I just didn't get the book (not just maybe, I just didn't understand a lot of the book). But in my opinion it was still a better read than the first 2 installments of the Rizzoli and Isles series. So this was a 2.5/5 for me.
darwin8u's review against another edition
3.0
Mad Moon: Furry Road
I've read a bunch of Lethem (and a lot of Philip K Dick), so for me this novel was just a mediocre, road trip, post-apocalpytic PKD remake*. IT had obvious direct PKD references and influences: [b:Eye in the Sky|165908|Eye in the Sky|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320505491s/165908.jpg|486298] & [b:Dr. Bloodmoney|636108|Dr. Bloodmoney|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355321708s/636108.jpg|880666] & [b:The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch|14185|The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338461946s/14185.jpg|1399376]. PKD is the only one who should really try to be PKD**.
Later Lethem ([b:Motherless Brooklyn|328854|Motherless Brooklyn|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348254729s/328854.jpg|1971553] & [b:The Fortress of Solitude|9799|The Fortress of Solitude|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418677318s/9799.jpg|1971520]) & [b:Chronic City|6085191|Chronic City|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348897861s/6085191.jpg|6262015]) is more confident and sings with his own voice. This one apes and apes well at times, but leaves a lot of soul out of the narrative. Still, I can't demolish 'Amnesia Moon' too hard despite the sometimes wispy narrative and repetitive set pieces because I see the latent talent in Lethem and just want more of HIS voice, more of HIS taint and HIS talent.
* And to be fair to Lethem, there are plenty of mediocre PKD novels out there too.
** Although I do appreciate how Lethem's love for PKD being is felt in his editing of [b:The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick|10887550|The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327883164s/10887550.jpg|15803284] and [b:The Philip K. Dick Collection|6362669|The Philip K. Dick Collection|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347353717s/6362669.jpg|6549791].
I've read a bunch of Lethem (and a lot of Philip K Dick), so for me this novel was just a mediocre, road trip, post-apocalpytic PKD remake*. IT had obvious direct PKD references and influences: [b:Eye in the Sky|165908|Eye in the Sky|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320505491s/165908.jpg|486298] & [b:Dr. Bloodmoney|636108|Dr. Bloodmoney|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355321708s/636108.jpg|880666] & [b:The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch|14185|The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338461946s/14185.jpg|1399376]. PKD is the only one who should really try to be PKD**.
Later Lethem ([b:Motherless Brooklyn|328854|Motherless Brooklyn|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348254729s/328854.jpg|1971553] & [b:The Fortress of Solitude|9799|The Fortress of Solitude|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418677318s/9799.jpg|1971520]) & [b:Chronic City|6085191|Chronic City|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348897861s/6085191.jpg|6262015]) is more confident and sings with his own voice. This one apes and apes well at times, but leaves a lot of soul out of the narrative. Still, I can't demolish 'Amnesia Moon' too hard despite the sometimes wispy narrative and repetitive set pieces because I see the latent talent in Lethem and just want more of HIS voice, more of HIS taint and HIS talent.
* And to be fair to Lethem, there are plenty of mediocre PKD novels out there too.
** Although I do appreciate how Lethem's love for PKD being is felt in his editing of [b:The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick|10887550|The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327883164s/10887550.jpg|15803284] and [b:The Philip K. Dick Collection|6362669|The Philip K. Dick Collection|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347353717s/6362669.jpg|6549791].
spacenoirdetective's review against another edition
3.0
Amnesia Moon is one of the strangest novels I have ever read. It definitely fits into the category of "weird fiction" and from the little I know about Lethem's other works, it is an example of how eclectic his fiction can be.
Amnesia Moon brings two characters in a post-apocalyptic setting, Chaos and Melinda. Melinda is a young teenager that happens to be covered in short fur like an orange tabby cat. Chaos is just a bit of a mess. The feeling and mood of this novel is perpetually confusing as they make their escape from their little town in Wyoming. Consider this similar to Stephen King's the Stand if everyone from that book took acid. They balance each other out, though. Chaos feels a reluctant protectiveness over Melinda, who wants to come across as very strong. Their relationship takes on paternal tones as both of them realize they don't want to necessarily go it alone on this surreal journey, even though they sometimes consider it. Both of them display extreme independence, which is somewhat necessary given how they have been surviving an apocalyptic situation where bombs supposedly fell.
I say supposedly because we aren't really sure what's happening for the first two thirds of the novel. Each geographic location they go to appears totally different from every other in terms of what apocalyptic scenario they appear in along with the people they meet. Reality itself seems to be mutually exclusive depending on where you are. Whether it's killer green mist, a suburban town that appears normal at first, or San Francisco's elite wealthy meeting for parties. But in each location they go to, they try to adapt to what should be "normal" and instead it twists into an authoritarian system they must rebel against. As the book progresses, we begin to realize that reality is being controlled differently in each location. The laws of reality at the end seem to become undone completely and I will only say that the ending will not give you any closure. It ends just as something tremendous is about to happen. Did Lethem end it this way on purpose? I say yes, because of the dreamlike nature of the book itself. Sometimes we wake up in the middle of a story-dream where we wonder "wait, what happened NEXT?" so I think he decided to end the book on that note.
It doesn't really make a difference to me, because I was far more interested in the increasingly frenetic desperation of the characters as they run out of options and places to go. This is a very legitimate fear either in real life or in dreams. Their relationship is what makes the book so interesting.
I recommend it even though most of this book I slogged through wondering where it was going. It subverts expectation, that much is certain. I wish I could give it more stars. I liked the idea of this book. I liked where it took me at the end. I think the theme of anti-authoritarianism is most beautifully illustrated at the beginning as well as in the "suburban" segment. I just wish the story was tied together better. It is definitely a "road story" and I wanted it to be a little bit more of a road story, I suppose. I expected there to be more expounding on the idea of the open road as a metaphor for freedom, but you don't really get that with this novel. Instead you are constantly feeling the characters wariness, sense of dread and distrustful nature, and persistent gloom. It's somewhat depressing but with just enough ridiculous quirkiness to separate it from the typical traps that the post apocalypse genre can bring with it. It also could have used a few more characters I actually cared about. Most of them come across as "stock characters" and serve only to move the plot along, but I didn't really feel they were especially interesting. Chaos and Melinda have vivid personalities and other characters don't really match their in terms of how much they stand out, which is a shame. You have such great settings here and not enough is really going on to pull that off with personalities that can bring that world even more to life.
Here is the only spoiler that I will give:
Their world is being controlled by "Dreamers" or humans that have been gifted with the ability to change the geographical area around them to their own personal whims. Most of these "dreamers" have created nightmares and horrors, and whatever initially caused the breakdown of reality is alluded to only as a weapon that should never have been created. Reality corrodes near the end of the novel, which I won't spoil, because it was so surprising that I still retain it as one of the most unexpected endings.
Amnesia Moon brings two characters in a post-apocalyptic setting, Chaos and Melinda. Melinda is a young teenager that happens to be covered in short fur like an orange tabby cat. Chaos is just a bit of a mess. The feeling and mood of this novel is perpetually confusing as they make their escape from their little town in Wyoming. Consider this similar to Stephen King's the Stand if everyone from that book took acid. They balance each other out, though. Chaos feels a reluctant protectiveness over Melinda, who wants to come across as very strong. Their relationship takes on paternal tones as both of them realize they don't want to necessarily go it alone on this surreal journey, even though they sometimes consider it. Both of them display extreme independence, which is somewhat necessary given how they have been surviving an apocalyptic situation where bombs supposedly fell.
I say supposedly because we aren't really sure what's happening for the first two thirds of the novel. Each geographic location they go to appears totally different from every other in terms of what apocalyptic scenario they appear in along with the people they meet. Reality itself seems to be mutually exclusive depending on where you are. Whether it's killer green mist, a suburban town that appears normal at first, or San Francisco's elite wealthy meeting for parties. But in each location they go to, they try to adapt to what should be "normal" and instead it twists into an authoritarian system they must rebel against. As the book progresses, we begin to realize that reality is being controlled differently in each location. The laws of reality at the end seem to become undone completely and I will only say that the ending will not give you any closure. It ends just as something tremendous is about to happen. Did Lethem end it this way on purpose? I say yes, because of the dreamlike nature of the book itself. Sometimes we wake up in the middle of a story-dream where we wonder "wait, what happened NEXT?" so I think he decided to end the book on that note.
It doesn't really make a difference to me, because I was far more interested in the increasingly frenetic desperation of the characters as they run out of options and places to go. This is a very legitimate fear either in real life or in dreams. Their relationship is what makes the book so interesting.
I recommend it even though most of this book I slogged through wondering where it was going. It subverts expectation, that much is certain. I wish I could give it more stars. I liked the idea of this book. I liked where it took me at the end. I think the theme of anti-authoritarianism is most beautifully illustrated at the beginning as well as in the "suburban" segment. I just wish the story was tied together better. It is definitely a "road story" and I wanted it to be a little bit more of a road story, I suppose. I expected there to be more expounding on the idea of the open road as a metaphor for freedom, but you don't really get that with this novel. Instead you are constantly feeling the characters wariness, sense of dread and distrustful nature, and persistent gloom. It's somewhat depressing but with just enough ridiculous quirkiness to separate it from the typical traps that the post apocalypse genre can bring with it. It also could have used a few more characters I actually cared about. Most of them come across as "stock characters" and serve only to move the plot along, but I didn't really feel they were especially interesting. Chaos and Melinda have vivid personalities and other characters don't really match their in terms of how much they stand out, which is a shame. You have such great settings here and not enough is really going on to pull that off with personalities that can bring that world even more to life.
Here is the only spoiler that I will give:
Their world is being controlled by "Dreamers" or humans that have been gifted with the ability to change the geographical area around them to their own personal whims. Most of these "dreamers" have created nightmares and horrors, and whatever initially caused the breakdown of reality is alluded to only as a weapon that should never have been created. Reality corrodes near the end of the novel, which I won't spoil, because it was so surprising that I still retain it as one of the most unexpected endings.