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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Had no idea what i was supposed to pay attention to. Might try again when I can pay close attention to every detail
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
“And if the earthly no longer knows your name, whisper to the silent earth: I’m flowing. To the flashing water say: I am.”
If you are unfamiliar with this quote (as I was), it’s as good a place as any to start a review for The Book of Elsewhere. It’s from a poem called “Silent Friend of Many Distances, Feel” by Rainer Maria Rilke. The depth of the poem is almost hidden by its simplicity. It speaks of change, isolation, and loss. It speaks of distance, not just in spatial terms but in the temporal as well. To me it also speaks of reconciliation, not only with the self but with the universe.
It’s a really aptly chosen poem to represent Unute, an immortal warrior who often does as much damage to his friends as his enemies when the battle lust consumes him. Destined to walk the Earth alone like the Incredible Hulk, secretly preferring Jiffy Pop to Orville Redenbacher.
I have not read BRZRKR, choosing instead to go into this with an open mind. The beginning is a bit rocky, which, judging by reviews, dissuaded some people from reading on. If you hung on past that scene though, you were rewarded with a very rich and fulfilling story.
We all have our rituals and The Book of Elsewhere begins with ritual. Soldiers checking weapons before going into battle. When you get into Unute’s origin story you find that he, too, was created through ritual.
Time is the other big theme, how could it not be when discussing an immortal warrior? Much of the themes we’ve seen before, the pain of watching those you care about wither and fall while you change not at all. The thing I find interesting about Unute is that he at times seems able to bear this pain but at other times he can’t. He even sinks to verbally abusing those around him, people he clearly cares about, to what? Soften the blow? It’s an interesting dynamic.
And then there’s the deer pig, the babirusa. Created and made eternal in the same way Unute was. Unute says “Deer. Bears. Iguanas. Termites. Bats. Chimps. Dodoes. I’ve watched a snail petition its gods. Against other snails. . . I’ve seen a whole lot of prayers unanswered. This is the only time I ever saw the lightning come in response.” (p. 80). They are siblings and as such alternate through periods of peace and strife. The pig seems determined to wipe Unute away and only relinquishes its quest when Unute comes to a kind of peace with his own existence.
One of the things I really liked about this story also makes it very hard to define. There’s just so much going on. There’s the storyline that revolves around Unute’s creation, the deer pig, and his quest to find others like him. Then there are the stand alone stories told from the perspectives of other people who have encountered Unute throughout history, how they’ve interacted with him, and so on. They show both kindness and cruelty in equal measure. Then there’s the current timeline with Caldwell creating the Franken-B and the mysterious self-help group that’s come to Tacoma where Unute is working with US Special Ops. Each of these stories are satistfying on their own. Any one of them could have made a whole book and I’d want to read it! But you get them all in one and all the threads are followed through.
For those of who gave up: go back, push through. Sometimes you have to work for it. I thought it was a pretty fun read that provided plenty to think about.
If you are unfamiliar with this quote (as I was), it’s as good a place as any to start a review for The Book of Elsewhere. It’s from a poem called “Silent Friend of Many Distances, Feel” by Rainer Maria Rilke. The depth of the poem is almost hidden by its simplicity. It speaks of change, isolation, and loss. It speaks of distance, not just in spatial terms but in the temporal as well. To me it also speaks of reconciliation, not only with the self but with the universe.
It’s a really aptly chosen poem to represent Unute, an immortal warrior who often does as much damage to his friends as his enemies when the battle lust consumes him. Destined to walk the Earth alone like the Incredible Hulk, secretly preferring Jiffy Pop to Orville Redenbacher.
I have not read BRZRKR, choosing instead to go into this with an open mind. The beginning is a bit rocky, which, judging by reviews, dissuaded some people from reading on. If you hung on past that scene though, you were rewarded with a very rich and fulfilling story.
We all have our rituals and The Book of Elsewhere begins with ritual. Soldiers checking weapons before going into battle. When you get into Unute’s origin story you find that he, too, was created through ritual.
Time is the other big theme, how could it not be when discussing an immortal warrior? Much of the themes we’ve seen before, the pain of watching those you care about wither and fall while you change not at all. The thing I find interesting about Unute is that he at times seems able to bear this pain but at other times he can’t. He even sinks to verbally abusing those around him, people he clearly cares about, to what? Soften the blow? It’s an interesting dynamic.
And then there’s the deer pig, the babirusa. Created and made eternal in the same way Unute was. Unute says “Deer. Bears. Iguanas. Termites. Bats. Chimps. Dodoes. I’ve watched a snail petition its gods. Against other snails. . . I’ve seen a whole lot of prayers unanswered. This is the only time I ever saw the lightning come in response.” (p. 80). They are siblings and as such alternate through periods of peace and strife. The pig seems determined to wipe Unute away and only relinquishes its quest when Unute comes to a kind of peace with his own existence.
One of the things I really liked about this story also makes it very hard to define. There’s just so much going on. There’s the storyline that revolves around Unute’s creation, the deer pig, and his quest to find others like him. Then there are the stand alone stories told from the perspectives of other people who have encountered Unute throughout history, how they’ve interacted with him, and so on. They show both kindness and cruelty in equal measure. Then there’s the current timeline with Caldwell creating the Franken-B and the mysterious self-help group that’s come to Tacoma where Unute is working with US Special Ops. Each of these stories are satistfying on their own. Any one of them could have made a whole book and I’d want to read it! But you get them all in one and all the threads are followed through.
For those of who gave up: go back, push through. Sometimes you have to work for it. I thought it was a pretty fun read that provided plenty to think about.
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The fact that the audio book had Keanu Reeves only reading the prologue was profoundly disappointing. This was also the most times I've ever heard the word "babirusa" said in my entire life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Phenomenally cool vibes with interesting philosophical takes - the end feels a little incongruent with the buildup, but still a very enjoyable read - very rule of cool in some situations