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dmosely735's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mdenney5's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
hischmidtj's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
sardinetin's review against another edition
5.0
Not something I would normally have picked up if it hadn't been left at our holiday apartment, as neither the subject matter nor the cover (shallow, yes) appealed to me.
However, I'm so glad I did get the chance to read it, as it gripped me from the start. Not an easy holiday read by any means, this tale of survival in a lawless post-apocalyptic world was at times brutal and depressing.
Highly thought provoking!
However, I'm so glad I did get the chance to read it, as it gripped me from the start. Not an easy holiday read by any means, this tale of survival in a lawless post-apocalyptic world was at times brutal and depressing.
Highly thought provoking!
alisonjfields's review against another edition
3.0
If you enjoyed the grizzled survival march aspect of McCarthy's The Road but were as troubled as I was by the Women are Evil/Faulkner in the Thunderome/Messianc machismo thing he had going on, this will probably be right up your alley.
cseibs's review against another edition
4.0
It misses 5 stars only because it read like Die Hard at times - there's only so much a real human can be expected to reasonably survive. Otherwise a superb novel. I love how Theroux was able to surprise me. His little revelations along the way never felt contrived and shocked me out of my preconceptions. The world he painted was real but terrifying and was a perfect landscape to explore humanity in.
moocowimpi's review against another edition
2.0
This is a difficult book to review. There were parts that were excellent and other parts that were just plain confusing.
I really do not have much more to say. Give it a read and tell me if I am crazy.
I really do not have much more to say. Give it a read and tell me if I am crazy.
cwebb's review against another edition
3.0
Nicht ganz so gut wie The Road aber nicht schlecht
http://www.weberseite.at/buecher/far-north-marcel-theroux/
http://www.weberseite.at/buecher/far-north-marcel-theroux/
suzemo's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this. I liked it better than 3 stars, but it didn't quite hit the 4 star mark for me.
It's a first person narrative in a post-apocalyptic landscape. I tend to prefer first person perspectives in PA (and dystopian, which this is assuredly not) because seeing this world through the eyes of someone struggling through it makes it feel stronger much of the time.
There isn't a whole lot of plot, but the descriptions are wonderful and clean. This book is not overly wordy, doesn't have complicated language because it's told from the viewpoint of a survivor. Someone who saw the end of the plentiful times we lived through, but not really (Makepeace's family were living in the frontier of Far North trying to get away from the excesses of the society we live in now).
Makepeace Hatfield is the last of a survivor of a frontier town who ventures out to find something more. The landscape and life is somewhere between [b:The Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320606344s/6288.jpg|3355573] (not as soul crushing and bleak) and Mad Max (though not quite as violent). The survival parts were interesting. Looking at how people who formerly lived in a time of plenty were faring and seeing how the more "primitive" lifestyles also fared was interesting.
I feel it is, in part, a cautionary tale of where we are heading with our excesses, over-population, and environmental destruction, It's interesting to me that I read this not long after [b:Parable of the Sower|52397|Parable of the Sower|Octavia E. Butler|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312501210s/52397.jpg|59258], which takes place in what you can imagine was going on in the "civilized" lands while this is what's happening in the frontier.
There are a couple of odd turns, and there was even one thing that made me go back in the book to look for what I missed, which was a little jarring, but overall it was pretty decent.
It's a first person narrative in a post-apocalyptic landscape. I tend to prefer first person perspectives in PA (and dystopian, which this is assuredly not) because seeing this world through the eyes of someone struggling through it makes it feel stronger much of the time.
There isn't a whole lot of plot, but the descriptions are wonderful and clean. This book is not overly wordy, doesn't have complicated language because it's told from the viewpoint of a survivor. Someone who saw the end of the plentiful times we lived through, but not really (Makepeace's family were living in the frontier of Far North trying to get away from the excesses of the society we live in now).
Makepeace Hatfield is the last of a survivor of a frontier town who ventures out to find something more. The landscape and life is somewhere between [b:The Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320606344s/6288.jpg|3355573] (not as soul crushing and bleak) and Mad Max (though not quite as violent). The survival parts were interesting. Looking at how people who formerly lived in a time of plenty were faring and seeing how the more "primitive" lifestyles also fared was interesting.
I feel it is, in part, a cautionary tale of where we are heading with our excesses, over-population, and environmental destruction, It's interesting to me that I read this not long after [b:Parable of the Sower|52397|Parable of the Sower|Octavia E. Butler|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312501210s/52397.jpg|59258], which takes place in what you can imagine was going on in the "civilized" lands while this is what's happening in the frontier.
There are a couple of odd turns, and there was even one thing that made me go back in the book to look for what I missed, which was a little jarring, but overall it was pretty decent.
arielamandah's review against another edition
3.0
3.75. This was a very readable, fast-paced book. The story carries you along and there's a good narrative arc. The book has interesting perspectives on religion, and really, any hard-line beliefs. Clearly creative and engaging. This was one book, however, where I felt like the author didn't do a great job capturing the narrator's voice, and the disconnect between a male author and a female protagonist felt extremely stark. The parts of the book that were supposed to read "feminine" felt very forced and cliched.
Overall, I have few complaints - it was a quick read and a vivid story.
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I am SO tired of female characters who can only be tough if they endure a traumatic experience. Can't we be resilient without being raped or doused in acid? There were also so many throw-away pieces in which Theroux tries to "feminize" Makepeace that felt awfully awkward. There was a particular reference to the fact that she felt soft or empathetic to someone, and that she suspected it was due to her "woman-ness" (or some such)... eye roll. Can't we, as humans, also experience empathy and be kind? The way the book ended with her pregnancy was also a cop-out to me, felt rushed, and didn't seem aligned with the character we'd gotten to know throughout. It was as if Theroux wasn't sure how to wrap things up so he went down a cliched path.
Overall, I have few complaints - it was a quick read and a vivid story.
(spoilers - and complaints - ahead)....
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I am SO tired of female characters who can only be tough if they endure a traumatic experience. Can't we be resilient without being raped or doused in acid? There were also so many throw-away pieces in which Theroux tries to "feminize" Makepeace that felt awfully awkward. There was a particular reference to the fact that she felt soft or empathetic to someone, and that she suspected it was due to her "woman-ness" (or some such)... eye roll. Can't we, as humans, also experience empathy and be kind? The way the book ended with her pregnancy was also a cop-out to me, felt rushed, and didn't seem aligned with the character we'd gotten to know throughout. It was as if Theroux wasn't sure how to wrap things up so he went down a cliched path.