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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-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
This book is a work of art. I'm so glad that I reread it, as it honestly didn't fully click with me two years ago; it's quite avant-garde and requires a bit of heavy lifting mentally. I had such a better experience the second time around! I've cried SO much and I'm happy to say I now appreciate it for the innovative and brilliant masterpiece that it is. It's been a fascinating journey piecing together the ties between all three "Borne" installments and I just love Jeff Vandermeer's work so much. He is truly one of a kind.
"(Everywhere we walk, the desert gives way to the ghosts of trees, of streams.)
(We walk forests like you walk a room you built.)
(But what is too much to bear?)
(Not being alive.)
(So we kept being alive even as they destroyed us.)
(So we buried our secrets though they tried to extinguish our secrets with us.)
(Up until this very day.)
(They keep coming, they never stop.)
You couldn't kill us all."
"(Everywhere we walk, the desert gives way to the ghosts of trees, of streams.)
(We walk forests like you walk a room you built.)
(But what is too much to bear?)
(Not being alive.)
(So we kept being alive even as they destroyed us.)
(So we buried our secrets though they tried to extinguish our secrets with us.)
(Up until this very day.)
(They keep coming, they never stop.)
You couldn't kill us all."
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is highly experimental and phantasmagorical, and while these are two qualities that I often enjoy in fiction, this one was a mixed bag for me.
I loved the blue fox, and the jumping through timelines isn't particularly a turnoff for me. I kind of enjoyed reading a chapter from Charlie X and then re-reading it "backwards," following him through different realities in something resembling time. It's an interesting idea, but because of the almost complete lack of narrative, one that didn't fully absorb my interest.
I need a little more plot glue to follow these amazing characters through the timeline/landscape. I kept trying to make a story where there wasn't--was Moss the biologist from Annihilation? Was the dark duck somehow related to the Strange Bird?
I did like the broad strokes: the astronauts are trying to fix the world, but they can't. The fox is trying to save the world, but is unconcerned about the fate of the humans who poisoned it--even as the fox becomes more human over the course of the story. Charlie X's twisted fantasies beget creatures even stranger than what the surrounding ecosystem can spawn. Vandermeer's ability to emotionally characterize all sorts of creatures remains his greatest strength.
I loved that Borne was a bit more of a straightforward narrative than Area X, and was a bit disappointed this boomeranged so hard in the opposite direction. Still glad I read it, despite its difficulty and the lack of much feeling of completion by the end.
I loved the blue fox, and the jumping through timelines isn't particularly a turnoff for me. I kind of enjoyed reading a chapter from Charlie X and then re-reading it "backwards," following him through different realities in something resembling time. It's an interesting idea, but because of the almost complete lack of narrative, one that didn't fully absorb my interest.
I need a little more plot glue to follow these amazing characters through the timeline/landscape. I kept trying to make a story where there wasn't--was Moss the biologist from Annihilation? Was the dark duck somehow related to the Strange Bird?
I did like the broad strokes: the astronauts are trying to fix the world, but they can't. The fox is trying to save the world, but is unconcerned about the fate of the humans who poisoned it--even as the fox becomes more human over the course of the story. Charlie X's twisted fantasies beget creatures even stranger than what the surrounding ecosystem can spawn. Vandermeer's ability to emotionally characterize all sorts of creatures remains his greatest strength.
I loved that Borne was a bit more of a straightforward narrative than Area X, and was a bit disappointed this boomeranged so hard in the opposite direction. Still glad I read it, despite its difficulty and the lack of much feeling of completion by the end.
a weird and complex and unsettling book and an incredible read. jeff vandermeer is the fucking king of creepy little creatures and hauntingly beautiful environments
Picked this up from my local bookshop and it looked interesting. There was no indication on the hard copy that this was supposed to be the second book in a series, but when I searched for it on goodreads it includes (Borne 2) in the title. I’m still unclear if it was meant to be read alone or not and I haven’t been able to find anything concrete online about it.
I liked the first part, but could not keep track of wtf was going on for the rest of the book. Not for me.
I liked the first part, but could not keep track of wtf was going on for the rest of the book. Not for me.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated