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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
inspiring
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Remember the movie Armageddon, where the only things that can save the planet are oil drillers, nukes, and the US military (in other words, the forces most likely to actually destroy the planet)? In this book, salvation for a CHARMING VILLAGE comes from a short seller, an investment banker, an AI program, and grocery panic-hoarding.
All of this is wrapped in strange "cozy" vibes, to make it seem less horrifying. This coziness is endlessly patronizing toward its small-town characters, with their wacky little ways. Now I'm wondering: is coziness always cruel to characters? Is that sort of built in?
Either way, it makes the big conclusion fall flat. The moral of this story is that humans often act in solidarity with each other in times of crisis. Which I believe! But this is already a village where everyone's tripping over each other to help our hero -- a short seller! -- with anything he might need, and they just carry on with their charming little ways when the apocalypse comes.
Also doesn't help that the author is bad at writing women, making them into one-dimensional prizes for our main character and duly punishing flirts and sluts. Truth is,
All of this is wrapped in strange "cozy" vibes, to make it seem less horrifying. This coziness is endlessly patronizing toward its small-town characters, with their wacky little ways. Now I'm wondering: is coziness always cruel to characters? Is that sort of built in?
Either way, it makes the big conclusion fall flat. The moral of this story is that humans often act in solidarity with each other in times of crisis. Which I believe! But this is already a village where everyone's tripping over each other to help our hero -- a short seller! -- with anything he might need, and they just carry on with their charming little ways when the apocalypse comes.
Also doesn't help that the author is bad at writing women, making them into one-dimensional prizes for our main character and duly punishing flirts and sluts. Truth is,
Spoiler
the whale was the only person I liked, and he died.
Mich hat die Story leider nicht gekriegt. Ich fand das Buch eher langweilig auch wenn einzelne Aspekte ganz nett umgesetzt waren.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow, I thought this was going to be a story about a whale, but half way an apocalypse just broke loose??? the first half of the book was pretty slow, but it really picked up in the second half! Also cool bi rep :D
The only thing that kinda bugged me about this book was the way the author described the female characters, it was often very sexualizing o~o
The only thing that kinda bugged me about this book was the way the author described the female characters, it was often very sexualizing o~o
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This morphed from one type of story to another partway through, and swept me up from the first - from 'stranger in the village' to a tale of City stockbrokers, to a Biblical-like story along the lines of Noah. I've read all of Ironmonger's previous works and this is probably now my favourite.
A naked man is found washed up on the shore of a remote Cornwall village, a surprise visitor who is nursed back to health and made welcome. As well as starting to form relationships within the small community, Joe Haak starts to tell his story - the unbelievable tale of his life as a city analyst, whose own computer has predicted the end of civilisation.
With elements of The Wolf of Wall Street, Contagion and all those Local Hero-styled stories of small town / big city people clashing, this all comes together beautifully for a partly-scary and partly-beautiful story about the small village banding together in a crisis, and Joe a Messiah-like figure leading the way, partially blind, partially knowing.
There are some nicely drawn characters - some villagers you can see on the screen already, from a flirty vicar's wife to the crotchety old doctor, and Joe's story of stockbroker life dovetails nicely into his current world of St Piran.
And not forgetting the whale of course... yes, there's a whale. Who brings in Joe from the sea, who brings the village together, who proves vital to St Piran. Who is key to the story and yet forgotten in the drama. Very well constructed story, I loved it.
This is a tale of doom, but a tale of hope. I really foresaw another Station Eleven, and my heart swelled at the end as I saw Ironmonger's vision for the doomed world.
A truly wonderful story, one that will bring a lump to your throat.
A naked man is found washed up on the shore of a remote Cornwall village, a surprise visitor who is nursed back to health and made welcome. As well as starting to form relationships within the small community, Joe Haak starts to tell his story - the unbelievable tale of his life as a city analyst, whose own computer has predicted the end of civilisation.
With elements of The Wolf of Wall Street, Contagion and all those Local Hero-styled stories of small town / big city people clashing, this all comes together beautifully for a partly-scary and partly-beautiful story about the small village banding together in a crisis, and Joe a Messiah-like figure leading the way, partially blind, partially knowing.
There are some nicely drawn characters - some villagers you can see on the screen already, from a flirty vicar's wife to the crotchety old doctor, and Joe's story of stockbroker life dovetails nicely into his current world of St Piran.
And not forgetting the whale of course... yes, there's a whale. Who brings in Joe from the sea, who brings the village together, who proves vital to St Piran. Who is key to the story and yet forgotten in the drama. Very well constructed story, I loved it.
This is a tale of doom, but a tale of hope. I really foresaw another Station Eleven, and my heart swelled at the end as I saw Ironmonger's vision for the doomed world.
A truly wonderful story, one that will bring a lump to your throat.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
inspiring
reflective