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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
inspiring
reflective
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-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:
Yes
Isaac Asimov is well known for his science fiction trilogy Foundation in which he first wrote about the fictional science known as “psychohistory”—a blend of psychology, history, and statistics, used to predict the future behavior of large groups of people. Sixty-four years later John Ironmonger has written a book in which his character, Joe, who works on a complex computer algorithm that takes all knowledge, pulls it together and given any event or scenario and extracts it to predict what may happen in the foreseeable future. This prediction can become a self-fulfilling prophecy as people begin to make plans, take action based upon the computer’s forecast that leads to a complete breakdown of society and the beginning of the apocalypse.
This man is Joe Haak and the story begins when he is discovered unconscious, bruised, beaten up, and suffering from exposure in the sea. He is also naked and with a very impressive erection. When he is discovered barely alive, the villagers provide CPR and deliver him to the local retired doctor. Joe slowly gets to know most of the 307 residents of St Piran in Cornwall and begins to plan for and act on his plan to provide for them. On the day Joe is discovered a whale is seen in the ocean. When she beaches herself she is helped by the cooperation of nearly most of the residents. The whale becomes a symbol of independence and grace to Joe. Joe lives for one year in the company of the village discovering how to live while everything around you is falling apart.
I was surprised by the emotional component of this book. I expected it to be light, funny and entertaining. It was all of that and a voyage of discovery of the important things in life, an exploration of community and found family. The setting of the village was perfect. It had overtones of Louise Penny’s Three Pines. The characters were very well developed. I read science fiction fairly often and this one was well done. For much of the story, you know that an apocalypse is coming but it is there for most of the book as a threatening atmosphere.
I highly recommend to readers who appreciate contemporary science fiction, literary fiction, German literature, Dystopia, community, and found family. So with a nod to Mr. Asimov, I highly recommend and don’t forget the whale.
GOODREADS GIVEAWAY WIN.
John Ironmonger writes a thoughtful and hearteningly plausible tale lauding the community interactions that economics fails to capture, with - for the subject matter - an unusually large and charmingly incongruous dose of whimsy. Perhaps the most refreshingly humanistic take on a fictional global pandemic since Perfect Sense (wildly different creatures though they are).
John Ironmonger writes a thoughtful and hearteningly plausible tale lauding the community interactions that economics fails to capture, with - for the subject matter - an unusually large and charmingly incongruous dose of whimsy. Perhaps the most refreshingly humanistic take on a fictional global pandemic since Perfect Sense (wildly different creatures though they are).
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Has its ups and downs. I didn't like the beginning, but after some 50-100 pages it got quite interesting. Then it develops a kind of standard apocalyptic storyline, with the ending being a bit more particular.
There is definitely some touching moments and some interesting facts. Overall it seems to not be too well researched as the author admits himself in the post-notes.
There is definitely some touching moments and some interesting facts. Overall it seems to not be too well researched as the author admits himself in the post-notes.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No