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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My greatest annoyance with modern literature is that we have given permission to authors to tell us the message or intention of their story and not expect any creativity behind it; if they can somehow insert into the plot or involve the character with the subject matter they wish to comment upon, nuance be damned.
This novel is one long “telling” of a really important subject matter I hold close to my heart, and I grew to resent the author’s message despite my own heart for the same conversation. When the main character stops the plot every other paragraph to go on for several paragraphs about why nature good, humans bad, this isn’t a story anymore but a lightly theatrical PSA.
The more annoying part is that I just finished reading a young readers trilogy (The Wild Robot) that engaged with the same topic with far more creativity, nuance, and heart than this novel did. VanderMeer is very passionate about environmentalism and warning us about our own flagrant misuse of the world we have been given. His Borne and Southern Reach Trilogies do an excellent job of tapping into these themes with his signature style and creativity. I am all the more disappointed that this novel is written by the same man who wrote Dead Astronauts or Borne.
Okay, so this novel is 90% (being nice here) telling and almost no showing, but that’s all, right? Nope. The characters are paper thin noir stereotypes, the main character’s most interesting characterizations felt they were there only to help the plot forward, and because this story is mostly telling instead of showing, it is a good 150-200 pages too long.
I almost wrote this off as a DNF book, but I am a diehard VanderMeer fan. I’m very disappointed not only by the lazy engagement with an important subject matter but the weak writing from an author who has more than proven how masterful they are of their craft.
This novel is one long “telling” of a really important subject matter I hold close to my heart, and I grew to resent the author’s message despite my own heart for the same conversation. When the main character stops the plot every other paragraph to go on for several paragraphs about why nature good, humans bad, this isn’t a story anymore but a lightly theatrical PSA.
The more annoying part is that I just finished reading a young readers trilogy (The Wild Robot) that engaged with the same topic with far more creativity, nuance, and heart than this novel did. VanderMeer is very passionate about environmentalism and warning us about our own flagrant misuse of the world we have been given. His Borne and Southern Reach Trilogies do an excellent job of tapping into these themes with his signature style and creativity. I am all the more disappointed that this novel is written by the same man who wrote Dead Astronauts or Borne.
Okay, so this novel is 90% (being nice here) telling and almost no showing, but that’s all, right? Nope. The characters are paper thin noir stereotypes, the main character’s most interesting characterizations felt they were there only to help the plot forward, and because this story is mostly telling instead of showing, it is a good 150-200 pages too long.
I almost wrote this off as a DNF book, but I am a diehard VanderMeer fan. I’m very disappointed not only by the lazy engagement with an important subject matter but the weak writing from an author who has more than proven how masterful they are of their craft.
I think maybe a 3.5 but it hooked me, so leaning 4. A lot of reviews mention it’s “claustrophobic”, and I would agree. It’s disorienting and thrilling. Every time I put it down, I kept wanting to go back to it.
The main character isn’t likable but despite being told entirely from her perspective, it’s written in a way where it wasn’t off putting for me. She recognizes she’s the cause of her problems, & I can at least respect that.
If you love closure, this isn’t the book for you. I don’t think it quite falls into me recommending it as “worth a read” but reading it wasn’t a waste of time. I’ll read the Southern Reach trilogy at some point for sure.
The main character isn’t likable but despite being told entirely from her perspective, it’s written in a way where it wasn’t off putting for me. She recognizes she’s the cause of her problems, & I can at least respect that.
If you love closure, this isn’t the book for you. I don’t think it quite falls into me recommending it as “worth a read” but reading it wasn’t a waste of time. I’ll read the Southern Reach trilogy at some point for sure.
I'm a huge fan of the author and I appreciate what he was doing with this book. It all clicked at the end when the main character pointed out how she and two other characters all came at the climate change question of the book from different ideological perspectives. So at the end the only thing that is really illuminated is that the world is inherently divided over approach to a problem. One who acts aggressive and violent when they don't understand. Another who sees the world as something to possess. And a third who is so introspective that they can't stop tripping over their own clumsy feet. A character who is so large a strong, yet timid and scared of their own power. This book did not carry to the conclusion I was expecting and thus I think I respect it more. This is probably the least science fiction of VanderMeer's works but I think it's also his least weird and one of his most thought provoking. I found the plot a bit slow at times, but I find VanderMeer's style appealing. Very to the point, yet also ponderous and descriptive somehow.
medium-paced
I'm a VanderMeer fangirl, so even though I liked this novel I did have some gripes with it. But I'm an agreeable sort that only dwells on the negative if it ruined the overall story.
Some things didn't quite make sense, and the main character is obviously not someone who you're meant to necessarily like. Once you realize the story isn't really about her, and that she is just a messed up piece of the puzzle, it turns into a weird but interesting mystery.
I wouldn't suggest this to someone who hasn't read Jeff's other works, it's not really the best introduction to his work. I think the Southern Reach trilogy (Annihilation, et all) are a good jumping off point mainly because that's where I started.
Some things didn't quite make sense, and the main character is obviously not someone who you're meant to necessarily like. Once you realize the story isn't really about her, and that she is just a messed up piece of the puzzle, it turns into a weird but interesting mystery.
I wouldn't suggest this to someone who hasn't read Jeff's other works, it's not really the best introduction to his work. I think the Southern Reach trilogy (Annihilation, et all) are a good jumping off point mainly because that's where I started.
Won me over for the most part, by the end. The mystery compelled me in all its halting, intentionally contrived weirdness. I like the main character a lot for her undying stubornness and willingness to throw everything away for a goal which her only good reasons to pursue are deeply tied to flaw and trauma. I still think the VanderMeerisms were laid on a little too thick. Also, a lot of the dialogue felt very clunky, but I'm not sure if that is because it's badly written or because it's shared between characters who are playing at being detectives and operatives and characters from hardboiled novels and doing it badly. The ending revelation and and ultimate message leave me pretty cold. Mostly makes me want to read Area X again.
I really like vandermeer but feel this wasn't his strongest.
The singular POV, while adding a sense of claustrophobia and paranoia, just didn't work for me when the protagonist somehow wasn't very interesting.
Also distracting was the liberal use of adjectives in place of adverbs. It always distracted me, and couldn't tell why it was part of the voice. Came off like an affectation going for Cormac mccarthy but not pulling it off.
Will still read his next book
The singular POV, while adding a sense of claustrophobia and paranoia, just didn't work for me when the protagonist somehow wasn't very interesting.
Also distracting was the liberal use of adjectives in place of adverbs. It always distracted me, and couldn't tell why it was part of the voice. Came off like an affectation going for Cormac mccarthy but not pulling it off.
Will still read his next book
Il voto non riflette la qualità del romanzo, ma quanto mi sia piaciuto.
A leggerne la sinossi e a sentire altre recensioni pensavo mi sarei trovata di fronte ad un thriller/thriller psicologico sull'eco/bioterrorismo, ed è in questa premessa che ho trovato le mie aspettative deluse. In realtà è un libro molto complesso, in cui la parte di thriller/spionaggio fa da contorno ad una serie di riflessioni filosofiche, morali, anche spirituali, su come l'Uomo si approcci alla Natura e ai suoi abitanti. Però vi prego di non pensarlo come il "solito" mappazzone animalista/ambientalista volto a perpetuare la causa e a generare sensi di colpa nel lettore. Non lo è (e lo dico da animalista/veg).
Il ritmo narrativo è molto lento, e segue il flusso di pensieri e ricordi della protagonista, in quanto il testo è in realtà il suo testamento, la sua storia narrata ai posteri. Per farvi un esempio, per circa un quarto di libro, le prime 100 pagine, non succede praticamente nulla, se non le paranoie della protagonista e i suoi ricordi della sua difficile infanzia. Per questo l'ho trovata una lettura faticosa e sono stata tentata più volte di interromperla. Superato questo scoglio iniziale però, la trama si è fatta più avvincente (o forse sono io che mi sono abituata) e sono riuscita a portare a termine la lettura in pochi giorni, spinta dalla curiosità di come si potesse concludere una storia così particolare.
Ho trovato anche lo stile narrativo ostico da digerire, forse anche perché mi approcciavo a questo autore per la prima volta e non lo conoscevo. Mi è sembrato molto frammentario, a tratti confusionario. Però le proprietà lessicali dell'autore, gli espedienti narrativi che adotta, le metafore, quelli li ho trovati meravigliosi e mi hanno fatto venire voglia di approfondirne la bibliografia.
In definitiva, è un libro che consiglierei con riserva, magari da affrontare con le giuste premesse e il giusto stato d'animo.
Una curiosità: l'autore devolve parte delle royalties del romanzo a favore di associazione che lottano contro la deforestazione e il traffico illegale di animali esotici
A leggerne la sinossi e a sentire altre recensioni pensavo mi sarei trovata di fronte ad un thriller/thriller psicologico sull'eco/bioterrorismo, ed è in questa premessa che ho trovato le mie aspettative deluse. In realtà è un libro molto complesso, in cui la parte di thriller/spionaggio fa da contorno ad una serie di riflessioni filosofiche, morali, anche spirituali, su come l'Uomo si approcci alla Natura e ai suoi abitanti. Però vi prego di non pensarlo come il "solito" mappazzone animalista/ambientalista volto a perpetuare la causa e a generare sensi di colpa nel lettore. Non lo è (e lo dico da animalista/veg).
Il ritmo narrativo è molto lento, e segue il flusso di pensieri e ricordi della protagonista, in quanto il testo è in realtà il suo testamento, la sua storia narrata ai posteri. Per farvi un esempio, per circa un quarto di libro, le prime 100 pagine, non succede praticamente nulla, se non le paranoie della protagonista e i suoi ricordi della sua difficile infanzia. Per questo l'ho trovata una lettura faticosa e sono stata tentata più volte di interromperla. Superato questo scoglio iniziale però, la trama si è fatta più avvincente (o forse sono io che mi sono abituata) e sono riuscita a portare a termine la lettura in pochi giorni, spinta dalla curiosità di come si potesse concludere una storia così particolare.
Ho trovato anche lo stile narrativo ostico da digerire, forse anche perché mi approcciavo a questo autore per la prima volta e non lo conoscevo. Mi è sembrato molto frammentario, a tratti confusionario. Però le proprietà lessicali dell'autore, gli espedienti narrativi che adotta, le metafore, quelli li ho trovati meravigliosi e mi hanno fatto venire voglia di approfondirne la bibliografia.
In definitiva, è un libro che consiglierei con riserva, magari da affrontare con le giuste premesse e il giusto stato d'animo.
Una curiosità: l'autore devolve parte delle royalties del romanzo a favore di associazione che lottano contro la deforestazione e il traffico illegale di animali esotici