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A review by tani
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
4.0
Lou was born at an awkward time. If he'd been born a bit later, his autism would have been detected and cured in utero. If he'd been born earlier or less privileged, he might not have received the early interventions that allowed him to become a functioning member of society. As it is, he has a good job, hobbies, a satisfying life, and even a woman that he might like to date. However, when a potential cure becomes available, he's faced with the toughest decision of his life.
This is a book that I've basically been meaning to read since it came out, so I'm so glad that I finally got to read it! Seriously, I'd been dragging this book around for ages. So, thanks to my book club for finally giving me that push I needed! Now, onward to my slightly muddled review.
This is a weird one to talk about. It's kind of slow for a lot of it. Although we know the initial hook, it takes a while for the book to even get there, which can be annoying. I am pretty okay with a slow start, but this one was a bit too slow, even for me, especially with the length of the book being quite moderate. By the time we got to the actual quandary of the cure, I imagine most people would be feeling pretty impatient. I didn't mind too much, personally, but I can see how it would be frustrating for other people, for sure.
I did like the care that went into crafting Lou and his life. I admired the way that he had taken his limits and worked within them in order to create a life that was fulfilling for him. However, that also made the discrimination that he faces even more of a stark contrast. He often talks about not disclosing certain aspects of his life, in particular his fencing, because he feels that it will get him in trouble. I do feel like that's a bit dated - I can say that just based on my knowledge of working with the developmentally disabled population. We've clearly come a long way toward a more people-centered approach than was common when this was written, so if you're someone who has worked with this population, you might feel a bit of cognitive dissonance reading this.
I think the biggest thing that is sticking with me in terms of this book is definitely the ending. I really felt like the book was building toward something specific, with all of the crafting decisions that were made, and then the ending completely overturned that, and not in a way I very much appreciated. It just didn't really fit with what had come before, and I do think that it was problematic in that I think that the ending would have been more powerful if that hadn't been the case. I do think that the ending is kind of a love song by Moon, and I felt like it was very sweet in that aspect, but just not quite satisfying in terms of the story that came before.
Anyway, all that makes it seem like I didn't like this. I did. I liked the careful attention to Lou's character, as well as his interactions with the people around him. I liked the way that it made me think about the issues presented. I just wish the ending had worked better for me.
This is a book that I've basically been meaning to read since it came out, so I'm so glad that I finally got to read it! Seriously, I'd been dragging this book around for ages. So, thanks to my book club for finally giving me that push I needed! Now, onward to my slightly muddled review.
This is a weird one to talk about. It's kind of slow for a lot of it. Although we know the initial hook, it takes a while for the book to even get there, which can be annoying. I am pretty okay with a slow start, but this one was a bit too slow, even for me, especially with the length of the book being quite moderate. By the time we got to the actual quandary of the cure, I imagine most people would be feeling pretty impatient. I didn't mind too much, personally, but I can see how it would be frustrating for other people, for sure.
I did like the care that went into crafting Lou and his life. I admired the way that he had taken his limits and worked within them in order to create a life that was fulfilling for him. However, that also made the discrimination that he faces even more of a stark contrast. He often talks about not disclosing certain aspects of his life, in particular his fencing, because he feels that it will get him in trouble. I do feel like that's a bit dated - I can say that just based on my knowledge of working with the developmentally disabled population. We've clearly come a long way toward a more people-centered approach than was common when this was written, so if you're someone who has worked with this population, you might feel a bit of cognitive dissonance reading this.
I think the biggest thing that is sticking with me in terms of this book is definitely the ending. I really felt like the book was building toward something specific, with all of the crafting decisions that were made, and then the ending completely overturned that, and not in a way I very much appreciated. It just didn't really fit with what had come before, and I do think that it was problematic in that
Spoiler
everyone seemed set to make the same decision, with very little variation, even those who insisted that they liked themselves the way that they were.Anyway, all that makes it seem like I didn't like this. I did. I liked the careful attention to Lou's character, as well as his interactions with the people around him. I liked the way that it made me think about the issues presented. I just wish the ending had worked better for me.