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xcdo 's review for:
Absolution
by Jeff VanderMeer
There is no way I was ever going to feel like this book was going to answer all of the questions I've had about the Southern Reach. But I did enjoy the foray back and felt tugged in by Vandermeer's writing.
I felt like the first two sections of the book were like a duology - the before and the after of Dead Town, where Old Jim feels compelling not only because of his experiences with Area X, but also because of his experiences with Jack (I was reminded vividly of Control, especially when they started to mention the breaking down of his personas and catchphrases) and the eerie but touching relationship with Cass, the "false daughter".
I was honestly really jarred by the last part of the book and spent a long time thinking that Vandermeer should have left it out and had Absolution be just the first two parts, even though it's meant to serve as the epilogue of what happens to Dead Town and the Southern Reach. After the lulling ending and acceptance of Old Jim in Part Two, descending into Lowry's fucking fucks and drug-addled brain felt jarring and out of place. But as I kept reading, I saw more and more why he kept it, despite having to forcibly ignore all the "fucks" and see the drugs as a reasonable measure against the forces of Area X. As Lowry sinks further and further into Area X, descending into self-tolerable cannibalism and losing everyone one by one...honestly, haven't we all descended this way into his writing and the Southern Reach? (hopefully with less cannibalism)
Overall an enjoyable read that might propel a reread of the series sometime soonish. Some truly visual moments marked by body horror and absolute absurdity. I'll be thinking about this one for a while.
I felt like the first two sections of the book were like a duology - the before and the after of Dead Town, where Old Jim feels compelling not only because of his experiences with Area X, but also because of his experiences with Jack (I was reminded vividly of Control, especially when they started to mention the breaking down of his personas and catchphrases) and the eerie but touching relationship with Cass, the "false daughter".
I was honestly really jarred by the last part of the book and spent a long time thinking that Vandermeer should have left it out and had Absolution be just the first two parts, even though it's meant to serve as the epilogue of what happens to Dead Town and the Southern Reach. After the lulling ending and acceptance of Old Jim in Part Two, descending into Lowry's fucking fucks and drug-addled brain felt jarring and out of place. But as I kept reading, I saw more and more why he kept it, despite having to forcibly ignore all the "fucks" and see the drugs as a reasonable measure against the forces of Area X. As Lowry sinks further and further into Area X, descending into self-tolerable cannibalism and losing everyone one by one...honestly, haven't we all descended this way into his writing and the Southern Reach? (hopefully with less cannibalism)
Overall an enjoyable read that might propel a reread of the series sometime soonish. Some truly visual moments marked by body horror and absolute absurdity. I'll be thinking about this one for a while.