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A review by encruzilhadadoslivros
The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
And the 2026 Booker Prize goes to…
The Book of Records is one of the most beautiful, daring, and intellectually rich novels I’ve read in a long time. Genre-defying and emotionally layered, it blends a dystopian future shaped by climate catastrophe with the enduring weight of personal and historical displacement.
A young girl and her father flee an unrecognizable China, plagued by torrential rains and a rising ocean that has swallowed parts of the land. They find refuge in a place called The Sea. In the rush to leave, the father grabs three books — about Hannah Arendt, Spinoza, and Du Fu — which become the unlikely anchors of their new life. At The Sea, neighbors begin to retell and reimagine the lives of these thinkers. As the narratives intertwine, we begin to understand not only the scope of global upheaval, but also the more intimate ruptures: a family fractured by betrayal, a daughter slowly uncovering the truth of why her mother and brother stayed behind.
This is a novel about displacement, memory, identity, and what it means to endure constant upheaval. Each character — past and present — is shaped by exile. And through them, the book asks: who are we when everything around us is changing, and we have no choice but to change with it?
It’s not an easy read — nor should it be. It’s intellectually demanding, emotionally searing, and best approached with care and attention. But if you meet it where it is, it offers profound insight and rare, luminous beauty.
A book of our times, and quite possibly of our futures — where survival requires compassion, connection, and a willingness to carry one another’s stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advance copy. And thank you, Madeleine Thien, for this masterpiece.
The Book of Records is one of the most beautiful, daring, and intellectually rich novels I’ve read in a long time. Genre-defying and emotionally layered, it blends a dystopian future shaped by climate catastrophe with the enduring weight of personal and historical displacement.
A young girl and her father flee an unrecognizable China, plagued by torrential rains and a rising ocean that has swallowed parts of the land. They find refuge in a place called The Sea. In the rush to leave, the father grabs three books — about Hannah Arendt, Spinoza, and Du Fu — which become the unlikely anchors of their new life. At The Sea, neighbors begin to retell and reimagine the lives of these thinkers. As the narratives intertwine, we begin to understand not only the scope of global upheaval, but also the more intimate ruptures: a family fractured by betrayal, a daughter slowly uncovering the truth of why her mother and brother stayed behind.
This is a novel about displacement, memory, identity, and what it means to endure constant upheaval. Each character — past and present — is shaped by exile. And through them, the book asks: who are we when everything around us is changing, and we have no choice but to change with it?
It’s not an easy read — nor should it be. It’s intellectually demanding, emotionally searing, and best approached with care and attention. But if you meet it where it is, it offers profound insight and rare, luminous beauty.
A book of our times, and quite possibly of our futures — where survival requires compassion, connection, and a willingness to carry one another’s stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advance copy. And thank you, Madeleine Thien, for this masterpiece.