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softrosemint 's review for:
Pod
by Laline Paull
TW: Rape / sexual assault, violence, animal cruelty
I genuinely do not know whether this is the right rating for this book because I cannot say I was completely in love with it but I also think it is important and uncommon.
To be honest, I would have not picked this out on my own. My housemate bought it on a blind date with a book deal and essentially went, this book is <i>weird</i> - all the dolphin sex and sperm-filled ocean, you should read it and let me know what you think. The blurb just would have not grabbed me. And frankly, I am still not sure whether I am glad that I have read it.
I liked the overall message of the book. It managed to incorporate the impact of anthrophic activity on the ecosystem of the ocean into the narrative very well; I especially liked where it was more subtle and the reader was drawn to make their own conclusions, just by being told that something was unusual or not normal. I do think this is going to be a thought-provoking read for many, many people.
However, it really tested my limit of how many times I could read about animal sex and sperm and rape. I feel like there was some eroticism in the descriptions and the writing that the novel did not really need in order to relay its message (though mating and reproduction are indeed crucial for the survival of any species).
I also found the writing somewhat inconsistent. It seemed to alternate between documentary-like narration and some more lyrical paragraphs. It almost felt like it would dip from omnescient, neutral POV into a more intimate and personal POV. I understand that some poetic license was employed to - ironically - antropomorphise the animals but sometimes it really felt like it veered too much into fantasy writing.
Still, I think this is the kind of book that you have to try out for yourself.
I genuinely do not know whether this is the right rating for this book because I cannot say I was completely in love with it but I also think it is important and uncommon.
To be honest, I would have not picked this out on my own. My housemate bought it on a blind date with a book deal and essentially went, this book is <i>weird</i> - all the dolphin sex and sperm-filled ocean, you should read it and let me know what you think. The blurb just would have not grabbed me. And frankly, I am still not sure whether I am glad that I have read it.
I liked the overall message of the book. It managed to incorporate the impact of anthrophic activity on the ecosystem of the ocean into the narrative very well; I especially liked where it was more subtle and the reader was drawn to make their own conclusions, just by being told that something was unusual or not normal. I do think this is going to be a thought-provoking read for many, many people.
However, it really tested my limit of how many times I could read about animal sex and sperm and rape. I feel like there was some eroticism in the descriptions and the writing that the novel did not really need in order to relay its message (though mating and reproduction are indeed crucial for the survival of any species).
I also found the writing somewhat inconsistent. It seemed to alternate between documentary-like narration and some more lyrical paragraphs. It almost felt like it would dip from omnescient, neutral POV into a more intimate and personal POV. I understand that some poetic license was employed to - ironically - antropomorphise the animals but sometimes it really felt like it veered too much into fantasy writing.
Still, I think this is the kind of book that you have to try out for yourself.