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A review by gregzimmerman
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
5.0
It can't happen here........but it sure can. And is.
Fascism and authoritarianism happen slowly, in small incremental steps, stripping of civil rights, persecuting of minorities and migrants, and the destroying of all semblance of democratic norms. Then it happens all at once, and it's too late to either stop it or leave.
I picked up this novel because, well, our current situation, frankly, which is terrifyingly similar to what's happening (at least in the beginning) of this novel. And it gets more terrifying as the novel goes on. But wow, what an amazing read!
There's a scene early in the novel in which Eilish -- the mother and protagonist in this book -- runs into an old friend of her husband, Larry, who has been arrested and since disappeared. The old friend, who she remembered as someone kind and jovial, is wearing a pin advertising his allegiance to the new fascist regime. Back in the real world, to me, that's one of the saddest aspects of where we are now: People you thought you knew, who you thought were reasonable and empathetic, still support an absolute monster. It can happen here. It's happening here now.
Fascism and authoritarianism happen slowly, in small incremental steps, stripping of civil rights, persecuting of minorities and migrants, and the destroying of all semblance of democratic norms. Then it happens all at once, and it's too late to either stop it or leave.
I picked up this novel because, well, our current situation, frankly, which is terrifyingly similar to what's happening (at least in the beginning) of this novel. And it gets more terrifying as the novel goes on. But wow, what an amazing read!
There's a scene early in the novel in which Eilish -- the mother and protagonist in this book -- runs into an old friend of her husband, Larry, who has been arrested and since disappeared. The old friend, who she remembered as someone kind and jovial, is wearing a pin advertising his allegiance to the new fascist regime. Back in the real world, to me, that's one of the saddest aspects of where we are now: People you thought you knew, who you thought were reasonable and empathetic, still support an absolute monster. It can happen here. It's happening here now.