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A review by twicomb
Walk the Vanished Earth by Erin Swan
2.0
A lot of people seem to have strong opinions about this book. Many laud it as great storytelling about a wide cast of interesting characters. Others frown on it as reinforcing gender essentialism. So I was looking forward to reading it. After all, a book that inspired such a wide range of strong opinions was sure to at least be interesting. And after finally getting all the way to the end, I can honestly report that I found it…boring.
That’s right. It was dull. I couldn’t even care enough about it to get worked up one way or another. I never felt attached to or interested in any of the characters beyond them being part of an ongoing list of characters passing through the book. I didn’t find any of the commentary compelling enough to be excited by it, or irritating enough to be offended by it. It just felt like one long slog. There was no particular story arc of any kind, either, which is often difficult with a book that spans multiple generations. But “it’s difficult to do” doesn’t mean it can’t be done. This book did not succeed.
Honestly, the best word I can think of was “boring” - and I know I used it already, but no other word sums up how I felt for nearly the entire book. Clearly many people love it - or hate it. I did neither, and perhaps that’s why I found it so forgettable.
That’s right. It was dull. I couldn’t even care enough about it to get worked up one way or another. I never felt attached to or interested in any of the characters beyond them being part of an ongoing list of characters passing through the book. I didn’t find any of the commentary compelling enough to be excited by it, or irritating enough to be offended by it. It just felt like one long slog. There was no particular story arc of any kind, either, which is often difficult with a book that spans multiple generations. But “it’s difficult to do” doesn’t mean it can’t be done. This book did not succeed.
Honestly, the best word I can think of was “boring” - and I know I used it already, but no other word sums up how I felt for nearly the entire book. Clearly many people love it - or hate it. I did neither, and perhaps that’s why I found it so forgettable.