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A review by davidbythebay
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Let me begin with a few things. First, I do believe that the overall themes of race and gender were and are important topics to explore. Second, the audiobook was well done.
Now, why only 2 stars. The narration was disjointed and abrupt, switching between perspectives and a general omniscience - all while being a 3rd personal narration - that just left a feeling of being jerked around a bit. The theme of race and gender (I do see some gendered items in there though it is clear the race is the majority of the message) is just a bit too heavy handed and lacks subtlety and nuance. It was very much, mostly the white wife, going: “racist comment, oh was that racist? I didn’t mean to be racist.”
The story itself had good bones but should have been severely edited down and made into a short story. I don’t care that the daughter was watching a particular episode of a particular show. It added nothing to the story. Nor did the lists! Lists of what the white lady bought when they arrived at their vacation rental/Airbnb-type set up. You bought cheese! Fantastic. So happy for you. Overall, it was overwritten with copious descriptions and a clear love of a thesaurus as well as some obscure knowledge of words and references that have no bearing on the story but also are sudden blips like a skipping record. A bit repetitive and dangerously SLOW at times, I’m glad I could listen to the audiobook at 1.5 speed to move it along and still get the story.
One other pet peeve of the narration and writing is the interjection of what is happening elsewhere or will happen elsewhere or in the future at odd moments. “She didn’t know that Gary was going to kill April. She didn’t know that right then Jack was lying on his back in the middle of the sidewalk having slipped on a banana peal after leaving the cream pie store and, covered in pie, is slowly being eaten by the corpse stripping ants from elsewhere that are suddenly migrating here. She didn’t know...” and I don’t care anymore. (This was all made up by me to illustrate the point.)
And finally, I’m not a prude but I don’t need to hear how a hard penis looks like it’s in a yoga pose greeting the sun. And I don’t need to hear about kid (16 year old male) masturbation.
This was largely “The Happening” meets “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” with a dash of clawingly whining characters and two children who are so spoiled and obnoxious I could have left them in the woods. (I’d never really do that.) But it lacks the punc of “Who’s Afraid” and the rationale behind the story’s events which, even though it was stunningly bad, at least “The Happening” had. I read this to find out the hype. I’m glad it was short and I only borrowed it from the library. 2 stars for subject matter with a lot of deductions for execution.
Now, why only 2 stars. The narration was disjointed and abrupt, switching between perspectives and a general omniscience - all while being a 3rd personal narration - that just left a feeling of being jerked around a bit. The theme of race and gender (I do see some gendered items in there though it is clear the race is the majority of the message) is just a bit too heavy handed and lacks subtlety and nuance. It was very much, mostly the white wife, going: “racist comment, oh was that racist? I didn’t mean to be racist.”
The story itself had good bones but should have been severely edited down and made into a short story. I don’t care that the daughter was watching a particular episode of a particular show. It added nothing to the story. Nor did the lists! Lists of what the white lady bought when they arrived at their vacation rental/Airbnb-type set up. You bought cheese! Fantastic. So happy for you. Overall, it was overwritten with copious descriptions and a clear love of a thesaurus as well as some obscure knowledge of words and references that have no bearing on the story but also are sudden blips like a skipping record. A bit repetitive and dangerously SLOW at times, I’m glad I could listen to the audiobook at 1.5 speed to move it along and still get the story.
One other pet peeve of the narration and writing is the interjection of what is happening elsewhere or will happen elsewhere or in the future at odd moments. “She didn’t know that Gary was going to kill April. She didn’t know that right then Jack was lying on his back in the middle of the sidewalk having slipped on a banana peal after leaving the cream pie store and, covered in pie, is slowly being eaten by the corpse stripping ants from elsewhere that are suddenly migrating here. She didn’t know...” and I don’t care anymore. (This was all made up by me to illustrate the point.)
And finally, I’m not a prude but I don’t need to hear how a hard penis looks like it’s in a yoga pose greeting the sun. And I don’t need to hear about kid (16 year old male) masturbation.
This was largely “The Happening” meets “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” with a dash of clawingly whining characters and two children who are so spoiled and obnoxious I could have left them in the woods. (I’d never really do that.) But it lacks the punc of “Who’s Afraid” and the rationale behind the story’s events which, even though it was stunningly bad, at least “The Happening” had. I read this to find out the hype. I’m glad it was short and I only borrowed it from the library. 2 stars for subject matter with a lot of deductions for execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, and Racism
Minor: Death and Terminal illness