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A review by villyidol
Things from the Flood by Simon Stålenhag
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Because Stalenhag’s newest beauty, and my supposed Christmas present to myself, arrived here damaged (twice!) - thank you, German bookstores - I turned to the one remaining work of his that had still been sitting on my shelves unread.
Things from the Flood continues the story of [b: Tales from the Loop|27404461|Tales from the Loop|Simon Stålenhag|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1447796125l/27404461._SX50_.jpg|43658818], kind of. The narrative has moved from the 80s to the 90s and we are back in a rural Swedish town that happens to be home to the world’s largest particle accelerator. The Loop has been decommissioned but holds one last(?) surprise for the townsfolk when the countryside is suddenly flooded by dark water from the huge underground facility.
The first-person narrator, a middle school kid, has to leave his home and bounces around town a bit while he is experiencing some weird encounters that seem to be related to the derelict industrial complex.
Like Tales from the Loop the story is told in fragmented memories and snapshots which lets the reader fill in some gaps using their imagination, stimulated by Stalenhag’s artwork. It’s been a while since I read its predecessor, so I might be wrong about this, but it felt to me like the snippets were less loosely connected here, albeit still not as close to a traditional storytelling as we later got in [b: The Electric State|36836025|The Electric State|Simon Stålenhag|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512342315l/36836025._SX50_.jpg|58608377].
The artwork is once again breathtaking. Stalenhag really is a master craftsman, and his unique style is something that speaks to me on many levels. His writing is good too and all his books have this moody tone that I very much enjoy, if life provides me with the necessary quiet and alone-time that I need to fully get lost in his worlds.
Why only 4 stars this time? Well, first of all, it’s more like a 4.5. Both the quality of the writing and the artwork are on the same level as in his other works. It’s just that I was hoping he would take the story in another direction.
I love the setting of an industrial accident juxtaposed against the beautiful rural landscape, and all of it infused with some elements of science-fiction. But this book was tilting slightly too much towards horror for me. I was simply wishing for something else. But that’s only personal preference. And, frankly, it might be down to mood more than anything, as I quite like horror. But I very much enjoyed the eerie little details in his other works, that leave a lot more to the imagination, and I was hoping for something just as subtle, I guess. Nevertheless, the quality is still exceptionally high and would deserve 5 stars. But such are the limitations of the rating system that this time I’m rounding down to 4.
Things from the Flood continues the story of [b: Tales from the Loop|27404461|Tales from the Loop|Simon Stålenhag|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1447796125l/27404461._SX50_.jpg|43658818], kind of. The narrative has moved from the 80s to the 90s and we are back in a rural Swedish town that happens to be home to the world’s largest particle accelerator. The Loop has been decommissioned but holds one last(?) surprise for the townsfolk when the countryside is suddenly flooded by dark water from the huge underground facility.
The first-person narrator, a middle school kid, has to leave his home and bounces around town a bit while he is experiencing some weird encounters that seem to be related to the derelict industrial complex.
Like Tales from the Loop the story is told in fragmented memories and snapshots which lets the reader fill in some gaps using their imagination, stimulated by Stalenhag’s artwork. It’s been a while since I read its predecessor, so I might be wrong about this, but it felt to me like the snippets were less loosely connected here, albeit still not as close to a traditional storytelling as we later got in [b: The Electric State|36836025|The Electric State|Simon Stålenhag|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1512342315l/36836025._SX50_.jpg|58608377].
The artwork is once again breathtaking. Stalenhag really is a master craftsman, and his unique style is something that speaks to me on many levels. His writing is good too and all his books have this moody tone that I very much enjoy, if life provides me with the necessary quiet and alone-time that I need to fully get lost in his worlds.
Why only 4 stars this time? Well, first of all, it’s more like a 4.5. Both the quality of the writing and the artwork are on the same level as in his other works. It’s just that I was hoping he would take the story in another direction.
I love the setting of an industrial accident juxtaposed against the beautiful rural landscape, and all of it infused with some elements of science-fiction. But this book was tilting slightly too much towards horror for me. I was simply wishing for something else. But that’s only personal preference. And, frankly, it might be down to mood more than anything, as I quite like horror. But I very much enjoyed the eerie little details in his other works, that leave a lot more to the imagination, and I was hoping for something just as subtle, I guess. Nevertheless, the quality is still exceptionally high and would deserve 5 stars. But such are the limitations of the rating system that this time I’m rounding down to 4.