Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by angethology
Absolution: A Southern Reach Novel by Jeff VanderMeer
3.75
Absolution is an amalgamation of the elements in the existing Southern Reach trilogy, and as Vandermeer himself said in an interview, the series is a "trilogy with a doppelganger," which I think encapsulates it best.
Comprised of three parts, we're introduced to one of Central's (governmental institution that's established the Southern Reach agency) employees "Old Jim," who goes through a series of letters/diary entries, and other documents about the biologists' expedition to Area X. The first part, "Dead Town," is probably my favorite one as it's the closest to the first book in the Southern Reach series, and it covers the freakish nature of the region, transforming people in ways one couldn't even imagine: "We felt as if we were the experiment. That whoever had let loose the white rabbit was also responsible for ... this ... ghost." The feverish state of Area X and its cosmic shifts causing time warps, at worst drive people insane and deprive them of their humanity, at best kill them, hopefully quickly. The idea of "nature rebelling" and going against Central's constraints and limited scientific research is what drew me the most to "Annihilation," and this first section once again reminds the readers of the unrestrained, vast mystery that is Area X. The experiments conducted, for example, the release of Tyrant (one of the alligators), who has increasingly erratic behavior in relation to the strange rabbits' presence.
"The False Daughter," the second part is where Old Jim springs into action, he has no choice but to enter the "Forgotten Coast" (later Area X), where he meets his daughter Cass, except she's a mere doppelganger, presumably set up by Central to "test" Jim in some ways. Like the previous books, one thing Area X is good at is discombobulating your mind in such a way that makes you doubt your own truth and reality, the bright dreamy colors alarming bells instead of enticing you: "There was a falseness to the richness" — and this is further exemplified when you have a lot of (unresolved) trauma to unpack, particularly in Old Jim's case. This part almost serves as a way to process Old Jim's grief, though I can't say that I was enjoying it as much as the first section. I have similar reservations to this one as I do with "Authority" (the second installment of the series), in that it has a more mystery-detective element that feels like you're slogging through mud at times.
"The First and the Last" is the final part of the book, which is a clusterfuck, of well, a lot of fucks. Literally. From the point of view of Lowry, another Central operative, we follow Central's first expedition as he spouts expletives in almost every sentence. It's understandably tedious to read, but I start appreciating this section more as Area X consumes his being, inside and out, and we see linguistically, physically, and mentally transformed. Lowry's perspective feels less and less contrived as he becomes more unhinged: ironically, cursing incessantly is the most sane thing he can do. Similar to the third installment of the series, "Acceptance," this section concludes, yet also begins the never-ending expansion of Area X, and we get a sense of deja vu: ... the future colonizing the past, as if every moment had a permeability that could neither be denied nor controlled, like an outstretched hand with the water draining off the sides into the river."
I expected more concrete lore about Area X, maybe not wrapped in a box with a pretty bow, but it did scratch some of the itch the same way "Annihilation" did. This is probably my second favorite of the series (and I don't think "Annihilation" can ever be topped). But as a caveat, I've seen a lot of people say that this can serve as a standalone book, and I have to disagree. The previous books provide so much context and interweaving of timelines that can't be fully appreciated if you only read "Absolution." There are still so many questions to be answered even having read the entire series. But Jeff VanderMeer did an amazing job overall and this series remains a top must-read for people who love Weird Fiction.
Comprised of three parts, we're introduced to one of Central's (governmental institution that's established the Southern Reach agency) employees "Old Jim," who goes through a series of letters/diary entries, and other documents about the biologists' expedition to Area X. The first part, "Dead Town," is probably my favorite one as it's the closest to the first book in the Southern Reach series, and it covers the freakish nature of the region, transforming people in ways one couldn't even imagine: "We felt as if we were the experiment. That whoever had let loose the white rabbit was also responsible for ... this ... ghost." The feverish state of Area X and its cosmic shifts causing time warps, at worst drive people insane and deprive them of their humanity, at best kill them, hopefully quickly. The idea of "nature rebelling" and going against Central's constraints and limited scientific research is what drew me the most to "Annihilation," and this first section once again reminds the readers of the unrestrained, vast mystery that is Area X. The experiments conducted, for example, the release of Tyrant (one of the alligators), who has increasingly erratic behavior in relation to the strange rabbits' presence.
"The False Daughter," the second part is where Old Jim springs into action, he has no choice but to enter the "Forgotten Coast" (later Area X), where he meets his daughter Cass, except she's a mere doppelganger, presumably set up by Central to "test" Jim in some ways. Like the previous books, one thing Area X is good at is discombobulating your mind in such a way that makes you doubt your own truth and reality, the bright dreamy colors alarming bells instead of enticing you: "There was a falseness to the richness" — and this is further exemplified when you have a lot of (unresolved) trauma to unpack, particularly in Old Jim's case. This part almost serves as a way to process Old Jim's grief, though I can't say that I was enjoying it as much as the first section. I have similar reservations to this one as I do with "Authority" (the second installment of the series), in that it has a more mystery-detective element that feels like you're slogging through mud at times.
"The First and the Last" is the final part of the book, which is a clusterfuck, of well, a lot of fucks. Literally. From the point of view of Lowry, another Central operative, we follow Central's first expedition as he spouts expletives in almost every sentence. It's understandably tedious to read, but I start appreciating this section more as Area X consumes his being, inside and out, and we see linguistically, physically, and mentally transformed. Lowry's perspective feels less and less contrived as he becomes more unhinged: ironically, cursing incessantly is the most sane thing he can do. Similar to the third installment of the series, "Acceptance," this section concludes, yet also begins the never-ending expansion of Area X, and we get a sense of deja vu: ... the future colonizing the past, as if every moment had a permeability that could neither be denied nor controlled, like an outstretched hand with the water draining off the sides into the river."
I expected more concrete lore about Area X, maybe not wrapped in a box with a pretty bow, but it did scratch some of the itch the same way "Annihilation" did. This is probably my second favorite of the series (and I don't think "Annihilation" can ever be topped). But as a caveat, I've seen a lot of people say that this can serve as a standalone book, and I have to disagree. The previous books provide so much context and interweaving of timelines that can't be fully appreciated if you only read "Absolution." There are still so many questions to be answered even having read the entire series. But Jeff VanderMeer did an amazing job overall and this series remains a top must-read for people who love Weird Fiction.