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A review by corita
Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky
4.0
Social Satire!
The beginning of “Ogres” by Adrian Tchaikovsky seems like a fantasy. Ogres are the masters in this society, which at first seems feudal with humans as the underlings, servants, and slaves living in the country on farms or hiding in the woods.
When the masters, an ogre and his son, arrive at the village leader's farm in a modern vehicle, the idea of a fantasy setting shifts.
Events change Tocqueville’s circumstances. He finds himself in a modern city, where humans work as servants, factory workers, etc., while the wealthy, ruling class Ogres live in luxury.
From this point forward, the story feels like a post-apocalyptic science fiction novella with a clear dystopian slant. The helicopter on the cover is a clue to genre that I overlooked.
As the story progresses, the reader learns more and more about the present and past of this society. I’m not going into detail because “spoilers.”
What I liked:
I was excited about this story because I’ve wanted to read an Adrian Tchaikovsky book.
Here's a look into the heart of the story:
“But when you’re property, it doesn’t matter if your owner treats you well or badly. The ownership is all. We don’t split hairs about who is a better slave master. And you would have been the best owner of all, and that still isn’t enough reason to keep you alive once you’ve decided that owning people is fine, just so long as it’s you that owns them.”
This is a story about the enslavement of the lower class and the oppression, brutality, bigotry, and racism that accompanies slavery.
The book takes many twists and turns, and has a bit of a surprise ending; however, if a reader pays attention, the ending isn’t quite so surprising. Rather it's another twist and makes sense.
The protagonist’s name is Tocqueville, which clearly references the comte de Tocqueville, the French aristocrat who wrote “Democracy in America” after touring the USA in the 1830s and 40s. The name also hints at what’s coming in the novella and throws a little humor into a story that is often bleak.
What I Wasn’t Crazy About:
I don’t like second person point of view, and the only reason I finished the book is because I’ve been wanting to read this author for a long time. So I pushed onward. To give Tchaikovsky another chance, I bought one of his other books, which is written in third person.
My biggest issue with the second person is I cannot get lost in the story, and I’m always aware of the storytelling and the storyteller.
Although a lot happened, the pacing felt slow and sometime tedious. To be fair, I believe those two critiques come from my strong dislike of the point of view.
Recommendation:
If you don’t mind the second person point of view (“you” rather than “he” or “she” or “I”) give this book a try. The story is worth reading and perfect for the moment with authoritarianism on the rise.
If you don’t care for second person narratives, go into the story knowing what to expect. "Ogres" is worthwhile and thought provoking.
I’d like to thank NetGalley for an ARC copy of “Ogres”!
The beginning of “Ogres” by Adrian Tchaikovsky seems like a fantasy. Ogres are the masters in this society, which at first seems feudal with humans as the underlings, servants, and slaves living in the country on farms or hiding in the woods.
When the masters, an ogre and his son, arrive at the village leader's farm in a modern vehicle, the idea of a fantasy setting shifts.
Events change Tocqueville’s circumstances. He finds himself in a modern city, where humans work as servants, factory workers, etc., while the wealthy, ruling class Ogres live in luxury.
From this point forward, the story feels like a post-apocalyptic science fiction novella with a clear dystopian slant. The helicopter on the cover is a clue to genre that I overlooked.
As the story progresses, the reader learns more and more about the present and past of this society. I’m not going into detail because “spoilers.”
What I liked:
I was excited about this story because I’ve wanted to read an Adrian Tchaikovsky book.
Here's a look into the heart of the story:
“But when you’re property, it doesn’t matter if your owner treats you well or badly. The ownership is all. We don’t split hairs about who is a better slave master. And you would have been the best owner of all, and that still isn’t enough reason to keep you alive once you’ve decided that owning people is fine, just so long as it’s you that owns them.”
This is a story about the enslavement of the lower class and the oppression, brutality, bigotry, and racism that accompanies slavery.
The book takes many twists and turns, and has a bit of a surprise ending; however, if a reader pays attention, the ending isn’t quite so surprising. Rather it's another twist and makes sense.
The protagonist’s name is Tocqueville, which clearly references the comte de Tocqueville, the French aristocrat who wrote “Democracy in America” after touring the USA in the 1830s and 40s. The name also hints at what’s coming in the novella and throws a little humor into a story that is often bleak.
What I Wasn’t Crazy About:
I don’t like second person point of view, and the only reason I finished the book is because I’ve been wanting to read this author for a long time. So I pushed onward. To give Tchaikovsky another chance, I bought one of his other books, which is written in third person.
My biggest issue with the second person is I cannot get lost in the story, and I’m always aware of the storytelling and the storyteller.
Although a lot happened, the pacing felt slow and sometime tedious. To be fair, I believe those two critiques come from my strong dislike of the point of view.
Recommendation:
If you don’t mind the second person point of view (“you” rather than “he” or “she” or “I”) give this book a try. The story is worth reading and perfect for the moment with authoritarianism on the rise.
If you don’t care for second person narratives, go into the story knowing what to expect. "Ogres" is worthwhile and thought provoking.
I’d like to thank NetGalley for an ARC copy of “Ogres”!