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A review by thebobsphere
Being Dead by Jim Crace
4.0
One major theme which is present in Jim Crace’s novels is the power nature has over society. No matter what the situation is, the natural world will win. Being Dead is no exception.
Zoologists Joseph and Celice return to a sandy beach after a long absence, the reason is twofold. This is the place where the couple first had sex when they were students and secondly Celice has some demons which she has to confront. Unfortunately when they are in the act, a thief bashes their heads with a piece of granite.
The book then is about how events lead to Joseph and Celice’s coupling, their bodies decomposing after the murder and the aftermath. None of it is told in chronological order.
As the title states this is a book about death. There are passages about how the body rots, the different types of death and that sex leads to death. As an aside the sex = death mantra occurs twice in the book. Once is obvious as it is part of the book’s plot but the other one leaves Celice scarred.
Yet this is a book full of life. The book is about how nature takes over once death happens, thus there are sections about insects burrowing in the body and how the grass being affected by the corpses. Although the couple are found, it is stressed that the sand and water would have enveloped the bodies and made them part of the land. Ultimately life conquers death in it’s unique way.
The people vs nature theme crops up in other sections. Joseph is studying an insect which has disappeared from the beach due to overbuilding. There are glimpses of how we are destroying nature. Considering the book was written in the late 90’s it’s prescient.
Jim Crace is one of those authors who can do no wrong and he does have a lot of classics Quarantine, Harvest, Arcadia and definitely Being Dead is up there as well.
Zoologists Joseph and Celice return to a sandy beach after a long absence, the reason is twofold. This is the place where the couple first had sex when they were students and secondly Celice has some demons which she has to confront. Unfortunately when they are in the act, a thief bashes their heads with a piece of granite.
The book then is about how events lead to Joseph and Celice’s coupling, their bodies decomposing after the murder and the aftermath. None of it is told in chronological order.
As the title states this is a book about death. There are passages about how the body rots, the different types of death and that sex leads to death. As an aside the sex = death mantra occurs twice in the book. Once is obvious as it is part of the book’s plot but the other one leaves Celice scarred.
Yet this is a book full of life. The book is about how nature takes over once death happens, thus there are sections about insects burrowing in the body and how the grass being affected by the corpses. Although the couple are found, it is stressed that the sand and water would have enveloped the bodies and made them part of the land. Ultimately life conquers death in it’s unique way.
The people vs nature theme crops up in other sections. Joseph is studying an insect which has disappeared from the beach due to overbuilding. There are glimpses of how we are destroying nature. Considering the book was written in the late 90’s it’s prescient.
Jim Crace is one of those authors who can do no wrong and he does have a lot of classics Quarantine, Harvest, Arcadia and definitely Being Dead is up there as well.