I picked this book up, largely because I was teaching 1984 for the first time to high school students and so was on a dystopia kick. And this one inteI picked this book up, largely because I was teaching 1984 for the first time to high school students and so was on a dystopia kick. And this one interested me because it is quite an early political dystopia and because it has been touted as being eerily reflective of the political landscape today.
Written in 1935, amid the totalitarian revolutions in Europe which saw the rise of Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany as well as the continued threat of the Soviet Union, Sinclair Lewis takes us through how quickly a democracy could be overthrown amid the economic dislocation and political instabilities so endemic in the Great Depression. Starting with Roosevelt being displaced as Democratic candidate for second term by a populist rabble rouser with the preposterous name of Berzelius Windrip, Lewis charts the failure of the various fail-safes in American democracy which allows for the setting up of a fascist dictatorship. It follows the adventures of Doremus Jessup, a small time journalist as he navigates the crisis, eventually emerging as a resistance leader to the fascist government. It presents a frighteningly effective blueprint of what happens to people, families and communities in the midst of such a political takeover.
The premise of the book is really interesting and, of course, prescient for today's politics in the US. There are, of course, glaring flaws with this book. It is difficult to warmup to Jessup, who is difficult to take seriously as a hero because, frankly, while having good principles, is rather too comfortable in his life, until it is gradually taken away. He is tougher than one might expect at the beginning of the book, but, honestly, that is such a low bar that he rarely ascends past mildly perturbed. The writing also has a certain 1930s folksy journalist tone which really rings false almost a century later. And the plot really does limp along.
In addition, our knowledge of how the Fascist and Nazi story ended in real life also creates a certain amount of dissonance with this book. Lewis' understanding of both systems was good for his time and he was influenced by his journalist wife's work in this area, but knowing that these two systems also dragged much of the world into the spectacularly destructive Second World War changes modern perspectives about how to view those systems. Lewis is hardly pro-totalitarian, but one misses the horror that the Second World War instilled in much of the world .
Still, with those caveats, this book is still worth reading, partly for those interested in how the worked in the 1930s and for this book's genuine political savvy....more
I've been meaning to read Handmaid's Tale for quite some time, but hadn't got around to it until this summer. I've always been a bit intimidated by itI've been meaning to read Handmaid's Tale for quite some time, but hadn't got around to it until this summer. I've always been a bit intimidated by it, to be honest, especially because of its premise of a 'Christian' fundamentalist state. As a Christian, I'm on more of the progressive wing, so, while I recognize the danger of fundamentalism, I do get tired of Christianity being equated with fundamentalism. So, I've tended to hesitate on this book and I think that was a mistake because the book is much more nuanced than that.
So, the premise, of course, is that, amid a vaguely identified environmental disaster or disasters, the US as we know it falls into a period of civil strife and a harshly theocratic, Republic of Gilead, emerges as the government. Among the developments with this regime is the complete reversal of feminist gains of the 60s and 70s as women are driven out of the workplace and the economy. Amid this, the majority of women become infertile, necessitating the virtual enslavement of the fertile women as Handmaids. Atwood's book charts the story of one of these 'handmaids' in the style of a oral tale, recorded presumably after her escape (as the afterword, set considerably in the future, tells).
The world of the Handmaids is, of course, one of surface strictness and deep, deep hypocrisy. The self-conscious piety of all members of society is a survival mechanism in a totalitarian state, of course, but the experiences of Offred highlight how even its leaders can't live with the roles they live. It makes sense, of course, in a dystopian world like this, but it is deftly captured by Attwood.
What strikes me as most interesting, given the reputation of this book as a critique of Christianity, is that the Christianity it portrays isn't the one I recognize. It has shades of the Aryan churches of Germany, but it focuses more on a more explicitly Old Testament political and social ideology. Grace, for instance, isn't really a strong voice in this religion. In fact, the mainline denominations are pretty relentlessly persecuted in this book and, indeed, some Christians, especially Quakers, are actively subverting it. The religion that Attwood presents is that of an extreme fringe of evangelicalism and just about anyone will recognize it as fundamentally dangerous.
This is really interesting to me because Handmaid's Tale has a reputation of being anti-Christian. In fact, over ten years ago, at my school, we had a parent object to the book being assigned as a text because of those overtones (I had been tempted to suggest Canticle for Leibowitz as a substitute, knowing the overtly Catholic tone of that book would be just as jarring!). Yet, I don't think Atwood is warning about Christianity in general, but just a form of Christianity which is legitimately dangerous.
So, this book is well worth reading. It does go slow and a bit diffusely, but it is well worth immersing oneself in this alternative world....more
I rather unexpectedly got this book from my public library, since it was on hold for, well, forever- the Hunger Games series being so popular. This isI rather unexpectedly got this book from my public library, since it was on hold for, well, forever- the Hunger Games series being so popular. This is, of course, the concluding book of the series and continues the momentum of the previous two books, sometimes painfully. Katniss' and the other tributes' PTSD is now acute in this book and you can see how all this is affecting them, all while they are working to overthrow the oppressive government which runs the Hunger Game. There is moral complexity though because the substitute government forming isn't that much better, as Katniss realizes quite early on. This makes for a richer story, of course, which is full of moral decisions and dilemmas.
That complexity is part of what makes this one of the best science fiction dystopias of our generation. Well worth reading!...more
This is the second of the Hunger Games series, the first of which I read earlier in the summer finally. I'm not sure I have much to add to my previousThis is the second of the Hunger Games series, the first of which I read earlier in the summer finally. I'm not sure I have much to add to my previous review because this second book in the series continues the story seamlessly from the original Hunger Games. The writing remains brilliant and the characters vivid. New, of course, is you can just see the PTSD in the main characters, which is leaking out in all sorts of messy ways. Understandable, of course. And it gives layers to the main characters which make sense....more
I really enjoyed this book, but for some specific reasons that may not operate for everyone.
First, I really do enjoy historical fiction as thought exI really enjoyed this book, but for some specific reasons that may not operate for everyone.
First, I really do enjoy historical fiction as thought experiments and this one is a fascinating one. It is based around the hypothesis of a wave of the Black Death which wipes out 99.99% of the population of Europe, leaving all of mediaeval Europe a wasteland. The rest of the book explore how the world would develop entirely without the European influence. The answer, of course, is that Islam and China become the dominant powers in the world, while a revived Indian and a powerful Haudenosaunee confederation gain ground later. And the hook is that we follow several reincarnations of a group of souls which stick together, ending each session in a Buddhist afterlife, the bardo. That allows us to have characters who develop over the length of the novel. It is a fascinating, if complex and, occasionally, perplexing premise. And it is done, not creating a utopia, nor entirely a dystopia, one that does have a sense of moral and personal progress.
Second, I really enjoyed the shifts in style as Robinson shifted from one time to the next. I'm sure I didn't pick up the nuances, but the feel of the sections are different and, where I could judge it, parallel to the times. That shows greater versatility and was an interesting element.
Third, history geek as I am, I'm fascinated by the reflections on history that show up in the discussion. The concept tends to be cyclical, but with a sense of teleology or an kind of moral progress. It is heavily influenced by Buddhism, which isn't a faith that I follow, but it is fascinating to me for that reason. The stress on progress, especially the value of technological progress in ensuring moral progress is sometimes a bit optimistic, but more often more nuanced than that. This element alone makes me want to read it more.
All this being said, the reviews of this when I started was giving the book an average of 3.75. And, without looking at the other reviews, I get why. This is a complex book thematically and stylistically. It is also a rather foreign sounding book to Western ears. That is probably a reason why I'm so enthusiastic about it, but, still, I can see why that is off putting. still, I really recommend trying this book for your yourself. I don't think you'll regret it....more
I've been meaning to read this book for a while because the premise interested me- an alternative world where Japan and Germany won World War II with I've been meaning to read this book for a while because the premise interested me- an alternative world where Japan and Germany won World War II with a sub-plot of an alternative history where the Allies won World War II. It's a fascinating idea and I wanted to follow it up.
What I read was a good book, but a profoundly disturbing one. Dick definitely gets into the heads of the characters and, frankly, for many of them, their heads aren't especially pleasant places to be. The racism, sexism and outright hatefulness of some of the character is hard to take, but interesting. And, woven in, is the randomness of I Ching, which seems to determine much of the action. It is a sometimes confusing book, but fascinating in its own way. ...more
This is the second half of the Time of Troubles saga part of the Videssos cycle by Harry Turtledove. I reviewed the previous last month, so here is thThis is the second half of the Time of Troubles saga part of the Videssos cycle by Harry Turtledove. I reviewed the previous last month, so here is the second review. The book, like, volume one, is two novels- one focused on the hero from Makuran (kind of Sassanid Persia) and the other with the hero from Videssos (kind of the Byzantine Empire). The storyline continues with court intrigue, wars and some continuing romance.
As with the rest of Turtledove, the heroes resemble each other. The fact that they are admirable, if ambitious men, making their way in a less than admirable world, is something a Turtledove trope, but one gets drawn into their worlds. This is a world where honesty and principle ultimately win out over corruption and treachery, but, usually, at great cost. The working out of this is fascinating.
This series is well worth reading because Turtledove's writing is so entertaining. ...more
This is the start of a re-read of a Harry Turtledove Videssos series from the 90s. It bundles The Stolen Throne and Hammer and Anvil together in a stoThis is the start of a re-read of a Harry Turtledove Videssos series from the 90s. It bundles The Stolen Throne and Hammer and Anvil together in a story set in the Empires of Videssos and Makuran, which are basically the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires with working magic. The names are changed, of course, but we're talking about the crisis in Byzantium and Persia just prior to the Islamic invasions, when Byzantium was ruled by Heraclius I and Persia by Chosroes II.
The points of view are interesting when compared to the other Videssos series. The first half (The Stolen Throne) is based in Makuran instead of Videssos, and follows the adventures of a minor noble, Abivard, who, unexpectedly, gets involved in royal politics and emerges as the brother-in-law to the king. The second half (Hammer and Anvil) focuses on the minor general, Maniakes (a character in the first novel), who returns from exile from the back end of beyond to overthrow the tyrannical emperor of Videssos and then to try to restore the mess that that tyrant created.
The result is very, well, Harry Turtledove. The heroes are standard Turtledove fare- honest to a fault, thoughtful, politically savvy, clever. Yet, it is put together in aa convincing way as we see the two heroes navigating their (forgive the allusion) byzantine court politics. I enjoyed back in the 90s and I am enjoying it again. And, of course, I got the second book.......more
I've been meaning to read this book for a while, so, since I was going on vacation, I decided to hunt it up in my library e-book app. Conroy's book waI've been meaning to read this book for a while, so, since I was going on vacation, I decided to hunt it up in my library e-book app. Conroy's book was a fun read, even if the scenario doesn't make a lot of sense politically.
The premise is that, in the dying days of the Second World War in Europe, while the Russians were fighting their way to Berlin, the Americans decide to cross the Elbe and strike quickly towards Berlin. The reason for this move is that the new American president, Trueman, distrusted the Russians and wanted an American prescence in Berlin to ensure that the agreements between the Russians and the Western Allies were respected. Stalin takes umbrage to the American move and quickly cuts the American force off in Potsdam. And full war begins, after Hitler is dead, but before the Germans can quite surrender. The result is, well, a bloody mess as yesterday's allies becomes today's enemy. The ending is rather predictable, given a certain technology already developed by the Americans.
Conroy's writing is easy to read (although he sometimes messes up his dates) and he does have a Turtledove-esque feel, especially with his multi character narrative. He is engaging and includes the requisite love interest as well as compelling characterizations of historical and everyday characters. Well worth reading, if you don't mind the improbability of the premise. ...more
I have to preface this review with the statement that I simply don't get zombies or their appeal. They're gross and the idea of a zombie apocolypse isI have to preface this review with the statement that I simply don't get zombies or their appeal. They're gross and the idea of a zombie apocolypse is horrifying- that being the point, of course, but I also don't get the whole horror genre, so you see my problem. It also raises the question of why I read this book in the first place.
The reason why I read it was that I was attracted to its subtitle- An Oral History of the Zombie War- which promised an alternate history style of telling the story. And that is what you get with this book. Max Brooks creates a plausabe history, in many voices, of an outbreak of a virus which creates zombies throughout the world. He calmly and effectively extrapolates this outbreak in a believable scenario which makes insightful social commentary from everything from the medical/pharmaceutical, media, military culture, celebrities, the political system and the human impulse to survive. Its value is this examination.
The result is a horrifying narrative of the near collapse of human civilization, told in a series of first-person reports of the creeping horror.The writing is so vivid that I found it overwhelming at times (especially when you realize how many people are dying). What makes if bearable is that we know from the start that humanity survives the crisis, seriously depleted, but still resilient and rebuilding. The fact that it starts from a hopeful stance makes the horrors easier to take.
Despite my dislike of the horror genre, I'm still glad I read this. This is a vivid book which has a well-written alternative-history scenario. But, if you read it, be sure you have a strong stomach. ...more
I've been thinking about reading the Hot War series for a while because its premise interested me. It takes, as its point of departure, the decision tI've been thinking about reading the Hot War series for a while because its premise interested me. It takes, as its point of departure, the decision to avoid using atomic weapons during the crisis initiated by the Chinese entry into the Korean War in 1950. In Turtledove's version, President Truman accepts General MacArthur's recommendation to use the A-bomb on various Chinese transportation hubs to slow the Chinese advance. The result is mayhem, of course, but very much in the Turtledove style.
As is his style, Turtledove tells this story through the lives of a host of characters from both sides, both leaders and followers. He has chosen a time when an atomic war would create appalling casualties, but before many of the technological innovations which gave these weapons a world-wide reach and the potential to exterminate all of humanity. His writing combines the everyday caught up by the earth-shaking realities of such a war. That is, in many ways, its strength.
The downside is that there is an inevitability in this book which makes it sometimes predictable. It is punctuated by various rounds of nuclear exchanges amid the general horror of the new weapon and helplessness about how to get out of this mess. There are, of course, two more books in this series, so looking for a resolution in the horror is still a while away. It is good start and I look forward to the rest of the series. ...more
This is a re-read of an old favourite- I mean old. I read this when I was in Grade 7 or 8 and then, once, or twice a year for a decade after it. But, This is a re-read of an old favourite- I mean old. I read this when I was in Grade 7 or 8 and then, once, or twice a year for a decade after it. But, then, not for the last twenty years. And, yes, I'm dating myself.
This is an interesting alternative World War II novel, written very much in the style of a grand strategy military history. The basic premise is that, in summer of 1941, Adolf Hitler is seriously injured in a plane crash- an injury which basically takes him out of commission for a key six months of the war. In his convalescence, the German military takes charge of the war and conducts it the way that it intends to- namely, directing German military strength against the central sector of the Russian front, right at Moscow. There are a few other key changes- an invasion of Malta and the diversion of a Panzer Corp to Africa and a change in the Japanese plan at Midway. Nothing outlandish, but Downing takes the rest of the novel to work out the consequences of these alterations.
The result is a highly readable novel and a plausible scenario for an alternative war. Downing carefully works out the consequences of his changes and comes up with reasonable reconstructions of what the major figures in the war would be likely to do. At the risk of giving a spoiler, the result is still the same- defeat for the Axis, but they get further in territory and much closer to victory. Downing also gives tantalizing hints about how the war would end, but ends the novel at the turning points in the war- outside Jerusalem, on the Azerbajani-Iranian border, in northern Russia and off Panama.
This is still worth a read for a highly plausible alternative World War II with engaging writing and a clever plot. If you are a WWII geeks, this is a book you'll like to read. ...more
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