I love this book. It is one of my favorites because of the mood and atmosphere it creates. I can so clearly see that ugly dry forest in my mind and the squalid camp they make. Also, I find the honest and brutal portrayal of human behavior when cut off from civilization to be fascinating from a story telling perspective. I agree with your description of the narrator. I too went from admiring her to realizing she's not that easy a person to be around. However, I felt this was intentional on the part of the author to illustrate there are no heroes in this story. These are all flawed characters and fate has brought them to a situation where all of their flaws and shortcomings will be their demise. Another book that creates a very distinct atmosphere is The Hawkline Monster by Richard Brautigan. A strange and bizarre story that is a monster story, a western, a fantasy/science fiction, with a bit of eroticism thrown in.
The book isn't "insufferable," it's just brutally honest, unflinching, and quite hard to take. You can dislike it, but the author did nothing wrong. I read it when it came out and Russ's subversive work helped you gain greater equality and helped prevent me from becoming a hetero male asshole. There was no nice, sufferable way to say what she had to say. If you could see the original paperback photo-a buff woman in a bra on a flying motorcycle-you would understand its preoccupation with harsh realities. You weren't alive when it came out. To get the full impact of her work, "you had to be there."
wow, really surprised to read comments about how great this book was. to date its the worst story i ever read and i only finished it to see if it was terrible to the end. it was many years ago and i dont recall everything about the story except it mostly dealt with some suicidal guy laying in a cave waiting to die and describing his thoughts while doing so until he crushes a nerve gas capsual, the end. i was only a teenager at the time so maybe i missed something but . . . . naaah.
I just read this and found it unputdownable for the first 70 pages, then found myself having to force myself through the rest for exactly the reasons you describe. As soon as it gets into the dreamy, philosophicising section I lost interest, and then it went on far too long!
Re feminist sf authors, you must read Octavia Butler. Some of her stuff is bleak; she has an unflinching eye towards disturbing aspects of human nature; but all of her works feature women and girls as protagonists. Her work is inventive and inquisitive; she has incredible ideas about alien life (see: Dawn, and the Xenogenesis trilogy), as well as scarily on point near futures (Clay’s Arc, Parable of the Sower). I just finished reading We Who Are About To... and I enjoyed your review of it. I hope you check out Octavia R. Butler and let us know what you thought!
Haha yes, you made me interested in the book even after giving it two stars in the description! :D If you find any better (feminist) sci-fi books please tell us! ^^
I forgot to mention The Handmaid's Tale which I consider a feminist SF book which is super great, and there's a book that won the Bailey's prize last year called The Power which I'm increasingly excited by - it's about women becoming the dominant sex when they develop the ability to produce electric shocks through their fingers!
You explain beautifully and I can easily fathom except your view on religion, may be its just so superficial to you, you should may be open your third eye into religion and The Creator. (Lol this is my first time watching your videos and you are awesome in it, keep it up.)
I love this book. It is one of my favorites because of the mood and atmosphere it creates. I can so clearly see that ugly dry forest in my mind and the squalid camp they make.
Also, I find the honest and brutal portrayal of human behavior when cut off from civilization to be fascinating from a story telling perspective. I agree with your description of the narrator. I too went from admiring her to realizing she's not that easy a person to be around. However, I felt this was intentional on the part of the author to illustrate there are no heroes in this story. These are all flawed characters and fate has brought them to a situation where all of their flaws and shortcomings will be their demise.
Another book that creates a very distinct atmosphere is The Hawkline Monster by Richard Brautigan.
A strange and bizarre story that is a monster story, a western, a fantasy/science fiction, with a bit of eroticism thrown in.
The book isn't "insufferable," it's just brutally honest, unflinching, and quite hard to take. You can dislike it, but the author did nothing wrong. I read it when it came out and Russ's subversive work helped you gain greater equality and helped prevent me from becoming a hetero male asshole. There was no nice, sufferable way to say what she had to say. If you could see the original paperback photo-a buff woman in a bra on a flying motorcycle-you would understand its preoccupation with harsh realities. You weren't alive when it came out. To get the full impact of her work, "you had to be there."
I totally agree with you , i hated it too, if it was 30 pages longer i would have put it down forever .
..... I really really want your sweater.
it's from All Saints, very cute but ends at the waist which is eternally frustrating
wow, really surprised to read comments about how great this book was. to date its the worst story i ever read and i only finished it to see if it was terrible to the end. it was many years ago and i dont recall everything about the story except it mostly dealt with some suicidal guy laying in a cave waiting to die and describing his thoughts while doing so until he crushes a nerve gas capsual, the end. i was only a teenager at the time so maybe i missed something but . . . . naaah.
I just read this and found it unputdownable for the first 70 pages, then found myself having to force myself through the rest for exactly the reasons you describe. As soon as it gets into the dreamy, philosophicising section I lost interest, and then it went on far too long!
I am about to read this
Re feminist sf authors, you must read Octavia Butler. Some of her stuff is bleak; she has an unflinching eye towards disturbing aspects of human nature; but all of her works feature women and girls as protagonists. Her work is inventive and inquisitive; she has incredible ideas about alien life (see: Dawn, and the Xenogenesis trilogy), as well as scarily on point near futures (Clay’s Arc, Parable of the Sower).
I just finished reading We Who Are About To... and I enjoyed your review of it. I hope you check out Octavia R. Butler and let us know what you thought!
Octavia Butler sounds so up my alley. Thanks for the rec!
Haha yes, you made me interested in the book even after giving it two stars in the description! :D If you find any better (feminist) sci-fi books please tell us! ^^
I forgot to mention The Handmaid's Tale which I consider a feminist SF book which is super great, and there's a book that won the Bailey's prize last year called The Power which I'm increasingly excited by - it's about women becoming the dominant sex when they develop the ability to produce electric shocks through their fingers!
you MUST read The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet!
I am immediately sold
You explain beautifully and I can easily fathom except your view on religion, may be its just so superficial to you, you should may be open your third eye into religion and The Creator. (Lol this is my first time watching your videos and you are awesome in it, keep it up.)
I've been very open to religion in the past and it didn't call to me, tell The Creator I'm sorry
Excellent review of an awful book, awful for the reasons you give.