Scan barcode
mancha_2's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
lectriceye__'s review against another edition
3.0
3,5
Queres que te diga o que penso, Diz, Penso que não cegámos, penso que estamos cegos, Cegos que veem, Cegos que, vendo, não veem
Queres que te diga o que penso, Diz, Penso que não cegámos, penso que estamos cegos, Cegos que veem, Cegos que, vendo, não veem
peacockshrimp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
leahisdudish's review against another edition
amazing concept but the lack of paragraphs made it so hard to read - i need it in audio!
lyraggs's review against another edition
4.0
Hace tiempo me lo recomendaron pero aún así no me animaba a leerlo, lo que me decidió al final, fue el hecho de que se volviera una tarea escolar. Observando situaciones similares de esta con la contingencia actual (SARS-CoV-2).
La historia sin duda me causó impacto, en especial porque iba observando esos puntos donde se veían similitudes que incluso hoy en día existen.
Al ser un libro de ficción, puedo entender que algunas partes fueron puestas muy al límite también, y cada situación solo empujaba a una peor, y la esperanza era tan escasa o inexistente.
Puede hacer un testamento hablando de este libro y la variedad de emociones que me provoco, desde rabia, impotencia, enojo y otras. Pero lo dejaré con el hecho de que es una distopia impactante, donde vemos que no fue la enfermedad en si la que mató a las personas, si no la falta de preparación de ella y más que nada, el terrible miedo que causaba.
Un detalle para no ponerle “5 estrellas”, fue que en momentos se cambiaba el narrador como si nada y aunque uno se acostumbre a ese hecho, no deja de ser un detalle a tomar en cuenta.
La historia sin duda me causó impacto, en especial porque iba observando esos puntos donde se veían similitudes que incluso hoy en día existen.
Al ser un libro de ficción, puedo entender que algunas partes fueron puestas muy al límite también, y cada situación solo empujaba a una peor, y la esperanza era tan escasa o inexistente.
Puede hacer un testamento hablando de este libro y la variedad de emociones que me provoco, desde rabia, impotencia, enojo y otras. Pero lo dejaré con el hecho de que es una distopia impactante, donde vemos que no fue la enfermedad en si la que mató a las personas, si no la falta de preparación de ella y más que nada, el terrible miedo que causaba.
Un detalle para no ponerle “5 estrellas”, fue que en momentos se cambiaba el narrador como si nada y aunque uno se acostumbre a ese hecho, no deja de ser un detalle a tomar en cuenta.
thelarch's review against another edition
Got about halfway through and had to nope right out. I don't usually DNF based on story content, but I just couldn't this time. A case of "not right now" rather than "this book is terrible"
abhishekjain's review against another edition
4.0
Procrastination sometimes helps. I'm glad I didn't read it back in 2019 when it was suggested to me. If I did, I would have stocked firearms (hyperbole) at my house after the news of the pandemic. It was such a surprise to find that this novel was about a pandemic. But much much worse that what we have now. Apocalyptic. Of course I had already seen the movie Contagion and the pandemic seems very much the same except with lesser intensity, mortality and hopelessness, but this story is dystopic on another level. How bad things can get? What can hell feel and 'look' like? The book has answers.
A crude analysis makes me think that this story is amalgamation of 'Tragedy of the Commons' and Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs. We live with the ill effects of the former and have seen it during the early days of the pandemic when people were stupidly fighting for toilet papers. Stupidity is just a perception and it is relative after all but on all accounts it was stupid. And if we bring in the latter, we can see how we degenerate from being humans to animals as soon as our food and safety is compromised. This novel explores this graphically.
This novel is violent. But living in this violent world with so many violent movies, games, news and for some maybe experiences, it would not come as a shock. But it doesn't mean that the novel is not stirring and disturbing. It is. And it churned my belly to the point that I had to take a break from reading.
Sometimes I wonder why I stop reading intermittently when this gives the same level of experience as watching a movie. Some of you may contest, but read this one and you may be agree. The descriptions are vivid and graphic. The writer hasn't shied away from describing the grotesque - be it the human nature or the environment.
Also, I liked the fact that writer has kept the focus entirely on the characters and not wandered away to the city or the political scene or the mechanism of things. Just plain experiences of the characters who were nameless btw. First of a kind for me. There are things which I couldn't understand as to why some characters behaved the way they did but I think that requires some more reflection to understand the point of view the author has.
The world described is apocalyptic and that serves as a positive note to me that things could get worse. And even if they do, things get better too. If it comes to survival, we need and should put every ounce of energy to survive. But survive like the doctor's wife and not like the blind accountant. And that is a big difference. The difference of making an oasis of heaven in a hellish world. And I think only that counts. If only we all could try to make our own little pockets of heaven - little colorful and joyful pixels. The pixels might coalesce and paint one big heavenly picture of humanity.
This book is a good read. Be ready to get disturbed and thoughtful afterwards.
A crude analysis makes me think that this story is amalgamation of 'Tragedy of the Commons' and Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs. We live with the ill effects of the former and have seen it during the early days of the pandemic when people were stupidly fighting for toilet papers. Stupidity is just a perception and it is relative after all but on all accounts it was stupid. And if we bring in the latter, we can see how we degenerate from being humans to animals as soon as our food and safety is compromised. This novel explores this graphically.
This novel is violent. But living in this violent world with so many violent movies, games, news and for some maybe experiences, it would not come as a shock. But it doesn't mean that the novel is not stirring and disturbing. It is. And it churned my belly to the point that I had to take a break from reading.
Sometimes I wonder why I stop reading intermittently when this gives the same level of experience as watching a movie. Some of you may contest, but read this one and you may be agree. The descriptions are vivid and graphic. The writer hasn't shied away from describing the grotesque - be it the human nature or the environment.
Also, I liked the fact that writer has kept the focus entirely on the characters and not wandered away to the city or the political scene or the mechanism of things. Just plain experiences of the characters who were nameless btw. First of a kind for me. There are things which I couldn't understand as to why some characters behaved the way they did but I think that requires some more reflection to understand the point of view the author has.
The world described is apocalyptic and that serves as a positive note to me that things could get worse. And even if they do, things get better too. If it comes to survival, we need and should put every ounce of energy to survive. But survive like the doctor's wife and not like the blind accountant. And that is a big difference. The difference of making an oasis of heaven in a hellish world. And I think only that counts. If only we all could try to make our own little pockets of heaven - little colorful and joyful pixels. The pixels might coalesce and paint one big heavenly picture of humanity.
This book is a good read. Be ready to get disturbed and thoughtful afterwards.
jcoryv's review against another edition
1.0
I rarely make negative reviews, but this book is horrible. I listened to it on Audible, so the performance may have something to do with my feelings about the book.
The general idea is interesting, but the concept was either underthought or way overthought. There were simple solutions for much of the adversity faced by the characters.
Also, the use of the narrator struck me as lazy. More developed characters could have expressed their thoughts on the situation in a more compelling manner.
And the use of proverbs, maxims, quotes, clichés, axioms, and platitudes, was tiresome.
I haven’t read any of the author’s other works, but there’s nothing Nobel about this one.
The general idea is interesting, but the concept was either underthought or way overthought. There were simple solutions for much of the adversity faced by the characters.
Also, the use of the narrator struck me as lazy. More developed characters could have expressed their thoughts on the situation in a more compelling manner.
And the use of proverbs, maxims, quotes, clichés, axioms, and platitudes, was tiresome.
I haven’t read any of the author’s other works, but there’s nothing Nobel about this one.
jessiedev's review against another edition
4.0
brilliant and effective social commentary... zombie book that contains no zombies...