caseythereader's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Blood, Child death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content and Pregnancy
sha's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Sexual content, Excrement, Violence, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Miscarriage
proudlocks's review against another edition
4.0
Stubbed by this, loved it. Would recommend. Very dystopian.
berryreadbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Hated the mother/daughter relationship, loved the survival aspect, seemed oddly paced
acline's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Miscarriage
flophillips31's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
theboywhocouldfly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ngominh's review against another edition
3.0
Cuốn thứ 3 trong list Booker 2020. Là tiểu thuyết đa tầng các câu chuyện đan nhau, The New Wilderness là cuốn sách ca ngợi các mối gắn kết gia đình đặt trong không khí phản địa đàng của một xã hội giả tưởng, mà yếu tố sinh thái được tận dụng đến mức tối đa.
Một điểm đáng tiếc là Diane Cook chưa đi đến tận cùng. Mọi câu chuyện của bà đều nửa vời. Tình cảm gia đình trong cuốn sách mà chủ yếu là giữa Bea và Agnes nhạt nhòa, không chạm được đến người đọc hay có gì đó đọng lại. Yếu tố phản địa đàng cũng làm không tới. Ở đây bà không đẩy đến cái cực điểm của mạng sống - cái chết, chỉ là những ràng buộc lỏng, theo cũng được, không cũng chả sao, hờ hững và nhạt nhòa. Yếu tố sinh thái cũng không mới, một vài chỗ dễ liên tưởng đến Richard Powers.
Tóm lại nếu quyết liệt hơn và đi đến tận cùng, đào sâu hơn nữa vào nhân vật chính thay vì cố tạo ra một phông nền thật hoàn hảo cho những nhân vật phụ thì đây là cuốn sách sẽ rất dễ chiếm được cảm tình. Tiếc là nếu thêm một chút yếu tố chính trị nào đó (như chủ nghĩa toàn trị chẳng hạn, trong đây là 1 thế giới ảo tưởng nhưng không đá động quá nhiều, cũng chẳng tương tự ai) thì con đường Pulitzer chắc sẽ rộng mở. Còn Booker thì chắc còn xa. Nhưng ai biết?
Một điểm đáng tiếc là Diane Cook chưa đi đến tận cùng. Mọi câu chuyện của bà đều nửa vời. Tình cảm gia đình trong cuốn sách mà chủ yếu là giữa Bea và Agnes nhạt nhòa, không chạm được đến người đọc hay có gì đó đọng lại. Yếu tố phản địa đàng cũng làm không tới. Ở đây bà không đẩy đến cái cực điểm của mạng sống - cái chết, chỉ là những ràng buộc lỏng, theo cũng được, không cũng chả sao, hờ hững và nhạt nhòa. Yếu tố sinh thái cũng không mới, một vài chỗ dễ liên tưởng đến Richard Powers.
Tóm lại nếu quyết liệt hơn và đi đến tận cùng, đào sâu hơn nữa vào nhân vật chính thay vì cố tạo ra một phông nền thật hoàn hảo cho những nhân vật phụ thì đây là cuốn sách sẽ rất dễ chiếm được cảm tình. Tiếc là nếu thêm một chút yếu tố chính trị nào đó (như chủ nghĩa toàn trị chẳng hạn, trong đây là 1 thế giới ảo tưởng nhưng không đá động quá nhiều, cũng chẳng tương tự ai) thì con đường Pulitzer chắc sẽ rộng mở. Còn Booker thì chắc còn xa. Nhưng ai biết?
charvisioku's review against another edition
4.0
I can see why this book has such a mixed bag of ratings and reviews. It's one of the most bleak things I've ever read in the sense that I finished the story, put it down and had to take a bit of time to process how hopeless and unsatisfying the ending is.
That's actually what I love about the book but it's not for the faint hearted. I read it as a study of human nature and how close we really are to reverting back to being animals - I love Agnes and would like to find more books with characters like her. I think her battle between her humanity and her animal instincts has been written extremely well and I found myself constantly swinging between admiring her mother's attempts to protect her and hating her mother for the damage her actions did to Glen and Agnes.
The characters are mostly very complex and often contradictory, which I'd argue is more realistic than a more traditionally well balanced character. The only thing I would say is that I find it a bit unrealistic that certain characters didn't do serious harm to others in the Community. I think there was a lot of room to explore how having no properly enforced social rules would lead to chaotic behaviour and I'm amazed that Carl didn't do worse things. There's a moment where he's quite intimidating and threatening towards Bea, but I found it difficult to believe that a person like him would stop at being threatening. That being said, I enjoyed the way characters were developed for the most part and there are some moments of dark humour, like the river expert being casually yeeted by an errant log whilst testing a river to see if it can be crossed.
There are some very confusing moments too, especially with Bea - I can't figure her out at all - but I think that was intentional and it kind of made me feel more like I was reading about the erosion of logic after people had been living wild for an extended period of time.
Would recommend but don't read it if you're not in a good place, it's very depressing and bleak.
That's actually what I love about the book but it's not for the faint hearted. I read it as a study of human nature and how close we really are to reverting back to being animals - I love Agnes and would like to find more books with characters like her. I think her battle between her humanity and her animal instincts has been written extremely well and I found myself constantly swinging between admiring her mother's attempts to protect her and hating her mother for the damage her actions did to Glen and Agnes.
The characters are mostly very complex and often contradictory, which I'd argue is more realistic than a more traditionally well balanced character. The only thing I would say is that I find it a bit unrealistic that certain characters didn't do serious harm to others in the Community. I think there was a lot of room to explore how having no properly enforced social rules would lead to chaotic behaviour and I'm amazed that Carl didn't do worse things. There's a moment where he's quite intimidating and threatening towards Bea, but I found it difficult to believe that a person like him would stop at being threatening. That being said, I enjoyed the way characters were developed for the most part and there are some moments of dark humour, like the river expert being casually yeeted by an errant log whilst testing a river to see if it can be crossed.
There are some very confusing moments too, especially with Bea - I can't figure her out at all - but I think that was intentional and it kind of made me feel more like I was reading about the erosion of logic after people had been living wild for an extended period of time.
Would recommend but don't read it if you're not in a good place, it's very depressing and bleak.