In my last post I wrote about some of my favorite science-fiction reads from this summer. Now here are a couple I hard time getting through.
1. Ready Player One
I know this is a beloved book for many, and I really wanted to love it too. A dystopian sci-fi novel that mentions Heathers and Oingo Boingo in the first 3 pages? That's right up my alley. But the main character spends the first 100 pages rattling off his biography, followed by facts about gamer culture and then, more or less, summarizes the history the of the entire human race. At one point I literally shouted "show don't tell!" at the book. Eventually, the plot picked up and the characters got to take center stage, but by then I was so frustrated that it was difficult for me to enjoy it. With a better editor, I think this novel could have been a lot of fun. The contrast between the actual and virtual worlds was interesting, Wade's quest to solve the puzzle was exciting, and the interplay between Wade and the other characters was entertaining. I even liked the pop culture references. Steven Speilberg's film version is coming out next year and I have high hopes for it. This story has all the right elements, I just wish the author had been able to assemble them a little better.
2. The Book of Joan
The Book of Joan is another well-reviewed novel that I just couldn't connect with. It has essentially the opposite problem of Ready Player One; the book is beautifully written, but the plot and characters just don't hold up. The novel is set in a future where wars and ecological catastrophes have destroyed the planet and much of the human race. Wealthy elites, now pale, hairless and infertile, orbit the Earth in the CIEL while on the surface Joan and a few rebels fight for survival. This book is original and poetic and possibly "important". It might work as a grotesque spectacle of ecological devastation or some sort of feminist allegory, but it does not work as a story. I was never able to believe any of the characters or see the world of the story as anything more than words on a page. It's a relatively short book, but I sighed every time I picked it up and couldn't wait for it to be over.
Have you read either of these? Would love to hear your thoughts. I know sometimes it takes a new perspective for me to really appreciate a book that I initially don't connect with.