Reviews

Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem

mark_cc's review against another edition

4.0

I was worried going in because I was sure that the setting would be left frustratingly unexplained. I was half right.

It was left unexplained, but not frustratingly. Lethem uses the Weird Apocalypse setting to build up mystery, sure, but does much more work to make those mysteries personal to the character of Chaos and the themes of the book. When I started to care more about the connections of people and the society(ies) they made up, the question of what caused the Weird Apocalypse (TM) mattered a whole lot less.

blchandler9000's review against another edition

2.0

I had mixed feelings about this book. Lethem created several interesting ideas, but I felt as though he didn't follow through with them. As a dystopia novel, it has lots to offer, but forces the reader to imagine the majority of details and reasons for the story's background and logic. And maybe that's what Letham wanted the reader to have to do—the book is, after all, about people's dreams, perceptions, and reality.

As for characters, I liked Chaos and especially the hirsute girl, Melinda. Letham does a good job of creating likeable people caught in unlikeable scenarios.

This was my first foray into Letham's work (aside from a short story in The New Yorker) and I'm curious about his other books.

bookslayer's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

stevereally's review against another edition

3.0

A quick read. I liked it about as much as his Motherless Brooklyn. (The subject matter was wildly different, though). Gun, with Occasional Music is still my favorite Lethem.

guybrush_creepwood's review against another edition

4.0

Lethem definitely takes a page from Philip K. Dick, which believe me I appreciate, but he's a great science fiction writer in his own right. Reading this book is like being dropped in the middle of someone else's dream, the logic of which is a bit hazy and ever shifting. Reality changes drastically from location to location due to some mysterious apocalyptic event. All the locals are controlled by the dreams of petty tyrants which shape their lives and even their bodies. Our protagonist - sometimes Everett Moon, sometimes just known as Chaos- can't remember who he is and how things got this way. He embarks on a cross country road trip from place to place trying to figure it all out. Each place he visits is uniquely bizarre with its own oppressive rules that don't entirely make sense. We never get a lot of concrete answers. Personally I love that sort of ambiguity, but if you're looking for it all to make sense in the end you're gonna be disappointed. Lethem's great at writing characters with depth beyond just how strange they are. The plot is dreamlike, with no definite start or end points, but it has just enough action to keep you turning the pages. I could see that being frustrating if you like reading things that are a bit more structured, but I eat this kinda stuff up with a spoon. 4.5 stars.

chiatt's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

vindiagram's review against another edition

3.0

I have no idea how to rate this book. Sci Fi isn’t really my thing. I had no idea what was going on and I’m just as unclear having finished it. But I couldn’t stop reading. So that counts for something, right?

brea's review against another edition

5.0

very strange post-apocalyptic sci fi book. worth the read though.

kayleekasper's review

dark mysterious reflective fast-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? No

3.5

portable_magic78's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 STARS