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tannercurtis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
“It will come to pass by violence and upheaval, by flame and by fury, for no change comes calmly over the world."
A truly disturbing and captivating collection of tales from nuclear apocalypse. Though it was written with the Cold War in mind it still resonates strongly today. The final book is maybe the bleakest bit of science fiction I’ve ever read.
retrophrenologist's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
4.25
bw_booth's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
right_kidney's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-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
4.5
Kids who took Latin instead of Spanish in high school are cheering for the first time in their lives
krisheiney's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
2.75
I enjoyed this book well enough, but it also dragged at times. Entertaining humor, especially in the first novella. By the third, it felt like the author was trying to make too much of a point about the virtue of life in the face of suffering, and this didn’t feel like the right vehicle for such a message—plus it’s not a message I’m particularly fond of. I liked the musings on the nature of knowledge and language and how much knowledge can really be preserved when the symbols in which they are written lose their meaning.
mw_baker's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
eli_abroad's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The novel comprises 3 separate stories set in a post-nuclear-apocalyptic world that clearly reflect the greatest fears of the time in which they were written. The stories are set hundreds of years apart, but all involve an order of monks dedicated to secretly preserving scientific knowledge in a world where knowledge and education are seen as the root cause of humanity's destruction. The positives include convincing world building, witty humor, the positioning of science as a religion, ideas about how remnants of the past are interpreted, and reflections on the self-destructive nature of humanity. However, the stories are told in such a meandering ramble that I struggled to appreciate those merits and was unable to maintain any sort of engagement. As a precursor for discussion, the novel is worthwhile, but is definitely no pleasure to read.