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liviajelliot's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
5.0
This is the most mind-bending, nuanced, and curious book that I have read in a while, with an ending that is perfectly landed (in my opinion, of course) and incredibly unique. This is a book that must be re-read; it is so nuanced and thoughtful, with so many details sowed throughout the story, that the plot truly unfolds upon re-read, once you know what you're looking for.
This book is narrated in first person with past tenseand I yet can't decide whether it is a framed narrative or not . There are, to begin with, two different stories that follow a character named Peter Sinclair; one of these stories happens in London, the other in a place called Jethra.
Jethra and the Dream Archipelago are the settings of another of the author's books, but I understand that this is a standalone.
The gist of <b>The Affirmation</b>, and the key point in this book, is that both stories intertwine. At the start of the book, we get several chapters on each, and the plots seem (seem being the key word) unrelated except for the protagonist's name. The more you read, the faster the chapters alternate between each one. This rapid switching is meant to help the reader understand how both plots intertwine... but it's not very clear either.
This is not a book that will give you answers, but a book that will present you a setting and expect you (the reader!) to come up with the answers and/or an explanation.
Because of this intertwining (the only non-spoilery word I could come up with), there are a lot of clues and details sowed from one storyline to the other. These nuances, and their interrelationship, are easier to detect and understand once you reach the ending of the story and re-read.
Do you need to re-read to get the plot? Not really, but I honestly think this book is richer on the re-read.
In terms of the narrator, because we are following these Peter Sinclairs, we get an extremely biased narrator that verges on being the king of the unreliable narrators as well. Almost comparable to Gene Wolfe's narrators.
Furthermore, the protagonist is not a kind person... and his attitude may upset people. For example, Peter refers to his girlfriend Gracia, at one point, as "neurotic". He does <i>not</i> use pejorative words for other women characters and, in my opinion, this choice of word was purposeful to bias the reader against Gracia.It turns out that she is part of the big revelation towards the end of the book, and because this is Peter telling his story, he doesn't believe Gracia and thus uses words that make her seem unreliable... I honestly believe that the way Peter describes Gracia is due to the character's unreliability and dysfunctional perception of reality. The other women characters are not described nor treated as Gracia. .
Even if it is sci-fi, it is not hard sci-fi. I'd emphatically argue that The Affirmation borders on social sci-fi, especially given how prominent the topic of memory, identity, and people's interrelationships are. Peter (the protagonist) is obsessed with understanding himself and remembering his own life, and his attempts to do so are the core point of the plot. Therefore, many sections discuss the interrelationship between memory and identity through a lens that is mostly philosophical... and if you don't like philosophy in your books, you may not like The Affirmation.
Regarding content warnings, I'm putting them in spoilers.There are references to drinking, being drunk, attempted suicide (someone cuts their veins, and someone overdoses in sleeping pills), a parent's death (implied, not present in the text). There is NO sexual abuse nor racial abuse.
If you are a type of reader that enjoys guided plots, The Affirmation is not for you. If you are someone who needs to "relate" to a protagonist, this book may not be for you either.If you hate open endings, this may not be for you. Even when the open ending here makes complete sense for the story... if you paid attention while reading it, though.
If you like Gene Wolfe (e.g., The Fifth Head of Cerberus comes to mind) or extremely unreliable narrators (to the point you don't know what is the truth of the story at all), this book may be for you. If you want nuanced, thoughtful discussions of themes that border on philosophy... again, The Affirmation is for you.
TL;DR: Excellent, epic masterwork of sci-fi that is both mind-blowing and fun to read, with an ending that was an immediate favourite.
This book is narrated in first person with past tense
Jethra and the Dream Archipelago are the settings of another of the author's books, but I understand that this is a standalone.
The gist of <b>The Affirmation</b>, and the key point in this book, is that both stories intertwine. At the start of the book, we get several chapters on each, and the plots seem (seem being the key word) unrelated except for the protagonist's name. The more you read, the faster the chapters alternate between each one. This rapid switching is meant to help the reader understand how both plots intertwine... but it's not very clear either.
This is not a book that will give you answers, but a book that will present you a setting and expect you (the reader!) to come up with the answers and/or an explanation.
Because of this intertwining (the only non-spoilery word I could come up with), there are a lot of clues and details sowed from one storyline to the other. These nuances, and their interrelationship, are easier to detect and understand once you reach the ending of the story and re-read.
Do you need to re-read to get the plot? Not really, but I honestly think this book is richer on the re-read.
In terms of the narrator, because we are following these Peter Sinclairs, we get an extremely biased narrator that verges on being the king of the unreliable narrators as well. Almost comparable to Gene Wolfe's narrators.
Furthermore, the protagonist is not a kind person... and his attitude may upset people. For example, Peter refers to his girlfriend Gracia, at one point, as "neurotic". He does <i>not</i> use pejorative words for other women characters and, in my opinion, this choice of word was purposeful to bias the reader against Gracia.
Even if it is sci-fi, it is not hard sci-fi. I'd emphatically argue that The Affirmation borders on social sci-fi, especially given how prominent the topic of memory, identity, and people's interrelationships are. Peter (the protagonist) is obsessed with understanding himself and remembering his own life, and his attempts to do so are the core point of the plot. Therefore, many sections discuss the interrelationship between memory and identity through a lens that is mostly philosophical... and if you don't like philosophy in your books, you may not like The Affirmation.
Regarding content warnings, I'm putting them in spoilers.
If you are a type of reader that enjoys guided plots, The Affirmation is not for you. If you are someone who needs to "relate" to a protagonist, this book may not be for you either.
If you like Gene Wolfe (e.g., The Fifth Head of Cerberus comes to mind) or extremely unreliable narrators (to the point you don't know what is the truth of the story at all), this book may be for you. If you want nuanced, thoughtful discussions of themes that border on philosophy... again, The Affirmation is for you.
TL;DR: Excellent, epic masterwork of sci-fi that is both mind-blowing and fun to read, with an ending that was an immediate favourite.
reader_01's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
arf88's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not really sure what to think about this. It's a very weird read, and very "lit fic-y" in that there's no real plot. What plot there is, is left purposely ambiguous so you never know if there's two Paul's in alternative universes who's minds are slowly converging or just one Paul who's lost his marbles.
As far as the characters... eh. The main character is very unlikable which I imagine was the point. But what makes him unlikable, his self-obsession, also means that none of the other characters are really developed in any way. Which again is probably the point, but it did make for a frustrating, and sometimes tedious, read.
As far as the characters... eh. The main character is very unlikable which I imagine was the point. But what makes him unlikable, his self-obsession, also means that none of the other characters are really developed in any way. Which again is probably the point, but it did make for a frustrating, and sometimes tedious, read.
adru's review against another edition
Huvitavad mõtisklused fantaasiates elamisest, mälestuste usaldusväärsusest, tegelikkuse ebakindlusest ja identiteedist, mis on niikuinii ainult ette kujutatud asi.
waltzsofa's review
I once thought that the emphatic nature of words ensured truth. If I could find the right words, then with the proper will I could by assertion write all that was true.
ashleylm's review against another edition
2.0
Much like the main character's muddled sense of reality, I often found myself enjoying this book, only to realise I was anticipating enjoying it rather than actually enjoying it, and the true pleasure of reading it never quite materialized. In fact, most of the time, my active feeling was one of annoyance. What was the author trying to do? It wasn't clear, it never became clear, and (annoyingly) it was never going to have become clear, which I wish I'd realised upon entry. I'm at ease with ambiguity and dreamlike settings (I loved Ishiguro's The Unconsoled for example) but this never cohered for me. Had he kept up a game of who-was-writing-who I think all would be well, but by the time we arrived at the "white pages" moment, he lots me entirely.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
wimerek's review
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
adityamonga's review against another edition
4.0
“I particularly remembered being on the verandah of the villa I had borrowed from Colan the evening I made my most exciting discovery: that recollection was only partial, that the artistic recreation of the past constituted a higher truth than mere memory.”
Despite being aware of the delirious state of mind of the Protagonist, the twenty-nine year old Peter Sinclair, I could not help getting reeled into his fantasies. This book claims to look for Truth in a person's life story and the kind of role memory plays in creating that Truth. However, that claim involves a deluded reassurance that the author gives himself, while getting caught in a deeper fantasy of his own making. Disrespecting the line between Truth versus metaphor wrapper around Truth, the author loses control of reality.
This is a fantastic story about a man dealing with identity issues. At no point of time was I completely sure about whether Peter is understanding himself more or losing himself more. The story is masterfully written. Christopher Priest deals with concepts of Philosophy, Identity, Memory, Truth and most of all - Mortality. There is less originality in the events that happen in the book, but they take nothing away from crafty unfolding of those events.
It is most impressive how articulate Peter is in explaining his state of mind. I found myself empathising with him much more frequently than one should, with such a narrator.
Perhaps what I liked the most in the book was the illusion of being confident and in control. This particular detail felt dangerously close to real life. There were moments when Peter showed gratitude, assertiveness and this feeling of being high on possibilities. This feeling was sometimes a sign of decadence lurking around the corner. I've seen this pattern in my own personal experiences, which is probably why I found it more thrilling.
This book does not deserve a re-read, IMHO. But it does open you up to confusion, exhilaration, fantasy and deep acknowledgement of one's own complexity. So that makes it a good read.
I was impressed with The Prestige, which is why I gave Christopher Priest another shot. My respect for him has only grown.
poirotketchup's review against another edition
4.0
It reminded me a lot of 'Inception,' in a very good way. It's filled with a sense of melancholy that forced me to empathize with a character it was a little disturbing to empathize with. It refused to answer the questions I wanted to know - and helped me get used to the idea of not know what was real and what is misremembered.