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aubreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
No plot just vibes. I enjoyed the prose a lot, gorgeous descriptions of the landscape just not much going on in the way of a plot or character development.
atticmoth's review against another edition
4.0
I was not terribly impressed by what I’ve read of Anna Kavan’s short story work, but where those are lacking Ice makes up. All I had heard was how weird Ice was, how hard it is to understand, how it lacks plot entirely… I actually found it pretty easy to follow! Ice is narrated by an unnamed protagonist who goes to lengths to contact his ex… in the backdrop of an encroaching nuclear winter. It’s solid apocalyptic writing, interspersed with moments where the narrator goes crazy — towards the beginning he leaves his hotel to find everyone in the village murdered, and in the next chapter all is back to normal. This is the sort of subjective unreliability that I find annoying in film, but in prose fiction it works fine, though it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. All in all, this disjointedness makes Ice a good book to pick up and put down, because you don’t have to be afraid of missing anything.
dllman05's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
f4rce's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.25
vio_letta's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
sethfromabove's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ashgalwoah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed Ice, it is a surreal commentary on war, abuse, narratives/perspectives, politics, and environmental disaster. The writing style is dream like, hallucinogenic, and intoxicating. The world is definitely influenced by Vietnam War/WW2, yet in a futuristic dystopian ice hell scape.
My favorite part about Ice was it’s morally ambiguous narrator, it was engaging to grapple with his character, weather he is evil or good, abuser or savior.
A good read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
paulusm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
hakimbriki's review against another edition
5.0
Hallucinatory, mesmerizing, engaging, maddening, and lyrical, Ice has to be one of the best reading experiences of my life. It reminded me of stellar drone albums, the likes of Luciferian Towers by Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Monoliths & Dimensions by Sunn O))) in that I derived immense enjoyment from the atmosphere and ambiance of the novel.
Anna Kavan's writing and rhythm is absolutely hypnotic, and the setting, which is my favorite kind of ethereal - fantastical yet not too far-fetched, is at the heart of the evocation of feelings of alienation, rejection, apathy, despair, and resignation. I might have enjoyed this so much because I am sick and feverish at the moment, but wow. 6/5.
Anna Kavan's writing and rhythm is absolutely hypnotic, and the setting, which is my favorite kind of ethereal - fantastical yet not too far-fetched, is at the heart of the evocation of feelings of alienation, rejection, apathy, despair, and resignation. I might have enjoyed this so much because I am sick and feverish at the moment, but wow. 6/5.
ganzfeldstate's review against another edition
I need to process this for a while before I can even rate it! Like nothing else I’ve ever read.