A review by woodsymel
A Friend of the Earth by T.C. Boyle

3.0

For some reason I started this book thinking it was going to have a comedic tilt to it, some humor to lessen the weight of fear it stirs up in one's mind when battling the topic of the world after climate change. But there was not any obvious comedy, not even a little bit. The book was cynical, angry, biting, and very depressing. That's not to say it was bad; it was well-written, the characters had substance, and there was enough plot to make me want to keep reading. But I felt my heart turning blacker and blacker with every subsequent chapter. There's no redemption here, no chuckle in the midst of tragedy. Even the small glints of sunshine have a dark shadow cast across them. These characters withstand the worst, and even the most comedic character, Mac, somehow managed to depress me.
The idea of "fiction?" is a little obnoxious. It is very obviously fiction, an exaggerated satire. I get the point that Boyle's trying to make with the satire, but it doesn't leave any lasting moral guidance for me because it is basically hopeless, soul-crushing, and inhuman. But anyway, I digress; the story was entertaining, the imagery very strong and I lost myself in Tierwater's two worlds. I would probably consider reading more of Boyle's work after this, he's a pretty good storyteller.