Dark Eden
Author: Chris Beckett
Average Rating: 3.83/5.0
Personal Rating: 4.0/5.0
Page Count: 441
Finished Reading: July
Published: April 1st, 2014
According to Goodreads:
On the alien, sunless planet they call Eden, the 532 members of the Family shelter beneath the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees. Beyond the Forest lie the mountains of the Snowy Dark and a cold so bitter and a night so profound that no man has ever crossed it.
The Oldest among the Family recount legends of a world where light came from the sky, where men and women made boats that could cross the stars. These ships brought us here, the Oldest say—and the Family must only wait for the travelers to return.
But young John Redlantern will break the laws of Eden, shatter the Family and change history. He will abandon the old ways, venture into the Dark…and discover the truth about their world.
Already remarkably acclaimed in the UK, Dark Eden is science fiction as literature; part parable, part powerful coming-of-age story, set in a truly original alien world of dark, sinister beauty--rendered in prose that is at once strikingly simple and stunningly inventive.
The Oldest among the Family recount legends of a world where light came from the sky, where men and women made boats that could cross the stars. These ships brought us here, the Oldest say—and the Family must only wait for the travelers to return.
But young John Redlantern will break the laws of Eden, shatter the Family and change history. He will abandon the old ways, venture into the Dark…and discover the truth about their world.
Already remarkably acclaimed in the UK, Dark Eden is science fiction as literature; part parable, part powerful coming-of-age story, set in a truly original alien world of dark, sinister beauty--rendered in prose that is at once strikingly simple and stunningly inventive.
My opinion:
Have you guys ever read a book where you feel like your brain loses all feeling and coherent thoughts, because the book left you so con-fuddled? Dark Eden, my dear friends, is one of those books.
I started reading this book about three weeks ago. I remember getting it in the mail, and being so excited to dive right into it, because the world that was created seemed so different and thought provoking. Unfortunately, life got in the way so I really didn't get into the story until earlier this week.
The world that Beckett created in this story makes you question some things. Is there life, like you and me, on planets in our solar system? How far will we go for something we believe in? Who will be with us every step of the way? You all know that I love to read, but I love reading even more when I get something from it. This book opened up questions that ordinary people don't really think about, unless you are a scientist or an astronaut.
This book touched on arrogance, sadness, power going to people's heads, hope, and coming of age. Here is a group of young teens and tweens going against their Council in order to prove a point. To be honest, I don't think I would have done the same thing if I lived in their society. While I was reading I kept thinking about how a couple characters rose to a leadership position throughout the progression of the book. In each situation, the power consumed the individual. We are all taught to take the lead, and be the one who takes action first. As a result, those who follow are criticized for not being the first to do it. I wished there would have been more collaboration between the leader and the people of the group. A more of a group effort.
The chapters went between four characters' perspectives, which I didn't mind. I was fine as long as I looked at the name before I started reading the chapter. The characters didn't have a lot of development, which kind of surprised me. I felt like from the time the journey started to the time it ended there should have been some type of change in the way the characters had strengthened.
I recommend this to anyone who is open to thinking about questions that aren't thought about on a daily basis. The world that is real in Dark Eden could someday become our reality. It's scary, but intriguing at the same time.
For More Information:
Press Release: http://crownpublishing.com/news/arthur-c-clarke-award-winning-author-chris-becketts-brilliant-us-debut-dark-eden/#.U8dSGJRdWSp
Conversation with Author: http://crownpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/A-Conversation-with-Chris-Beckett.pdf
Read Chapter One: http://crownpublishing.com/feature/dive-into-dark-eden-by-chris-beckett/#.U8dSUZRdWSp
Wow this sounds like it could be a hit or miss for some, but personally I love books that make you think hard like that. Thought provoking in a kind of mind-boggling way, you know. I also love how many different topics it introduces. 4 POVs could be a bit much - I don't always like several POVs unless the oices are really distinct, but it sounds like the author did a pretty good job despite the lack of character dev. Great review, hun!
ReplyDeleteThis book is definitely not for everyone out there. To be quite honest, I don't think it was the book for me. I loved what I took from it though, so in a sense I guess this book and I were a great fit for each other. Thank you!!
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