Review

This was the best book that I’ve read in a long time. The more I think about it, the more I like it. It is hard to describe the plot, but follows two thirty-something characters, who haven’t seen each other since they were 10 years old in grade school, through their lives in a strange, two-mooned, 1984 up to their reunion and departure from that strange world. While their search for each other is an underlying thread throughout, it really isn’t their objective until quite late in the story. Instead the focus is on their everyday lives, with the connection between them building up ever so slowly.

The characters are superb and all so very fascinating and enigmatic. Since we are always seeing them from one of the other character’s perspective, we can never really feel like we know everything about them. With the Little People and the fantasy aspects on top of that, there are even more questions. Perhaps if I can work my way through it a second or third time I’ll notice things that I didn’t before and find some deeper connections. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve finished a book and left it already looking for a 2nd read.

Super impressed overall, but knowing I’m reading a translation of the original, I really have to give kudos to the translators as well. It read really smoothly, and I didn’t feel like there were things that I was missing. While I initially borrowed this from the library, I think I’m going to need to find one to add to my favorites bookshelf.

I’d like to say I’d recommend this to everyone, but there are definitely things here that some might find distressing. I don’t think any of it is done just for the sake of shock or lacks meaning in the overall story… BUT now that I know it is here, I’d feel remiss in not offering up a warning. There are women suffering the aftermath of abuse, some who only escaped through death. There is a lot of sexual activity, some is really strange and… conceptual is I think the word used in the book to describe it. Last but not least, there is an isolationist, religious cult with an all-powerful leader who, as part of that religious experience, is involved in sexual activities with pre-pubescent girls. One of those girls was also apparently his 10 year old daughter. For what it is worth, this is all somewhat surreal, but we’re clearly shown that it has real consequences to the girls. However no one in the story portrays that activity as being OK… Let’s just say it is complicated.