Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The twelfth expedition arrives expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers. They discover a massive topographic anomaly and life-forms that surpass understanding. But it's the surprises that came across the border with them, and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.
Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The twelfth expedition arrives expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers. They discover a massive topographic anomaly and life-forms that surpass understanding. But it's the surprises that came across the border with them, and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.
Not for me. I found the plot, characters and setting entirely unexciting. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t connect with the protagonist at all and the tone of the whole thing was just so… drab? Flat? Ugh.
Not for me. I found the plot, characters and setting entirely unexciting. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t connect with the protagonist at all and the tone of the whole thing was just so… drab? Flat? Ugh.
My entry point to the book was the 2018 film, which I loved. Hadn't thought about the book adaptation until the 10th Anniversary iridescent cover art caught my eye in the bookstore last week.* As author Karen Joy Fowler writes in this edition, the book is about the proper relationship of humans to nature. And "pervasive uncertainty." If that's not your cup of tea, you probably won't appreciate the book.
Other than the film, which is quite different from the book, what drew me to reading this was its length, less than 200 pages. I like a book that I can make its point quickly. It is formatted as a journal of the biologist of "expedition twelve," into the mysterious Area X. There's a constant tension in the narrative, but things stay relatively calm until the third act.
I did not realize this was published as a trilogy …
My entry point to the book was the 2018 film, which I loved. Hadn't thought about the book adaptation until the 10th Anniversary iridescent cover art caught my eye in the bookstore last week.* As author Karen Joy Fowler writes in this edition, the book is about the proper relationship of humans to nature. And "pervasive uncertainty." If that's not your cup of tea, you probably won't appreciate the book.
Other than the film, which is quite different from the book, what drew me to reading this was its length, less than 200 pages. I like a book that I can make its point quickly. It is formatted as a journal of the biologist of "expedition twelve," into the mysterious Area X. There's a constant tension in the narrative, but things stay relatively calm until the third act.
I did not realize this was published as a trilogy in quick succession over an eight-month period in 2014. And there's now a fourth book. They're all much longer in length than the first. I'm curious if the film used the entire trilogy as its source. What's your experience with these books and the film?
I wish I could find out more about how the artist, Pablo Delcan, developed the cover for this and the three other books in the Southern Reach Series. www.jeffvandermeer.com/book
This really hit the mark for me. Very short read, but it had me clinging to the pages. The scenario is peculiar and incredibly eerie. It reminded me of some of Dick's sci-fi short stories, which I'm a fan of. As the first book in the trilogy, it raises more questions than it provides answers, so I'm looking forward to reading the rest and hopefully finding a satisfying resolution.
This really hit the mark for me. Very short read, but it had me clinging to the pages. The scenario is peculiar and incredibly eerie. It reminded me of some of Dick's sci-fi short stories, which I'm a fan of.
As the first book in the trilogy, it raises more questions than it provides answers, so I'm looking forward to reading the rest and hopefully finding a satisfying resolution.
The way the mysteries compound and the story gets stranger and stranger as you go is really delicious. A little X-Files, a little Lovecraft -- it may lean a bit heavily on certain clichés, but it's written in a lovely, flowing, elegiac style and doesn't overstay its welcome. Plus it raises some interesting thoughts about the nature of borders, about personal transformation (and its cost), and about humanity's relationship with nature.
The way the mysteries compound and the story gets stranger and stranger as you go is really delicious. A little X-Files, a little Lovecraft -- it may lean a bit heavily on certain clichés, but it's written in a lovely, flowing, elegiac style and doesn't overstay its welcome. Plus it raises some interesting thoughts about the nature of borders, about personal transformation (and its cost), and about humanity's relationship with nature.
