Review of 'The brief history of the dead' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I was really prepared to be annoyed with this book, actually. I know, I know, judging based on covers is really taboo, but the author photo on the back was so overdramatic and everything about the appearance screamed "NATIONAL BESTSELLER OMG REEEAAD", and books that scream about themselves like that are always worth approaching warily and critically.
And I almost thought my skepticism was going to be justified. Brockmeier occasionally gets caught up in an out-of-place metaphor and spends too long focusing on the lyricism of the scene, rather than having anything actually happen. That's really actually the whole book. Nothing happens. Everything is told in a kind of ethereal flashback; nothing changes, and it's all musings and speculations and metaphors knocking around at the bottom of the barrel. There is no plot. And yet.
I'm a huge sucker for poetic afterlife-y type stuff, and this book was really satisfying. …
I was really prepared to be annoyed with this book, actually. I know, I know, judging based on covers is really taboo, but the author photo on the back was so overdramatic and everything about the appearance screamed "NATIONAL BESTSELLER OMG REEEAAD", and books that scream about themselves like that are always worth approaching warily and critically.
And I almost thought my skepticism was going to be justified. Brockmeier occasionally gets caught up in an out-of-place metaphor and spends too long focusing on the lyricism of the scene, rather than having anything actually happen. That's really actually the whole book. Nothing happens. Everything is told in a kind of ethereal flashback; nothing changes, and it's all musings and speculations and metaphors knocking around at the bottom of the barrel. There is no plot. And yet.
I'm a huge sucker for poetic afterlife-y type stuff, and this book was really satisfying. After a while, the metaphors ceased being insufferable and changed to subtly beautiful--had I had my own copy, I would have underlined and highlighted several particularly poignant passages. The voice of the thing was wonderful; quiet and unassuming, and idiosyncratic and lyrical.
I liked Laura. I expected the book to be mildly,"Stephen King"ly misogynistic, but the sort-of main character was incredibly strong and believable and inspiring and felt like an actual human being. Her breasts were only mentioned once.
The Brief History of the Dead is thinly satirical, quietly speculative, and deeply human and hopeful. Recommended if you like that sort of thing.
