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The Islanders

3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 · rating details · 269 ratings · 72 reviews

Reality is illusory and magical in the stunning new literary SF novel from the multiple award-winning author of The Prestige—for fans of Haruki Murakami and David Mitchell

A tale of murder, artistic rivalry, and literary trickery; a Chinese puzzle of a novel where nothing is quite what it seems; a narrator whose agenda is artful and subtle; a narrative that pulls you in and...more

Hardcover, 342 pages

Published June 1st 2012 by Gollancz (first published September 22nd 2011)

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Locus 2011 Recommended SF Novels

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Science Fiction and Fantasy Books We Can’t Wait For This Fall (2011)

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Oct 09, 2012 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Изумителен като мащаб и великолепен като език и атмосфера пъзел (или дори ребус) от истории за изкуство, любов, загуби, войни, стотици ветрове и пеещи планини, картинни епоси и времеви вортекси, който прелива от трилър, във фантастика, в хорър, в импресия, в какво ли не, и се сглобява в туристически пътеводител на един странен и невъзможен за картографиране архипелаг от острови. Леко декадентският, силно мистериозен и ужасно изкусителен свят на The Dream Archipelago, където различни времена, хор...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Larou added it

Shelves: 2011-10, science, fiction

This book surprised me – Priest is very much a cerebral author, and from the reviews I had read I expected this, his first novel in eight years if I remember correctly, to be an interesting, but somewhat dry affair. Instead, it turned out to be a veritable page turner that had me glued to my Kindle with only grudging interruptions for things like the occasional food intake or sleep. Definitely not what you would expect from a book that for the most part (with the exception of some more conventio...more

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Jun 11, 2013 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, fiction, fantasy

Echoing Le Guin and Calvino Is This Novel Cloaked as a Travel Guide

“The Islanders” is a remarkable realistic speculative fiction tale about a murder, artistic rivalry and literary deception written by one of the finest writers writing now in any genre in the English language; eminent Briton Christopher Priest. This is a Rubik’s Cube of a novel, recounting the main plot points in a literary style reminiscent, in places, of Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon”, and one that evokes early Ursula Le Guin (e....more

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Apr 22, 2013 Stan rated it 4 of 5 stars

p.25: Interesting concept, a book with each chapter relating to an island in a fictional archipelago. Sometimes it's a physical description only (weather, topology, etc), while others it's a personal story of something that happened on the island.
p.100: Enjoying the writing. The randomness of the content and organization -- the chapters are in alphabetical order of islands' names, not chronological -- puts the reader into an islander's lazy, passive state of mind.
p.200: Now seeing that the snipp...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Klytia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Di solito non leggo mai le introduzioni. Errore. Questa bisogna leggerla poichè è scritta da Chas Kammeston, rinomato scrittore e abitante del Dream Archipelago.
La lettura di The Islander non è facile, non tanto per per lo stile di Priest piuttosto scorrevole, quanto per il modo in cui le storie si dipanano.
The Islander non è un romanzo nè una raccolta di racconti bensì una guida turistica delle isole che compongono il Dream Achipelago. Ogni capitolo è dedicato ad un'isola la quale viene descr...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Charles Dee Mitchell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-sf, contemporary-lit

On whatever world it exists, the Dream Archipelago is a band of thousands of islands circumnavigating the equator and extending into both the northern and southern temperate zones. Many of the islands are unnamed, and the naming conventions can be misleading since each island has both a standard name and a name in the local patois. Mapping the islands is essentially impossible due to something called the temporal vortices. The vortices were first discovered when sea and air travelers came to rea...more On whatever world it exists, the Dream Archipelago is a band of thousands of islands circumnavigating the equator and extending into both the northern and southern temperate zones. Many of the islands are unnamed, and the naming conventions can be misleading since each island has both a standard name and a name in the local patois. Mapping the islands is essentially impossible due to something called the temporal vortices. The vortices were first discovered when sea and air travelers came to realize that when using standard navigational tools the islands they departed from where not always in the same location when they returned. Those who have mastered these shifts can use the vortices as short cuts when traveling by air, but most travel is done by short range ferries. The book contains an effort to explain this phenomenon which frankly did me little good.

The Islanders is presented as a gazetteer of the archipelago, with each chapter part of an alphabetical listing of major or in some cases simply curious islands. But notice the title emphasizes inhabitants not geography. Recurring characters establish narrative threads throughout the book, although the threads can become tattered loose ends. So is Priest's book a novel in the form of a gazetteer? That seems like a pretty good description. Calling something an "experimental novel" sounds old-fashioned at this late date. This is not a traditional novel, but it is certainly a fiction, a term that emphasizes its Borgesian tendencies. There is romance, murder, monsters, ancient evil, war, and civil unrest, all incidents told against a background where the social structures combine a form of "benign medieval feudal state" alongside high-tech industries and generous wi-fi connections.

I confess I was more impressed by Priest's novel than I was enthralled or entertained by it. Right up to the last chapter I looked forward to discovering how he would tie together his disparate plot lines. Having now read reviews of the book I see I was playing a fool's game with an author not known for tying things together. Which is fine. We are, after all, in the Dream Archipelago. I am now content not to know who murdered the mime Comiss, or why characters who die in the course of the story still make an appearance in what I feel certain is a chronologically later episode. It must be those temporal vortices at work.

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Jun 10, 2012 Fence rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sff

I have no idea what to say about this book. I have no idea what it is all about. But I suppose I should make some sort of an effort. The Islanders is not really a story, it is a travel guide. A guidebook to the Dream Archipelego, and of course I haven’t yet read the book of that name, so perhaps it would help with this one if I did. However at least parts of The Affirmation were set there, so I did have some little background. Most of the chapters describe an island, giving a bit of history, or...more

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May 22, 2012 caty rated it 4 of 5 stars

A travel guide through the Dream Archipelago.

This isn’t really a novel. There are recurring characters, but I read it more like a collection of short stories, mostly written in the style of a travel guide. Do read the introduction. I didn’t until halfway through when it occurred to me that the name of a character looked familiar and lo and behold it was because the character had written the introduction and I’d missed that! I really enjoyed several facets of this book. It doesn’t all connect tog

...more

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Dec 26, 2011 David Hebblethwaite rated it 4 of 5 stars

Christopher Priest’s work has given me some of the best reading experiences I’ve ever had, so I opened The Islanders – his first novel in nine years – with no small amount of anticipation. For this book, Priest returns to the world of the Dream Archipelago, setting for a number of short stories and, in part, 1981’s The Affirmation (rest assured that The Islanders stands alone, though readers of the earlier works will recognise a few names and concepts). The Dream Archipelago is a great, world-sp...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Alexandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Some advice on reading The Islanders, by Christopher Priest.

1. Read the introduction.

No, really. Even if you're an "I never read the introduction" kinda person, read this introduction. It's part of the story, and without it you are likely to be terrible confused, because...

2. Don't think this is a novel.

At least, not in the conventional, linear (or even non-linear) plot sense. Things happen, but not in any sort of chronological order. This is, as the introduction suggests, more of a gazette: an...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Jani rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Blast. Another book that simply begs for rereading. It seems I have to quit reading new books for quite a while to go through the books on my rereading list if they keep popping up at this pace. However, of the recent books that have demanded a recurring exploration, Christopher Priest's novel has certainly left the least bit of anxiety, or lets say a need, for the rereading; rather it left me curious for one, but still satisfied with the experience of the virginal reading.

The Islanders is as th...more Blast. Another book that simply begs for rereading. It seems I have to quit reading new books for quite a while to go through the books on my rereading list if they keep popping up at this pace. However, of the recent books that have demanded a recurring exploration, Christopher Priest's novel has certainly left the least bit of anxiety, or lets say a need, for the rereading; rather it left me curious for one, but still satisfied with the experience of the virginal reading.

The Islanders is as the name implies all about islands. However, if one doesn't want to extend the matter into a metaphor, one could describe the novel as a weave of certain kind. The plentiful threads that run through are woven into a tapestry that seems to tell a lot of singular stories, but leaves the reader searching for the common thread that possible holds the different fabrics, colours and pictures together and makes them a somehow unified work of art. Sure some tapestries tell a simple tale that can be thus interpreted (tale of a deer hunt, for example), but this novel works more like a medieval castles one that is overflowing with details that lets everyone of its viewers make their own stories. Of course, a novel struggles to find such plenitude whilst keeping itself comprehend-able, but Mr Priest does quite well.

The stories of the novel a told in small segments that popup through out the novel in larger or tiny details. They are almost left at intervals so the reader often has to think back to what he/she had read, what happened before as he/she is left with curious feelings that this is connected and bring more variance to what was read before. If one manages, like I did to, to stop his flow from being slowed by searching through the earlier pages (which is not made too easy either to stop this kind of ill behaviour), one is left with a curious mix that invites a rereading while not disturbing the first experience, but rather making it more interesting by turning it into a literary game.

The novel is not a simple one, but then again it does give a lot of clues to its puzzle. In fact, I've rarely read a novel that gives so many subtle hints to how it should be read and interpreted (but still leaving the choice to you). This novel is as much about art (its making and its makers) as it is a work of art in itself. Also, it is pretty damn entertaining.

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Jul 19, 2012 Danny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

If you're looking for a theme of this book, you can find it right on the cover. Next to the title rests the phrase "All men are islands." And that's what we proceed to learn through an extended and complicated metaphor. Though the book itself makes the same point in many different ways, that phrase summarizes at least one of the themes nicely. "All men are islands." ("Men" in this instance means "humans" and not "males.")

The novel takes place on a world with two large continents at the poles. Th...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Feistytiger rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A tale of murder, artistic rivalry and literary trickery; a chinese puzzle of a novel where nothing is quite what it seems; a narrator whose agenda is artful and subtle; a narrative that pulls you in and plays an elegant game with you. The Dream Archipelago is a vast network of islands. The names of the islands are different depending on who you talk to, their very locations seem to twist and shift. Some islands have been sculpted into vast musical instruments, others are home to lethal creature...more A tale of murder, artistic rivalry and literary trickery; a chinese puzzle of a novel where nothing is quite what it seems; a narrator whose agenda is artful and subtle; a narrative that pulls you in and plays an elegant game with you. The Dream Archipelago is a vast network of islands. The names of the islands are different depending on who you talk to, their very locations seem to twist and shift. Some islands have been sculpted into vast musical instruments, others are home to lethal creatures, others the playground for high society. Hot winds blow across the archipelago and a war fought between two distant continents is played out across its waters. THE ISLANDERS serves both as an untrustworthy but enticing guide to the islands, an intriguing, multi-layered tale of a murder and the suspect legacy of its appealing but definitely untrustworthy narrator. I

This is such a weird and wonderful book. A really refreshing perspective of a fiction novel. Each chapter is split into the different islands of the Dream Archipelago, some are short story's focusing on an important or iconic member of the islands. Others are more a travel introduction to each island. Somehow (and very cleverly), these all seem to intertwine and become a fantastic read.

The book itself starts slowly and you are a tad confused about where the information is going, but before you know it your sucked right in, you've read more pages than you thought and it is starting to make some sense. Because its not a fiction as we know it, it really doesn't have much of a plot, just many intertwining stories. This does make it feel like it ends abruptly (and to be honest I really didn't like the end chapter). However this did not spoil the book for me.

Its a hard book to review because its so different, I cant explain it properly. What I do know its compelling, interesting, refreshingly different and a hard book to put down. Its the kind of book thats like a rich box of chocolates, you savour each bit and cant always take it all at once, but you do keep sneaking back for a more and a bit more.

An absolutely fascinating read....
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Jun 23, 2012 Ben De Bono rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Even by Christopher Priest standards this one is tough to review. On the one hand, it's a book you don't want to know too much about going in as the process of discovery is a large part of its greatness. On the other, without some word of explanation about what you're reading potential readers, especially those new to Priest, may be turned off.

Perhaps the best thing to say is that whether you're a veteran to Priest's work or a newcomer, it's imperative to go into The Islanders with an open mind...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Word-Weary Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read full review here: http://wordwearyreviews.wordpress.com...

Weeks later, I’m still thinking about this book, and, while that might suggest it errs on the side of too opaque, I’m biased. If I don’t understand a book at first glance, my first instinct is to assume it’s good. Like any Priest novel, it’s certainly a work of legerdemain. Certainly, the more you read, the more you begin to understand. Unlike the other Priest novels I’ve read, however, there is no moment of revelation when everythin...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Moviegenius20 rated it 1 of 5 stars

I have no idea what to say about this book. The Islanders is not really a novel with a plotline and main characters. It is actually a book written as a gazetteer or travel guide of the imaginary set of islands called the Dream Archipelego. Each chapter describes an island maybe giving some history or telling a story about people who are from or live on this particular island.

In 4 words:I HATED THIS BOOK!!

It was boring. There were some connections that connected some islands with characters or pl...more

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Dec 06, 2011 ashok rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book builds on the premise of Priest's novel from the the 80s "The Dream Archipelago". One of the interesting story lines of the Dream Archipelago was the "Thryme" the menacing insect which has a symbiotic relationship with a fruit. giant.

They make periodic appearances in the "The Islanders". Unlike the "Dream Archipelago" which was a set of disjointed short stories about a hypothetical group of islands, there is a common story arc in "The Islanders".

The book is written in "Travel Guide" f...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Meek rated it 4 of 5 stars

La nueva novela de Priest es una de las mas complejas que haya tenido el placer de leer. Me recordó a favoritos mios como "Peace" o "The Fifth Head Of Cerberus" de Gene Wolfe, o "Pale Fire" de Nabokov, donde por un lado tenemos narradores no confiables, y por otro lado se nos enfrenta a narraciones fragmentarias, donde debemos organizar un rompecabezas que aqui adquiere proporciones elefantasicas. Porque el libro en si es una supuesta "Guia Turistica" de un inabarcable archipielago, y cada una d...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Danielle rated it 2 of 5 stars

So *hard* to rate this book. Reviews made me give it a go - that and the fact that the author wrote 'The Prestige', which admittedly I've not read but adored the movie. Can a novel be both boring and intriguing at the same time? Apparently so. It's a murder tale, wrapped in a thousand digressions about tides, winds and rock formations. Hundreds of tiny, fascinating leads go largely unexplored. I think I faked myself out, waiting for some big reveal that never came. At times, the journey was abso...more

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May 24, 2013 Marion rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: english-literature, books-i-own, read-in-english, 2013

This was my very first Christopher Priest read.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Priest in June 2012, he was invited to a book festival I worked at, and he was presenting his new book (The Islanders). Being a broke student, I couldn't afford the 20€ the bookseller was requiring of me to buy the book (you'd think working pro bono for the festival I'd have some kind of discount right? But nooo). I was really annoyed at it, so when a few months ago I found the book for 9€, I grabbed it and didn't le...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Dustin George-Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's hard to know how to write a review of this book, because it's unlike any other book I've ever read. Less a novel than a travel guide to an imaginary world, Christopher Priest has written a fascinating and unique book that ends up being more than the sum of its collective parts.

"The Islanders" is ostensibly in the guise of a "gazetteer" of the fictional Dream Archipelago, a world that has featured and referenced in several of Priest's other writings. The Dream Archipelago is a massive collec...more It's hard to know how to write a review of this book, because it's unlike any other book I've ever read. Less a novel than a travel guide to an imaginary world, Christopher Priest has written a fascinating and unique book that ends up being more than the sum of its collective parts.

"The Islanders" is ostensibly in the guise of a "gazetteer" of the fictional Dream Archipelago, a world that has featured and referenced in several of Priest's other writings. The Dream Archipelago is a massive collection of islands that spans a vast stretch of ocean in this fictional world; there are major continents towards each pole of the planet, and these continental forces are constantly at war. A significant percentage of the populace (it is surmised) lives in the archipelago itself, with each island having its own distinct culture, heritage, interesting features, currency and often language (patois). In the background of all of this geography is the presence of "temporal disturbances" in the atmosphere which both allow for quick and easy air travel across the globe by Archipelago inhabitants, but that also prevents the numerous islands from ever being effectively charted and mapped.

Priest's narrator sets his "gazette" by island in alphabetical order. Throughout the course of the book, various characters, concepts, ideas, and themes come and go like random colored threads in a crazy tapestry -- they intertwine, divert, and interact in various ways. There's a murder mystery, a spat of gothic horror, a Don Giovanni-esque artistic rake, a mysterious and beautiful philosopher, archipelago-wide past-times ("tunneling"), and more, all set in this intriguing tapestry of islands that is similar in many ways to our own world.

At the end of the entry for the last island, the book simply... stops. It is left to the reader to make sense of the intertwining narratives. Some threads achieve resolution. Many do not. The narrator is the very definition of "untrustworthy" in the literary sense -- the further one goes through the book the more one begins to doubt the veracity of what has been written. For example: [SPOILER!] the writer of the book's fictional introduction proves to be, well, deceased before the end of the gazetteer, which causes some major time-line problems. This, however, doesn't come across as an error, but yet another layer of mystery within this unique world.

This is my first Christopher Priest novel, and I found it so incredibly compelling that, while I did put it down for a while (the book's self-contained structure makes it easy to put aside for a while and come back later) I devoured it quite quickly, for me. The geographical setting, narrative threads, and mysteries make it an unusual read, but one I found beyond fascinating. It's equal parts Alan Moore, LOST, and Fodor's Guide, with just a smattering of H.P. Lovecraft. I truly hope Priest returns to the Dream Archipelago in the future, as there are infinitely more story possibilities to tell and mysteries to explore. Highly recommended.(less)

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Jan 14, 2013 Mike Humphrey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars.

A frustrating, yet enjoyable read. I enjoyed this strange collection of travel "entries" - but mostly under the pretense that all of the little narrative stories that were strung between the different islands would be revisited and resolved before the book's conclusion. Sadly there was no such conclusion, and the handful of narrative short stories that I enjoyed on certain islands were left without any follow-up.

Certain images and stories will definitely linger with me for a while si...more 3.5 stars.

A frustrating, yet enjoyable read. I enjoyed this strange collection of travel "entries" - but mostly under the pretense that all of the little narrative stories that were strung between the different islands would be revisited and resolved before the book's conclusion. Sadly there was no such conclusion, and the handful of narrative short stories that I enjoyed on certain islands were left without any follow-up.

Certain images and stories will definitely linger with me for a while since I've finished reading it - and for that it sits strongly in between 3 and 4 stars. It had that certain sense of mystery and confusion that really made the book for me (something my last read, "Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Book Store", could've used more of.) But what really tested my patience was the numerous smaller, more encyclopedic entries that did nothing of narrative purpose, and very little in expanding our picture of the "Dream Archipelago" that the author was giving us a tour of. Despite this, I quickly read through the short chapters, anticipating the final act - a masterful 'final trick' that the quotes on the cover seemed to hint at, something that would reveal all - but this was sorely missing. A return visit to the islands and characters I really cared about never came. What we get in the final island/story falls flat, a bizarrely humorous reflection on art and artists, and one of the weaker "narrative" entries of the book.

At its best, "The Islanders" reminds me of some of the best moments of TV's "Lost" - you're confused, but at the same time completely invested in the infinite possibilities of this alternate tropical world you're glimpsing into.

I failed to completely enjoy this one for almost the opposite reasons that I gave "Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Book Store" the same rating. "Mr. Penumbra" lost me about half way through, when I stopped believing in the characters and the story wrapped itself up a little too nicely - I enjoyed it at the time, but nothing from that read has really stuck with me in the past few weeks. On the other hand, I completely bought into the world Christopher Priest was building with "The Islanders" - I just wished he had followed through with some of the narratives that he begun. For me, "The islanders" is the preferable way to spend a few hours in a book - and it will certainly stick with me for a while, as my brain tries to untangle a few of the lingering mysteries.

So ummm yeah - confusing, good book - bad ending. Maybe I read it in the wrong order? Always bad when you wonder that.(less)

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Oct 22, 2012 Victor Digiovanni rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating book. Probably the 'weirdest' book I've read since Vonnegut's "Galapagos." (Maybe it's something to do with islands that provides the weirdness?)

There's no direct linear story that unfolds, as this book is essentially a group of short stories all connected together using the conceit of a gazetteer about the thousands of islands that make up this world. This world is essentially modern-day Earth, with internet, airplanes, etc, transplanted to a new planet where thousands of loosely co...more Fascinating book. Probably the 'weirdest' book I've read since Vonnegut's "Galapagos." (Maybe it's something to do with islands that provides the weirdness?)

There's no direct linear story that unfolds, as this book is essentially a group of short stories all connected together using the conceit of a gazetteer about the thousands of islands that make up this world. This world is essentially modern-day Earth, with internet, airplanes, etc, transplanted to a new planet where thousands of loosely connected 'neutral' islands called the Dream Archipelago ring the equator of the world while two larger land masses on the north and south poles constitute the foreign nations who engage in an endless war.

Each chapter focuses on one of the more interesting islands, and while many of the chapters are in a somewhat clinical sort of encyclopedic entry, there are a bunch of stories that take on a more creative format, such as a series of letters, or a murder confession and a couple of straight up short stories. As with any collection of short stories, some were more engaging than others, but none were uninteresting.

Now even though there's no one narrative thread that goes through this book, there are several prominent characters and events that are featured or referred to repeatedly, with each mention revealing another piece of the puzzle. As you read this, you'll start to get excited thinking you have some sort of opportunity to actually figure out the various mysteries, but (spoiler alert), nothing gets resolved by the end of the book. In fact, many of the accounts provide contradictory evidence. While on the surface it seems none of these stories are resolved, I'm pretty sure that within everything presented, the author has supplied all the clues needed to come to some sort of version of the truth.

If I was sure there WAS a definitive resolution to the mysteries, I'd be excitedly diving back into the story with index cards and red string and thumbtacks, and attempting to piece this all together. It was a fun read, if a bit clinical at times. I'd happily read more stories set in this world (which I understand some of Priest's earlier works are set here, but don't necessarily connect to any of the storylines or characters in "The Islanders").(less)

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Oct 24, 2012 J.P. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

This is for certain a strangely written book. Most of the time I can tell by a publisher’s blurb if I should rush and buy it. But every now and then a novel comes out that keeps me humble and I think afterwards I could have waited. This is one of them.
For the most part, The Islanders reads like a bunch of travel brochures. Some parts just deal with the climate of the islands. Others focus only on certain features. So there is little continuity and it feels more like a short story collection. T...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Michelle Kish rated it 4 of 5 stars

First, I'd like to point out that I love Priest's writing style and his unique approach to point of view. His literary fluidity and masterful use of unreliable narrators is largely why I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. Regardless of plot, it is a joy to read. It is also a joy to see the cracks form in the originally pristine descriptions and see the characters that start out peppered throughout the individual islands, weave together as the book progresses.

However, this book is not devoid of fl...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars

My first impression of this book was that it had a certain strangeness, or foreignness one experiences when traveling. It was as if Priest is taking you on a journey through the islands of his imagination. It's by no means a conventional novel so you have to let it take you where it leads you.

Parts of it read like a travel guide and other parts are short stories, linked by recurring characters, places and events. Some chapters are as short as 1 page while some span many pages telling compelling...more My first impression of this book was that it had a certain strangeness, or foreignness one experiences when traveling. It was as if Priest is taking you on a journey through the islands of his imagination. It's by no means a conventional novel so you have to let it take you where it leads you.

Parts of it read like a travel guide and other parts are short stories, linked by recurring characters, places and events. Some chapters are as short as 1 page while some span many pages telling compelling short stories.

My first read through this book, I couldn't help but think of the chapters as a metaphor for the islands themselves. Some chapters are in fact descriptions of the islands, while others are narratives from different character perspectives that cross over and span multiple chapters.

The islands in the novel are described as an archipelago that is always shifting depending on where you are and your perspective. Stories are told out of order and from varying perspectives. During the course of reading this book, there are bits and pieces of information that will make you want to revisit a previous chapter/island to see it in a different light.

At the end, I found myself wanting to reread/revisit each chapter, each island, but in a different order. I even tried mapping out the people, places and things in order to put a linear track on the underlying story. I tried to connect each character's relationship to other characters. But alas, it's harder than it sounds. It makes more sense when it is out of order in my head. It's probably as hard as the characters in the novel, trying to map out the dream archipelago itself.

Once again, Christopher Priest has created a great piece of fiction that frames itself on itself. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but that's the fun part about his books. They lend themselves to that kind of thinking. I'd definitely read it again and I'm sure the next time around it will feel like a totally different book and a totally different place.

Another great thing about this book is that it is filled with great short stories that can stand on their own feet as well.
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Sep 30, 2011 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011_release_read, read_2011, top_25_2011_novels, genre-sf, review_fbc

While I reserve the right to change my mind and proclaim this the best novel of 2011, so far after 1 read and a half I am unimpressed; bland prose mars a very clever novel, but the cleverness is literary and that does not get that high grade marks by itself since a novel has to live so to speak and this one is a bit on life support from that point of view.

Literary cleverness is essentially a game and while some like it, i really do not and the book abounds with examples that are absurd and solip...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Suzy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was annoyed when I finished this book because it was implied that there was a puzzle or mystery to it and I don't think there is. I think there are tricks and there are nice imaginative vignettes that make you want there to be MORE STORY but there is no more story. Then it ends and I was so disappointed. I don't know whether I loved it or hated it. Which is weird given the content of the last chapter. Perhaps it was all predestined. Perhaps it worked as it was supposed to.

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May 10, 2013 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked being in the world with winds and seas, maps that are inaccurate and incomplete, temporal vortices, strange artists. This is really what kept me reading until the end. The whole thing felt disjointed, although it did strike a decent balance between short tour book-type chapters and the lengthier character chapters. It just didn't fit together as a whole for me. I don't mind having to do a little work to get the gist of things from multiple points of view, but I missed the larger narrativ...more

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Jul 27, 2012 John rated it 1 of 5 stars

I loved Priest's "Inverted World," and hoped for another great ride. But this book just failed, from page one. The plot consists of recurring characters popping up on various islands that make up a world. They don't do much that is interesting, really. This seems more an exercise in postmodern non-linear something or other than a good old fashioned story, which is what I want out of my sci-fi escapes. Meanwhile, I've read away the last day of my vacation. Ah well.

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About Christopher Priest

Christopher Priest was born in Cheshire, England. He began writing soon after leaving school and has been a full-time freelance writer since 1968.

He has published eleven novels, four short story collections and a number of other books, including critical works, biographies, novelizations and children’s non-fiction.

He has written drama for radio (BBC Radio 4) and television (Thames TV and HTV). In...more

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