Review of Little Eyes

Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


So many stories start with an intriguing premise but then quickly drop the ball. "Downsizing," starring Matt Damon, comes to mind (though, granted, it's a movie, not a book). That premise deals with a process that shrinks people down to just a few inches tall as a way to deal with resource shortages and other environmental issues. The notion is fascinating. What are the potential ramifications of being the size of a clothespin? Sadly, we never find out. The story veers into other territory and never veers back. If you tune in late, you won't even realize it's a movie about tiny people

Contrast that with Little Eyes. This novel tells the story of a new electronic "toy"—Furby with a webcam, if you will. One person "inhabits" the toy via their computer. They can control its movements, see what it sees, and hear what it hears. Meanwhile, another person--a random stranger--owns the toy, and it's their life that's on display. Little Eyes treats this premise like a gem, turning it over and over to explore all the various facets of such a situation. The author used a vignette approach, which works well, because there's no way all the implications of this scenario could be fully fleshed out via just one or two of these toys. The stories feel like real life. They're sometimes disturbing but always mesmerizing. Nothing is sugar-coated, and there are no contrived happy endings. I finished reading the book--and then started reading it all over again, because I wasn't ready for it to end. Five stars for Little Eyes.



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