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The End of the Ocean
(Klimakvartetten #2)
by
From the author of the #1 international bestseller and Indie Next Pick The History of Bees, a captivating new standalone novel about the threat of a worldwide water shortage as seen through the eyes of a father and daughter.
In 2019, seventy-year-old Signe sets out on a hazardous voyage to cross an entire ocean in only a sailboat. She is haunted by the loss of the love of h ...more
In 2019, seventy-year-old Signe sets out on a hazardous voyage to cross an entire ocean in only a sailboat. She is haunted by the loss of the love of h ...more
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Hardcover, 296 pages
Published
January 14th 2020
by HarperVia
(first published October 2017)
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Start your review of The End of the Ocean (Klimakvartetten, #2)

Mostly, I was bored. There was good descriptive writing, but it lacked an engaging storyline. It covers the timely issue of climate change, but overall the story lacked a concrete direction and was tediously executed.
The story is told in two time periods. Signe's narrative is told in 2017. Signe, a seventy year old woman in Norway, mostly recalls flashbacks from her childhood throughout her young adult life; her memories reflect the growing climate change and the power of water. David's narrati ...more
The story is told in two time periods. Signe's narrative is told in 2017. Signe, a seventy year old woman in Norway, mostly recalls flashbacks from her childhood throughout her young adult life; her memories reflect the growing climate change and the power of water. David's narrati ...more

The End of the Ocean has two narrators, Signe, in 2017, and David (with his little daughter, Lou), in 2041. The location of the story is Norway, the ocean, and drought stricken Europe. In 2041, wars are waging, people are dying due to lack of water, refugee camps are overflowing and then falling apart, as they can't keep up with the influx of refugees.
Seventy year old Signe, is crusty, angry, fueled by that anger, and has one more point to make, one more point to drive home, about the damage b ...more
Seventy year old Signe, is crusty, angry, fueled by that anger, and has one more point to make, one more point to drive home, about the damage b ...more

We first meet Signe, it’s 2017 and this seventy-year-old Norwegian lady has come back to the village of her youth. She is tortured by her past, by her fractured relationship with her mother but more so by what has happened to this beautiful place where she once lived. For as long as anyone could remember there was the mountain which on one side became a vertical wall creating the opportunity for the Sister Falls to descend hundreds of metres toward Lake Eide. On the other side of the mountain wa
...more

This is an incredibly relevant story for society's actions regarding climate control, the use of non-degradable plastics and the abuse of water.
The book follows two timelines:
In 2017 we follow the story of sixty seven year old Signe who all her life has battled thoughtless industry practises that have a detrimental impact on the environment.
And in 2041 we follow the story of David and his little girl Lou who are living in an all too realistic post-apocalyptic version of our future where drought ...more
The book follows two timelines:
In 2017 we follow the story of sixty seven year old Signe who all her life has battled thoughtless industry practises that have a detrimental impact on the environment.
And in 2041 we follow the story of David and his little girl Lou who are living in an all too realistic post-apocalyptic version of our future where drought ...more

In 2017, 70 year-old Signe returns to her home - the village of Ringfjorden, Norway. She has come with her life-long partner, her sailboat Blue, to avenge the glacier and the waterfalls of her home on the edge of the fjord. Signe became an environmentalist at an early age by the influence of her father, and she carried this with her throughout her life by fighting against the folly of human progress. Now she plans to make her final stand carrying the precious ice being harvested from the mountai
...more

The End of the Ocean tells the story of the impact of climate change through the perspective of two narrators, Signe in 2017 & David & his daughter, Lou, in 2041. Signe grows up in a lovely glacial village in Norway, where she learns environmental activism from her father, putting her at odds with her mother & several others in her village. Signe has spent her entire life protesting environmental causes & returns to her home village in 2017, when she learns that the glaciers are being harvested
...more

The End of the Ocean, Maja Lunde's sophomore novel, is a speculative fiction epic about conservation, ecology, climate change, family ties, the deep inner strength we all have as human beings and, most of all, water. Initially published in 2017 in Norwegian, this a book about survival and the desire human beings have to struggle through the often overwhelming obstacles and the adversity that stands in their way. It centres around three characters in particular: Signe, David and Lou. Signe's stor
...more

Water. Fresh water. Our most precious resource, so readily squandered where there is an abundance of it. In this particular book, the theme is water.
I enjoy Maja Lunde's writing. Her characters are wonderful and complex, usually set against a bleak future. We have Signe set in 2017 and her life, growing near a glacier. Her protests against extracting glacial ice for expensive drinks in the Middle East. Then there is David in 2041, who is a climate refugee with his daughter Lou. They got separat ...more
I enjoy Maja Lunde's writing. Her characters are wonderful and complex, usually set against a bleak future. We have Signe set in 2017 and her life, growing near a glacier. Her protests against extracting glacial ice for expensive drinks in the Middle East. Then there is David in 2041, who is a climate refugee with his daughter Lou. They got separat ...more

The End of the Ocean by Maja Lunde, translated by Diane Oatley
I found this to be one of the better eco-fiction books I've read in recent memory. The writing is accomplished and captivating, leapfrogging in following two time separated journeys by different characters. One journey I thought of as depicting cause, and the other I thought of as depicting effect, both portrayed through personal experiences. The characters and their experiences are engaging enough to hold the interest of even those r ...more
I found this to be one of the better eco-fiction books I've read in recent memory. The writing is accomplished and captivating, leapfrogging in following two time separated journeys by different characters. One journey I thought of as depicting cause, and the other I thought of as depicting effect, both portrayed through personal experiences. The characters and their experiences are engaging enough to hold the interest of even those r ...more

Very different from what I usually read
I thought this was a good book. I felt like the story was structured well. I liked how the narrative went back and forth between the two main characters. I thought this was a somewhat different take on a dystopian world. I only gave three stars because I felt like the ending fell flat. Overall I enjoyed reading it. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, fresh take on a dystopian story.
I thought this was a good book. I felt like the story was structured well. I liked how the narrative went back and forth between the two main characters. I thought this was a somewhat different take on a dystopian world. I only gave three stars because I felt like the ending fell flat. Overall I enjoyed reading it. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, fresh take on a dystopian story.

(2.75) Published in Norwegian as Blue in 2017. I loved Lunde’s first novel for adults, The History of Bees, but this was simultaneously insubstantial and sluggish. Two story lines alternate: Signe, an ageing eco-warrior, sabotages a glacier extraction project in Norway in 2017 and sets out in a sailboat alone. Nearly a quarter-century later, David is a climate refugee with his daughter Lou in Bordeaux, France, having been separated from his wife and baby son by fires. One day he and Lou stumble
...more

The End of the Ocean – Maja Lunde
I was generously given an advanced copy of this book in order to provide an honest review.
“The End of the Ocean” is the first book that I have read by Maja Lunde, thought I have heard many things and seen many reviews of her book “The History of Bees”.
“The End of the Ocean” is a story that follows a 70-year-old woman, Signe. She is a woman who is driven by her passion for the land and nature that is all around her. She will not and does not compromise on her ide ...more
I was generously given an advanced copy of this book in order to provide an honest review.
“The End of the Ocean” is the first book that I have read by Maja Lunde, thought I have heard many things and seen many reviews of her book “The History of Bees”.
“The End of the Ocean” is a story that follows a 70-year-old woman, Signe. She is a woman who is driven by her passion for the land and nature that is all around her. She will not and does not compromise on her ide ...more

This book is set in two different timelines. In 2019, 70-year-old Signe has spent her life as an activist on environmental issues. A majestic glacier is now being mined for its ice to be sent to the rich to put in their drinks. Signe performs an act of courage and takes off to the sea, on her way to confront the love of her life whom she hasn’t seen since she was a young girl. She has precious cargo on board.
In 2041, David and his little girl, Lou, have fled a terrible fire. They’ve been separat ...more
In 2041, David and his little girl, Lou, have fled a terrible fire. They’ve been separat ...more

I read this novel back to back with the first one in Lunde's series. And in the beginning I was a bit disappointed because the structure felt not as elegant as in the first book. The pace seemed even slower and it took some time for me to get into the characters. I thought I would go for 3 stars this time.
Then it clicked and I got into the stories of the two POVs, which became more and more intimate. This time freshwater reservoirs and availability of drinking water is the connecting theme for t ...more
Then it clicked and I got into the stories of the two POVs, which became more and more intimate. This time freshwater reservoirs and availability of drinking water is the connecting theme for t ...more

Dec 08, 2017
Myra
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-contemporary,
in-norwegian
1.5*
I had so high expectations for this book, and sadly, that probably ruins it.
It's been a while since I raed this, so this review will be short, but I swear, I could probably talk about it for ages.
Signe, one of our main characters, was one of the most annoying characters I have every read about, that was not supposed to be annoying. I skimmed through her first chapters and I liked the first chapters about David and Lou. But then, they started annoying me as well.
By no means is this a bad b ...more
I had so high expectations for this book, and sadly, that probably ruins it.
It's been a while since I raed this, so this review will be short, but I swear, I could probably talk about it for ages.
Signe, one of our main characters, was one of the most annoying characters I have every read about, that was not supposed to be annoying. I skimmed through her first chapters and I liked the first chapters about David and Lou. But then, they started annoying me as well.
By no means is this a bad b ...more

They were childhood friends who become lovers.
He wanted a comfortable life.
She wanted to save the world.
Would their love survive?
of the Ocean by Maja Lunde is a compelling dystopian novel and a warning. It is also a heartbreaking story of lovers torn asunder by social forces.
The exotic pristine beauty of Norway is the symbol of the beauty and perfection of the world--which humankind is willing to sacrifice to continue an unsustainable lifestyle.
Signe's mother was willing to destroy their Norwei ...more
He wanted a comfortable life.
She wanted to save the world.
Would their love survive?
of the Ocean by Maja Lunde is a compelling dystopian novel and a warning. It is also a heartbreaking story of lovers torn asunder by social forces.
The exotic pristine beauty of Norway is the symbol of the beauty and perfection of the world--which humankind is willing to sacrifice to continue an unsustainable lifestyle.
Signe's mother was willing to destroy their Norwei ...more

The End of the Ocean takes place in two different time periods, 2017 and 2041. It is told through two stories that are woven together. The 2017 storyline follows 67-year old Signe first in Norway as she travels south to France in her small sailboat, Blue. We learn that she is an activist, just as her father was and is distraught when she learns that the ancient glaciers of her home are being mined to be shipped to the Middle East as "pure ice" for the wealthy. As an attempt to show her defia
...more

Good idea, hasty execution. She should have used more time on the prose and the editing. But the characters are charming. And the theme important. So 3 worthy stars.

A story that brings up modern problems such as lack of water, an increase in the accumulation of waste and climate change. Narrated by two different people- one living in today's word and other from the future (2041), 'The End of the Ocean' is an eye-opener.
Signe, angry and frustrated, narrates a story that is her life, a battle with people who are degrading the environment. David and Lou, in 2041, are in a refugee camp in drought-stricken Europe.
The story eventually connects Signe and David cre ...more
Signe, angry and frustrated, narrates a story that is her life, a battle with people who are degrading the environment. David and Lou, in 2041, are in a refugee camp in drought-stricken Europe.
The story eventually connects Signe and David cre ...more

I received a free electronic ARC copy of this novel on October 5, 2019, from Netgalley, Maja Lunde, and Scribner UK. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend The End of the Ocean to friends and family. This is a novel that speaks well for the hearts call of family and the importance of cleaning up our act on our earth. It is a story for our time, and that to come
...more

The long awaited (at least by me) following book to The History of Bees and the most important message here is: YES! Maja Lunde could hold the level and the new book is again a highly recommended book and a great and important read!
Again Maja connects various points in time and describes a possible future scenario - this time a European future where the southern parts of the continet are about to turn into deserts. To imagine this future it surely helped that I read it during a very hot and dry ...more
Again Maja connects various points in time and describes a possible future scenario - this time a European future where the southern parts of the continet are about to turn into deserts. To imagine this future it surely helped that I read it during a very hot and dry ...more

The End of the Ocean is a book about what happens to our world thanks to climate change and how those who are living survive. It is told by two narrators. Signe lives in 2017 and David lives in 2041. Our story takes place on the ocean, in Norway and in mainland Europe where they are suffering from severe drought. In David's story wars are waging and huge populations live in refugee camps. David is trying to survive and provide for his young daughter. Signe is a septuagenarian who is feisty. Luck
...more

The author paints a bleak future for humans.
Signe is a 70 year old Norwegian woman. It is 2017 and she has spent her life as an activist sailing to various man-made ecological shambles (is she an elderly Greta Thundberg?). She is in her last campaign and reminisces on her life and love.
For David and his young daughter, Lou it is 2041 in Southern Europe. A long drought sees a land of refugees, hunger and families being uprooted.
Signe's story is engaging and interesting. David's story is more pr ...more
Signe is a 70 year old Norwegian woman. It is 2017 and she has spent her life as an activist sailing to various man-made ecological shambles (is she an elderly Greta Thundberg?). She is in her last campaign and reminisces on her life and love.
For David and his young daughter, Lou it is 2041 in Southern Europe. A long drought sees a land of refugees, hunger and families being uprooted.
Signe's story is engaging and interesting. David's story is more pr ...more

This was so close to a five star. Especially the Signe parts. She is my idol.
I'm one of those who think this is better than the previous one. So good and made me think a lot.
If you have a vague interest in this, read it. ...more
I'm one of those who think this is better than the previous one. So good and made me think a lot.
If you have a vague interest in this, read it. ...more

In The End of the Ocean, Maja Lunde tackles climate change, water shortages, and the melting of the polar ice caps in much the same way as the author’s previous novel, The History of the Bees: told through stories of families who interact closely with it across multiple timelines.
And in that way, Lunde was largely successful. Both stories of love and loss, hope and hearbreak are ones for the ages (literally). Signe’s sea voyage is epic, and sometimes feels absolutely ridiculous. That is the trut ...more
And in that way, Lunde was largely successful. Both stories of love and loss, hope and hearbreak are ones for the ages (literally). Signe’s sea voyage is epic, and sometimes feels absolutely ridiculous. That is the trut ...more

This story is alternately narrated by Signe in 2017 and David in 2041. Signe is an older woman, sailing to the home of her old love Magnus. Magnus is the CEO of a company which takes ice from glaciers and sells it desert nations for use in their drinks. Signe has stolen some containers of this ice which she is taking to dump on his doorstep. As she travels she remembers earlier times when she was an environmental activist. David and his daughter Lou are heading north to try to escape a drought w
...more
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Maja Lunde is a Norwegian author and screenwriter. Lunde has written ten books for children and young adults. She has also written scripts for Norwegian television, including for the children’s series Barnas supershow (“The Children’s Super Show”), the drama series Hjem (“Home”) and the comedy series Side om Side (“Side by Side”). The History of Bees is her first novel for adults. She lives with h
...more
Other books in the series
Klimakvartetten
(3 books)
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