Earth Abides in Apocalypse Whenever

Nov 23, 2012 Tracy rated it it was ok

Because this book was written in 1949, I have to acknowledge that it was a different world. We start with Isherwood Williams (strange name, as that is my street!) in a cabin alone. Something happens and wipes out humanity. We are never sure of what happens, but it's bad and survivors are scattered everywhere. Isherwood sets out to find them and runs into the good, the bad and the ugly. He gases up a car from his town, stops by his parents house and leaves them a note, then he's off from Californ Because this book was written in 1949, I have to acknowledge that it was a different world. We start with Isherwood Williams (strange name, as that is my street!) in a cabin alone. Something happens and wipes out humanity. We are never sure of what happens, but it's bad and survivors are scattered everywhere. Isherwood sets out to find them and runs into the good, the bad and the ugly. He gases up a car from his town, stops by his parents house and leaves them a note, then he's off from California to New York and back again. In my opinion, I would have stocked up, hoarded and got as many gardening supplies, generators and gas I could get. I would have fortified my home and made it a stronghold. There's so much I would have done, but alas, this is 1949 and I would have been relegated to having babies, keeping house and cooking. I would have had very little opinion on anything and would only be asked questions when the protagonist is under duress.

Aside from those frustrations, this felt like an annoying meditation on mankind. It reminded me of the movie Wall-E. Isherwood hooks up with a lady and next thing you know, babies are being born. The important details seem tribe skimmed over, but the thoughts of Isherwood and man kinds progression or subsequent regression are not spared. Oh no, we get all that in glorious detail and that is what annoys me in this book. As we are supposed to progress, the protagonist and his tribe regress. The Older Ones have big thoughts of recreating ice or how Isherwood spends an inordinate amount of time focusing on one of his children to be his heir, it just starts to become annoying.

I'm not even going to talk about how naive the second generation of kids are when they bring a stranger back to The Tribe. This causes jealousy and confusion among the Alpha males, one even describes the newcomer as "rotten inside as a ten day fish". Paranoia is something that never goes out of style. It also seems that since there are no vaccinations available, everyone is wide open to catching diseases, so when a stranger stops through everyone gets sick. But what amazed me the most was the absolute laziness of man. As time moves on, everyone just kind of accepts how craptastic everything is: no water-that's okay, we will get water eventually, no food? scour the town and eat the stuff in dented cans, that's okay too.

I guess it was the whole laissez faire attitude that results in our protagonist eventually losing his mind and thinking himself a god because he is the Last American. I just found this book an insult to my intelligence and hard to read because I'm a fully on feminist-why men have to do everything? And don't get me started on how they didn't want the stupid one to have kids, so they locked her away. Ugh. I just did not like this book at all. ...more

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Mar 18, 2009 Sarena rated it liked it

Shelves: post-apcalyptic, plague

As I read this book, I switched back and forth between yes this is somewhat possible to only somewhat plausible. The writer did bring up many interesting points about a future where the human race is reduced drastically by plague, conveniently he chooses to make most of the bodies disappear, which is not so likely. I really enjoyed his analogies of the the earth slowly dissolving all signs of civilization.

I can't believe this book was written in 1949, minus the technology factor, this book rings ...more

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