Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

[Angie, Constant Reader]

Discuss Annihilation here. Please mark all spoilers for those reading along this month.

[Matthew]

I hope everyone enjoys! This one didn't work for me so I never went on to the rest of the series.

Also, I will be interested to see what others think, but I didn't feel there was enough here for a movie.

[Badseedgirl]

I read this series in September, but am looking forward to discussing it.

[Summer]

I have a feeling I'm not going to love this one, but it was on the short list for my local book club this year so I'm looking forward to giving it a shot.

[Karri]

I've picked this one up and will start it within the next week or so. I'm looking forward to something different.

[Ian]

I loved the last non-SK read, The Troop, but I'm not enjoying this one so much.

It reads well, but is a little uneventful.

I'm nearing the end now, and will finish, but I don't think I'll be reading the other two in the series.

.

[Summer]

I'm struggling a little with this one, too. The author lost me a few pages in when (view spoiler)[the biologist inhaled the spores and didn't tell anyone. I dislike plots that hinge on characters being dumb and making decisions that seem inconsistent with who they are (hide spoiler)].

I'm glad it's a short book, because it's moving slowly.

[Feli]

Hi everyone,
I started the book two days ago and am halfthrough. I have to admit that I really like it so far, but seems I am the only one here ^^
I am really enjoying this one and I like that it's not so eventful or full of action :)

[Karri]

Hi folks - I started this one yesterday for the 2nd or 3rd time. I think the story is finally catching for me, although, it's probably not going to be on my list of favorites. We'll see if I gain more appreciation for it as the story evolves!

[Nick]

I'm starting this one later today. We'll see.

[Amanda]

I've just passed the part where (view spoiler)[the biologist and surveyor discover the anthropologist's body (hide spoiler)]
Enjoying it so far, not sure what to expect!

[Badseedgirl]

Feli wrote: "Hi everyone,
I started the book two days ago and am halfthrough. I have to admit that I really like it so far, but seems I am the only one here ^^
I am really enjoying this one and I like that it's..."

I enjoyed this book because Area X is the main character, not the people. I think it takes real skill to be able to make an environment a character.

[Latasha]

I never did get it. I was on a waiting list at the library. oh well, maybe next month.

[Nick]

Latasha wrote: "I never did it. I was on a waiting list at the library. oh well, maybe next month."

Sorry, Latasha. It's pretty good so far I think. Need to get into it a little farther.

[Nancy]

I read this last year, after nominating it several times. I really liked it.

[Kandice]

I have this and plan on starting today. It doesn't seemed universally loved here, but they are making a movie, so who knows. At least it's short.

[Karri]

Amanda wrote: "I've just passed the part where..."

That was an interesting bit, right?

[Carlos]

I thought it was interesting, but it didn't leave me with a sense of having to go back and read it once I had to put it down.

I liked the story, I think the narration was a bit too much in her head and maybe that threw me off a little.

[Karri]

Badseedgirl wrote: ...I enjoyed this book because Area X is the main character, not the people. I think it takes real skill to be able to make an environment a character.
..."

You make a very good point! This was creative move that took some real talent. :)

[Karri]

I finished this one this morning. I did enjoy it more once I was able to better engage with the story. I even found it a little scary at one point, which I wasn't expecting. I can see how this would make a good movie. Although I did find appreciation for the book, I still wouldn't make it one of my favorites, since I had to try so hard to get into it. That said, I still gave it 3 of 5 stars and I will definitely watch the movie.

[Ian]

I finished reading this earlier today and must say I was glad to get it out of the way.

It was very well written and VanderMeer was exceptional at painting a picture in the reader’s mind - the pacing however was terrible

Not much happened, and the things that did occur took ages to unravel.

I also found the biologist a chore to relate with or even understand. The characterisation was simply terrible.

Can someone please tell me if the other two books pick up in pace? Do they contain better characters?

If not, I'll be sure to give them a miss.

[Nick]

Okay - I'm about a quarter of the way into the audiobook. The biologist is read as a cold character, clinical and observant, not very emotional even when she says she's feeling emotional, even when she talks about her husband, she's still cold. Not sure if it's the reading or the way she's written. Also, to state the obvious, (view spoiler)[the bit about whether its a tower or a tunnel suggests that maybe the narrator's objectivity is to be trusted. (hide spoiler)] So far this reminds me of a cross between the Mountains of Madness and The Ruins.

[Linda]

I just started this one.

[Matthew]

Kandice wrote: "I have this and plan on starting today. It doesn't seemed universally loved here, but they are making a movie, so who knows. At least it's short."

When I hear they were making a movie of this, I wasn't sure how there was enough there to make it a movie. But, I thought the same of the short story they based Arrival on (still haven't seen that one yet)

[Nick]

Matthew wrote: "Kandice wrote: "I have this and plan on starting today. It doesn't seemed universally loved here, but they are making a movie, so who knows. At least it's short."

When I hear they were making a mo..."

And Arrival is a fabulous movie.

[Matthew]

Nick wrote: "Matthew wrote: "Kandice wrote: "I have this and plan on starting today. It doesn't seemed universally loved here, but they are making a movie, so who knows. At least it's short."

When I hear they ..."

I want to see it, but I only kind of liked the short story, so I haven't been chomping at the bit to see it.

[Nick]

Matthew wrote: "Nick wrote: "Matthew wrote: "Kandice wrote: "I have this and plan on starting today. It doesn't seemed universally loved here, but they are making a movie, so who knows. At least it's short."

When..."

Didn't read the short story but really liked the movie. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

[Kandice]

Matthew wrote: "I want to see it, but I only kind of liked the short story, so I haven't been chomping at the bit to see it. .."

I loved the movie The Arrival, but was a bit indifferent to the short story. See it!

[Summer]

I finished this one up and...it just wasn't for me. The page count was disproportionate to the amount of story that was told and with everything so vague and undefined, there wasn't much to hold my attention. I went through and read the synopses of the other two books in the series and even after having done that, I'm still not at all sure what the story was about or what I was supposed to get out of it as a reader. I think that as a genre, New Weird just isn't for me.

[Linda]

There certainly not much context to this work. I'm half way through and waiting for something significant to happen.

[Kandice]

I'm about 100 pages in and despite not loving it for the first 30 or so, I am beginning to dig it. Now that the narrator has dropped a few personal bombshells I want to continue!

[Linda]

I'm also about 100 pages in and enjoying it as well. It's going to be one of those nights that I read during the commercials lol.

[Nick]

I'm close to the end and should finish it tonight. Things are getting clearer and clearer.. and at the same time "curiouser and curiouser." I've accepted the feeling that this is more about the exploratory experience than finding a solution. The journey is the reward or in this case, maybe, the lack thereof. I do like the narrator as cold and unemotional as she is even when she talks about her husband. (view spoiler)[hope she survives, doubt that she will. (hide spoiler)]

[Nick]

Okay, I've changed my mind about the narrator. Here's part of my review that tries to explain how I fee.


“Maybe, in the end, it's the voice that tells the stories, more than the stories themselves, that matters.” ― Stephen King, It.


And that's what bothers me about this book. By the time it’s finished, as the biologist drones on and on about scientific details, about her bland and uninteresting life, about her need to be alone, and especially about the indescribable phenomenon in area X which she can't help but try to describe ad infinitum, I want to join with everyone else who wants to shoot her. I mean I do like her as a person (after all she’s Ghost Bird) and I've known a lot of people like her but still....

I think the basic story of area X is interesting, sort of a pre-apocalyptic work. The slow reveals of the facts about the place are clever, the hidden surprises are good, and I think the ending is strong. I’ll admit that I listened to the audiobook on this one and I found the narrator, Carolyn McCormick, especially cold and dry. I kept asking myself if someone else had been the narrator (or if I had just read the book itself) would it be any better. I don’t think so.

Sorry, Ghost Bird, I value the relationship you had with your husband. I marvel at your powers of observation. I’m impressed with the discoveries you made and your courage in making them. But DAMN couldn’t you have put a little more life into it.

[Summer]

Nick wrote: "I found the narrator, Carolyn McCormick, especially cold and dry."

She read the Hunger Games trilogy and while she's a little dry by nature, she's definitely capable of a more lively reading. I got the sense she was trying to be extra removed and clinical in her reading to match the biologist's characterization, but that made it difficult to listen to her. She also had an odd speech pattern where she didn't really pause between words and sentences and it all seemed to run together and was difficult to follow.

[Nick]

Esse wrote: "Nick wrote: "I found the narrator, Carolyn McCormick, especially cold and dry."

She read the Hunger Games trilogy and while she's a little dry by nature, she's definitely capable of a more lively ..."

I saw that she read the hunger games and would like to give her another chance, but in that climactic scene, she read so quickly and with such a lack of emphasis that it just got tedious. It should have been the most dramatic scene in the story and instead, it was just the point where I decided that I didn't like her.

[Phil]

Nick wrote: "“Maybe, in the end, it's the voice that tells the stories, more than the stories themselv..."

I "read" the audible book as well, and I wonder if this is the reason why I felt the book was lacking in terms of character development. Regardless, I couldn't get into this one. And, yes, I totally agree, this book IMHO is all about the journey/mysteriousness and not about the secret lying in the bottom of the tower, I mean tunnel.

[Badseedgirl]

It is so wierd, that the thing people did not like about the book was one of my major high points, the lack of movement and the idea that "Area X" is the major character of the book. The story reminded me of The Night Circus. It is also a story with little plot, and a location as main character.

[Nick]

Badseedgirl wrote: "It is so wierd, that the thing people did not like about the book was one of my major high points, the lack of movement and the idea that "Area X" is the major character of the book. The story remi..."

Right, I think the concept of Area X being the major character is a great one, especially when the tunnel (tower) starts to resemble a living thing. I guess that the other books in this series will verify the idea that Area X is a living, even purposeful, maybe even self-aware entity. But to be honest, it didn't read that way to me. I guess I can see the area as the antagonist, and it's seduction of the biologist and maybe everyone else as the major thread of the story. But I was lame enough to think of the biologist as the main character and as such, I was disappointed. Her character was well drawn, but I didn't like her as a narrator and as such, she detracted from the story... at least in my mind.

[Linda]

I agree with you Nick.

[Kandice]

I read this on the page and still didn't care for it. I'm perfectly happy with a place being a (the) major character, but this was just too flat and monotone for me. I felt that the narrator was someone I could really like as a character, but every time I got close to doing so, things got boring again. I don't think I will keep reading the series.

I loved how she thought of the tunnel as the tower. Felt like a King nod.

[Nick]

Kandice wrote: "I read this on the page and still didn't care for it. I'm perfectly happy with a place being a (the) major character, but this was just too flat and monotone for me. I felt that the narrator was so..."

I agree. I wonder if that tunnel/tower thing has any repercussions in later books. Unfortunately, like you, Kandice, I'm not really interested in continuing to read the series.

[Murray]

Yeah i read it because the movie trailer looked good. I didn't like it,there were parts I liked,but on the whole book not so much. I'm like Nick and Kandice, I won't be finishing the series.

[Murray]

Badseedgirl wrote: "It is so wierd, that the thing people did not like about the book was one of my major high points, the lack of movement and the idea that "Area X" is the major character of the book. The story remi..."

I liked The Night Circus. As far as characters I liked "Area X" better than the human characters

[Kandice]

I adored The Night Circus!

[Luke]

I read this. And agree with you all, it was meh. Some interesting bits. But nothing amazing.
I did actually start the second one. I’m five pages in and haven’t picked it up for two weeks. Says all you need to know about how that’s going.

[Diana *always waiting for the next vacation*]

I don't know why there seems to be quite a hype about this book. I didn't really like it. Not one of the characters was likeable and I couldn't identify with the story or feel something about it.

The movie was even worse.

[Maria Hill]

Unlike the majority I have just finished it and really enjoyed it. It is so not your typical Sci Fi though!

I have been lent the second book as well and plan to read it after Anansi Boys - so will let people know whether the tunnel/tower reappears in the second one.

[Kandice]

Maria wrote: "Unlike the majority I have just finished it and really enjoyed it. It is so not your typical Sci Fi though!

I have been lent the second book as well and plan to read it after [book:Anansi Boys|274..."

I love, love, love Anansi Boy! Even more than American Gods. Good luck.

[Murray]

Kandice wrote: "I adored The Night Circus!"

Do you know if Erin Morganstein has written any other books? I really liked the Night Circus.