BOOK REVIEW:
We already know what would happen to all of us if we do not
take care of our dear Earth properly. Al Gore’s book
An Inconvenient Truth taught us invaluable lessons on that.
Now,
brace yourself for yet another bleak future where no children
will ever be born again. Yes, horrors of all horrors, we would
all be infertile – in P.D. James’ 1992 sci-fi
novel, that is.
Her
12th book is set in 2021, where no children have been born
since 1995. People are dying one by one, and it does not help
that the older ones are a depressing lot, while the younger
ones are filled with unnecessary angst. Enter our hero Theo
Faren, who is tasked with protecting the last pregnant woman
on earth. This wouldn’t be an easy assignment, with
a dictatorial leader above him, and worse still, his own inner
demons which he has been fighting since he lost his family.
From
the synopsis, you can tell that this isn’t an easy book
to swallow, with such a drab and dreary setting. And you are
right, because it does make you think about the unwelcome
possibilities if this scenario really happened to mankind
in the near future.
James
splits her book into two halves, with the first mainly written
in Faren’s diary form. While this half makes a philosophical
read which feels more personal and intimate, the second half
changes gear and shifts into full action and descriptive mode.
Vividly illustrating the perils Faren goes through protecting
the last pregnant woman on earth, you’d be flipping
the pages quickly to find out what happens next.
You
can almost imagine an action thriller on the beg screen taking
place. And director Alfonso Cuaron has kindly adapted this
novel into a movie starring the broody Clive Owen as Faren.
The
book also deals with ideas of faith and religion, without
being too preachy. It will make you reflect on these delicate
notions which only you hold dear to your heart. You’d
probably put aside the annoying factor of those noisy kids
you encounter on the train, and see them in different light
after reading this book?
CHOICE XCERPT:
Rolf said:” I used to believe in God and the Devil and
then one morning, when I was twelve, I lost my faith. I woke
up and I found that I didn’t believe in any of the things
the Christian brothers taught me. I thought that if that ever
happened I’d be too frightened to go on living, but
it didn’t make any difference. One night I went to bed
believing and the next morning I woke up unbelieving. I couldn’t
even tell God I was sorry because he wasn’t there anymore.
And yet it didn’t really matter. It didn’t matter
ever since.”
VERDICT:
An
engaging read that is both reflective and entertaining. Do
not rush through the book, because it does have an important
story to tell. You’d be impressed with how the last
page of the book concludes the novel with an appropriate effect
that is mixed with calmness and disturbance.
Review
by John Li
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