Sign in with Facebook
Michael's Reviews > Ice
Ice
by
by
Riveting, breathless, nightmarish prose, a stream of word-horror so intense it's hard to fathom, equally hard to look away from. The plot: a globetrotting rescue before ice-extinction sets in. Or is it a chase? Therein lies the rub: everything has a double-face, an ambiguity rooted in subjectivity and dreams, everything except the ice, which is ineluctable, a fact that no one can wish or dream away. A book like this is incredibly difficult to pull off, skirting on that razor's edge between brilliance and nonsense, but I found myself drawn in and never put off, in awe really of its power: not just a verbal power but a moral one, an urgent description of who we humans are and what we have wrought, both upon (and within) ourselves and upon this planet.
Sign into Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if any of your friends have read
Ice.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
April 15, 2018
– Shelved as:
to-read
(Other Paperback Edition)
April 15, 2018
– Shelved
(Other Paperback Edition)
January 9, 2019
–
Started Reading
January 9, 2019
– Shelved
January 16, 2019
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-20 of 20 (20 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
[deleted user]
(new)
Jan 11, 2019 01:55PM
What a fantastic read. A bit perturbing but nothing short of wonderful. I am impatiently awaiting your thoughts x
reply
|
flag
T for Tongue-tied wrote: "What a fantastic read. A bit perturbing but nothing short of wonderful. I am impatiently awaiting your thoughts x"Thank you, T! So far it's intoxicating. A fantastic read in every sense of the word. I'm relishing it. Do I understand it all? Hardly. But I find myself swept along in its propulsive subjectivity. More soon!
Very astute reading of this book, Michael.
Dear Michael, I wouldnt be able to find better words � you’ve done an excellent job describing Kavan’s writing. In a weird way, I find this viscerally disturbing book almost beautiful and I sense that feeling in you too. Sharing it with you � so very special. Thank you.
Fionnuala wrote: "Very astute reading of this book, Michael."Thank you so much, Fionnuala. I think you'll really appreciate the density, magic, and propulsion of this book's prose, and I look forward to your thoughts.
T for Tongue-tied wrote: "Dear Michael, I wouldnt be able to find better words � you’ve done an excellent job describing Kavan’s writing. In a weird way, I find this viscerally disturbing book almost beautiful and I sense t..."Dear T, I'm sure you'd be able to find much better words! But yes, we do see this book in a very similar light--viscerally disturbing and yet almost beautiful at the same time, a little like the ominous and deadly ice itself. It really is special to share these feelings with you--to know that somewhere on the other side of this pixellated screen is another who sees and reads in such a similar way. Thank you!
Michael wrote: "Fionnuala wrote: "Very astute reading of this book, Michael."Thank you so much, Fionnuala. I think you'll really appreciate the density, magic, and propulsion of this book's prose, and I look for..."
Oh, I've read it already, Michael � which is why I thought your review was so on target.
Fionnuala wrote: "Michael wrote: "Fionnuala wrote: "Very astute reading of this book, Michael."Thank you so much, Fionnuala. I think you'll really appreciate the density, magic, and propulsion of this book's prose..."
Oh, wonderful! I'm so glad. For some reason on your comment it merely shows you've "added it." But I should know better than to trust these things!
Wow. I’d never heard of this one ... and it seems quite intriguing. So often, it is easy to dismiss such works as nonsense and move on. I love it when that initial impression turns to fascination ... a little like enjoying a provocative David Lynch movie.
Michael wrote: "Oh, wonderful! I'm so glad. For some reason on your comment it merely shows you've "added it." But I should know better than to trust these things! ."That's my fault entirely, Michael. Since I don't use the rating system, goodreads has no choice but to say I've simply added it. I don't expect them to make a special 'has read it' tag just because I can't think in terms of star ratings...
Jim wrote: "Wow. I’d never heard of this one ... and it seems quite intriguing. So often, it is easy to dismiss such works as nonsense and move on. I love it when that initial impression turns to fascination ...."Jim--I think you'll really enjoy this book. The richness and darkness and sheer propulsive power of the language did indeed remind me of the best of David Lynch. You're constantly grasping for--and sometimes finding--meaning, and while it's not the most straightforward read, it's utterly mesmerizing.
Fionnuala wrote: "Michael wrote: "Oh, wonderful! I'm so glad. For some reason on your comment it merely shows you've "added it." But I should know better than to trust these things! ."That's my fault entirely, Mic..."
Fionnuala--actually I think Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ought to do exactly that! The star rating thing can be vexing, and more and more of my favorite reviewers are moving away from it. I don't think it would be too much trouble for GR to add a new tag. (Are you listening, GR?)
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! (sorry for the all caps but I'm so excited to see it in my feed!) It's so underrated and underread and absolutely mindblowingly brilliant.
Michael, this review says it all. Just wonderful.It does treat the very fine line between brilliance and nonsense, doesn't it. But it never drops over the edge, not quite. It's a book I have come to admire more and more over time.
Ioana wrote: "I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! (sorry for the all caps but I'm so excited to see it in my feed!) It's so underrated and underread and absolutely mindblowingly brilliant."Thanks so much, Ioana! It's so wonderful to "meet" a fellow lover of this book. Just brilliant, as you say, and woefully underappreciated. Especially these days, when ecocide and climate change are (or ought to be) on many people's minds, it's amazing to me that this book isn't more widely read. It's prescient in a way about what humans are capable of. It's also just a fantastic read!
Robin wrote: "Michael, this review says it all. Just wonderful.It does treat the very fine line between brilliance and nonsense, doesn't it. But it never drops over the edge, not quite. It's a book I have come..."
Thank you so much, Robin! Your words mean a lot to me. I agree wholeheartedly that the book never quite drops over the edge into nonsense, but is right there at the border of what can be said in language. I admire that ambition and risk-taking, the sheer high-wire act of it all, and I have a feeling it's a book I'll come back to over time and find new ways to appreciate. I'm glad you've done the same.
I've read some of her short stories. Sometimes she writes like Kafka reincarnated.
Ronald wrote: "I've read some of her short stories. Sometimes she writes like Kafka reincarnated."Ronald--thanks so much for the tip on her stories. I'll be sure to check them out. This novel certainly has some strong Kafkaesque elements to it, which may be one of the reasons why I admire it so much. I do hope you have a chance to read it; I look forward to your thoughts!
Excellent, Michael. You certainly catch the intensity of the novel via your review.
Glenn wrote: "Excellent, Michael. You certainly catch the intensity of the novel via your review."Thank you so much, Glenn. It's an understatement to say this book inspired me. It really is fantastic, and I loved its intense fusing of moral and narrative urgency.
