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I really enjoyed the Southern Reach trilogy - even Authority which I think we can all agree was a bit boring, though I thought Authority's neurotic spirals were entertaining. I've also enjoyed some of other Vandermeer's writing, like The Strange Bird, some short stories, etc. So I'm wondering: What the hell happened. Who greenlit this. Who allowed this crime.

The book starts off with Old Jim analyzing what happened to the first expedition - not to Area X as that doesn't exist yet, but the first expedition to the area that would become Area X, which was already messed up courtesy of various experiments and probably time weirdness CAUSED by future Area X. This is the first 50 pages or so and while it's kind of filled with rhetorical musings and navel-gazing, it is in fact by far the best part of the book. Because after that, it becomes Navel Gazing the novel for a good 250 pages more, and this time almost nothing is happening.

I think this was avoided in say Authority because a good chunk of it is interacting with other characters, where here Old Jim is in his head like 90% of the time and its just. It's the worst kind of slog. Old Jim is not an interesting character in his head. He's some kind of super spy but he does nothing and figures out nothing. He's sad his daughter left and reflects on his life of which we learn little but for his sad dead wife and missing daughter. The best parts are his interactions with Cass, but they are few and far between. HEY WHY COULDN'T THE BOOK BE ABOUT CASS. WHY WAS IT ABOUT THE SAD SOP WHO DOES NOTHING.

Finally 300 pages in Old Jim vanishes and the novel switches to Lowry's POV. I was like, good god I don't remember liking Lowry particularly but maybe he'll be more interesting, now that Area X exists.

It was not.

If you removed the word 'fuck' from this book it would be about 20 pages shorter - and that is just from the last 100 pages mostly.

Nothing happens in this book. Nothing is revealed, it doesn't add to the original trilogy at all, it's just a pile of words. There's some horror scenes but Lowry is so drugged up and nonsensical it's like well whatever man.

I don't think books necessarily need to be stripped down to the essentials - if the prose is good, I love a long book. A book can be an enjoyable way to spend time, some entertainment, time for reflection (after reading). This was none of those thing - just a waste of time. And it sucks because I truly love the Southern Reach and I think some stuff here actually detracts from those. So! Avoid this. You will save yourself many hours and braincells trying to parse value.