Ratings11
Average rating4
Four lives are drawn together in a sweeping, panoramic new novel from Richard Powers, showcasing the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Overstory at the height of his skills. Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world’s first aqualungs. Ina Aroita grows up on naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home. Two polar opposites at an elite Chicago high school bond over a three-thousand-year-old board game; Rafi Young will get lost in literature, while Todd Keane’s work will lead to a startling AI breakthrough.
They meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, whose deposits of phosphorus once helped to feed the world. Now the tiny atoll has been chosen for humanity’s next adventure: a plan to send floating, autonomous cities out onto the open sea. But first, the island’s residents must vote to greenlight the project or turn the seasteaders away.
Set in the world’s largest ocean, this awe-filled book explores that last wild place we have yet to colonize in a still-unfolding oceanic game, and interweaves beautiful writing, rich characterization, profound themes of technology and the environment, and a deep exploration of our shared humanity in a way only Richard Powers can.
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My brother gifted me this back in November, but I'm glad I waited til break to read it. Felt bizarre how much the details resonated generally or even specifically with my life:
- UIUC, and specifically my current town Urbana
- Polynesia (although I've mainly been studying Polynesian languages, not the actual land)
- French, which I started learning last January
- AI (my advisor and I have had several discussions on this)
- Friendship among two avid readers of different cultural backgrounds, one of whom introduces the other to Go (subtle nod to my buddy Tanfu who taught me the game last January)
- Taoism, about which I just started reading this week (also at Tanfu's recommendation)
- Lady Wisdom. Literally YESTERDAY at church the pastor discussed Proverbs 8, of which verses 22-31 Powers inserts into the funeral scene before closing the book
Giving myself permission to put this one down for a while. I'm about half way through, and listening has been powerful. The book is brilliant – smart, moving, descriptive, funny, important. But there is a heaviness to Richard Powers because his messages are serious and urgent, and it's just too much for my sensitive self right now, in light of recent events. I will return to this sometime, hopefully soon.