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A review by midwifereading
Feed by M.T. Anderson
4.0
I liked this book! It was my first foray into cyberpunk dystopian fiction, and I found myself drawn in pretty quickly in spite of the weird slangy narration. Though the language was off-putting, it actually lent the book a believability it may have otherwise lacked. The narration alone was able to transport me into the world of Feed. A bit reluctantly, I admit, but it did its job!
Feed is similar to some other dystopian novels (Farenheit 451, A Brave New World come to mind) in that there isn't really a strong plot, but instead, the characters are strong, and the setting is a powerful presence all its own.
The main character, Titus, is a strong stand-in for the everyman, angsty, myopic teenager. A character that could be likeable, but isn't. He reminded me a lot of Holden Caulfield, but less smart. He was a character whose flaws irritated me until I realized I might not be that different from him in some ways. **shudders**
We all want to be Violet. The precocious, intelligent, quirky, and kind teenager who, in spite of her intelligence and critical thinking ability, falls prey to her desire to fit in, only to find out too late that it really isn't worth it. Undersatement of the year, frankly.
This commentary on rampant consumerism is powerful, if weird and unappetizing. In my opinion, it can be summarized in this quote from early in the story:
"Of course, everyone is like, da da da, evil corporations, oh they're so bad, we all say that, and we all know they control everything. I mean, it's not great, because who knows what evil shit they're up to. Everyone feels bad about that. But they're the only way to get all this stuff, and it's no good getting pissy about it, because they're still going to control everything whether you like it or not. Plus, they keep everyone in the world employed, so it's not like we're could do without them."
Ouch.
I couldn't say this book brought me any pleasure, but I did like it quite a bit, and I think it will stand the test of time alongside the likes of 1984, Animal Farm, and other dystopian classics. It made me uncomfortable. Job well done, M.T. Anderson. Job well done.
Feed is similar to some other dystopian novels (Farenheit 451, A Brave New World come to mind) in that there isn't really a strong plot, but instead, the characters are strong, and the setting is a powerful presence all its own.
The main character, Titus, is a strong stand-in for the everyman, angsty, myopic teenager. A character that could be likeable, but isn't. He reminded me a lot of Holden Caulfield, but less smart. He was a character whose flaws irritated me until I realized I might not be that different from him in some ways. **shudders**
We all want to be Violet. The precocious, intelligent, quirky, and kind teenager who, in spite of her intelligence and critical thinking ability, falls prey to her desire to fit in, only to find out too late that it really isn't worth it. Undersatement of the year, frankly.
This commentary on rampant consumerism is powerful, if weird and unappetizing. In my opinion, it can be summarized in this quote from early in the story:
"Of course, everyone is like, da da da, evil corporations, oh they're so bad, we all say that, and we all know they control everything. I mean, it's not great, because who knows what evil shit they're up to. Everyone feels bad about that. But they're the only way to get all this stuff, and it's no good getting pissy about it, because they're still going to control everything whether you like it or not. Plus, they keep everyone in the world employed, so it's not like we're could do without them."
Ouch.
I couldn't say this book brought me any pleasure, but I did like it quite a bit, and I think it will stand the test of time alongside the likes of 1984, Animal Farm, and other dystopian classics. It made me uncomfortable. Job well done, M.T. Anderson. Job well done.