Book Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver (The Giver Quartet Book 1)
Author: Lois Lowry
Published: Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 192
Total Page Count: 146,991
Text Number: 433
Read Because: prompted by Mari Ness's reread on Tor.com, from my personal collection
Review: In a rigidly-ordered, peaceful society, one boy is selected for a career that defies social rules. A brief, sparse, info-dumping, concept-laden, memorable book—I was surprised by how well I remembered The Giver, having read it last as a teenager. The world is memorable, but the way the text reveals it is moreso: even in reread, the truth behind the apple and the released twin have tension and impact. But the book is more interesting than it is good; it's short and leaves threads dangling (there are sequels, but I haven't read them), and the entire book—cast and worldbuilding included—is simplistic and heavy-handed, however good the intentions. I'm not surprised to want more from The Giver—refinement, development, the knowledge of how Jonas changes his community and how this effects the wider world—but I am surprised by The Giver's level of artistry: what is done well leaves a lasting mark.

Reading Wednesday (Possession, The Giver, also I broke my ereader)

What are you currently reading?
Possession, A. S. Byatt. Because I'm in a depressive episode, I've been frantic for distractions—in my reading that usually means fantasy, because there's more escapism and potential for distraction; it can also mean lighter, faster books which I can lose myself in despite the brainfog, which has reached Silent Hill-intensity. So I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying Possession—I love in this sort of post-modern literature how lush and aesthetic the heavy-handed parallel narratives/messages can be; there's a self-awareness, something even deprecatory, but also something enthusiastic; it knows the potential faults of the attempt it makes, but loves regardless, loves its characters and concept and indulgent format. It's a broad and contrived and richly intended book, and I adore it; I even adore a heterosexual romance! and how novel that is.

What did you recently finish reading?
The Giver, Lois Lowry, review here. There's a film adaptation coming out soon, with a 25-year-old playing Jonas who's 12 in the book, which—so the society of The Giver doesn't make entire sense and isn't untouchable gospel word, it's largely concept instead of execution, but Jonas beginning his coming of age with the discovery of the truth of his society is sort of the point; see also the correlation between Stirrings and sexuality and emotion: his society represses human biological and social nature, so that he's at the age to develop alternate/"natural" desires and relationships matters. In short, no, I have no interest in the film. But the book was an interesting reread; I found I remembered basically every page of it, which, no matter its flaws, indicates that the book does something effectively.

What do you think you'll read next?
I broke my ereader because of course I did—depressive episode, desperate for distraction, and so now my ereader is unusable (and my game controller is failing, too, of course it is). So I'm stuck with physical books already in my possession—getting to the library isn't feasible, again because of the depression—and that's limiting; I was already grasping at straws, and now there's significantly fewer straws to grasp. In short: fuck if I know what I'll read next.