Well, there's this: I read the book and I am sure that whoever bought the movie rights made a sound investment. This book will be a fabulous movie. And young people may even enjoy the read.
Actually, there was a whole lot more, but if you didn't get here in a timely fashion, well, there's a whole lot less now. You'll get the gist from the comments. Which I may delete later. We'll see.
I got lost at page 23.
I said I'd give it a chance by page 48.
I said "fuck this i'm confused" by page 124 and put it down.
I did not finish it.
I'm constantly reading textbooks and journals for my classes so lately the last thing I want to do is to read a book. Facebook fills the void. So with that being said, I wish it was a bit more brain cocainy. I'm opposite with Polly, if I couldn't get into it now, there's no way my 10-year-old self would.
Posted by: Pandora | February 24, 2010 at 02:36 PM
I did read the whole thing, and I was confused, too. I really did want to like it, because I sort of have a thing for a dark story now and then (I loved "The Road"), but this one just didn't work for me. And it's an interesting premise, but it missed.
I was confused about how the prison worked, and I agree that the characters were a little baffling and not very likeable.
Seriously, I had hopes all the way through that it was going to make sense and I was going to like it by the end. It's obviously the first in a series (right?) so maybe this was supposed to be that first "hook."
In its favor, it had a wicked cool book cover.
And frankly, I like having a discussion about a book that isn't just "I loved it!" It's interesting. So props to Bookgirl for supplying us with the fodder for a discussion.
Posted by: The Dol | February 24, 2010 at 02:48 PM
@Pandora, I was an intense ten-year-old.
@Dol, I will concede that the book cover was, indeed, wicked cool. And I think a movie would, just by virtue of having props and cast, clear up a lot of my confusion. So I plan to see the movie. Maybe we could convince Pandora to come and make a night of it.
Posted by: Polly Poppins | February 24, 2010 at 03:04 PM
I read the book, the whole book, and it was interesting. I liked the premise. I can see some domineering, narrow-minded politicians deciding we'd be better off living in the past.
And I picture Robert Downey Jr. as the teacher.
It was confusing, I'm not going to disagree there. And very far fetched. But it was unconventional and anti-establishment, which I can appreciate.
No one found Claudia likable? She was willing to risk her life to save Finn/Giles. I thought she was noble. And I liked Finn, too. He was unwilling to give up hope when everyone else had.
Posted by: Diosa | February 24, 2010 at 03:09 PM
I read the whole book and I have to give it a size b rating. Or for you female readers I give it a three inch rating. I was really excited about the book because the cover was very cool. Plus I didn't buy the book so I really wanted to like it. I felt I owed that to the book gods for letting a brand new book with a cool cover fall out of the sky. I thought the society frozen in time concept was really interesting but not really explored. I really liked the grass is greener concept because then alice would try to argue about the different shades of grass. Which by the way makes me think she is thinking about making the carpet match the rug or something. Don't worry alice I feel your pain on that one. It won't be long before I have to use Just for Men downstairs in the jungle room. Which by the way an evil corporation just clear cut most of the forest but that might be a little TMI.
Where was I...oh right the book, RD jr would be great as the teacher. Then we could get Kristin Stewart to play Claudia because she is on my sex list. And for Finn we could have Michael Cera to add some depth and comic relief, which would be needed if I am going to lay down $20.00 to see it at the I-Max 3.D.
Overall I would not recommend it...unless you are 10 and then it is sick!
Posted by: Chance | February 24, 2010 at 04:22 PM
I haven't finished it yet, so I'll reserve judgement. But so far I actually like it. So much that i was oblivious to the homeless man sitting right across from me on the one hour long subway ride.
And i agree with the movie comment - if done right this will be a great movie.
So far I'm very intrigued by the idea of Incarceron and its combination of machinery and organic matter. (Cylons anyone? ... or am I the only BSG fan in the room? probably :( )
BUT even though i'm enjoying it - its not a book i would give to someone who isn't a fan of scifi or dystopian books.
Posted by: Mia | February 24, 2010 at 04:26 PM
Mia...I just got done watching Caprica episode 4. I am still shaking my head about the end of BSG but I think that discussion is on another blog somewhere.
Posted by: Chance | February 24, 2010 at 04:31 PM
I watched BSG from beginning to end but I preferred The Sara Connor Chronicles. All I can say is that what I like in a movie is very different from what I like in a book. And I didn't think any of the BSG main characters were particularly likable either.
Posted by: Polly | February 24, 2010 at 04:35 PM
I too think the book will work far, far better as a movie. Cool premise, but a little too vague and hard to follow for me...which made it the opposite of a page-turner. And I agree completely about the gorgeous cover. Also, @Chance ...3 inches is a B?
Posted by: Sabrina | February 24, 2010 at 05:40 PM
@ Polly: I sooooooooooo wanted to like Sara Connor Chronicles. I kept watching it week after week. But i always thought it fell short of what it could have been because there were moments when it just HIT the mark like when she's dancing ballet and then it went back to crap. So i guess it was the HIT moments that kept me watching it. I stopped watching Dollhouse because it had the same Hit or Miss issues and my heart couldn't take it anymore. I LOVED BSG though and the fact that all the characters made me love them then hate them then love them again.
@ Chance. I'm avoiding Caprica. I just... I dunno. Is it any good?
Posted by: Mia | February 25, 2010 at 09:28 AM
I ran the whole gamut of reactions on this book.
I made it through the first part by share force of will, because I had promised you guys I would. I tackled it pretty much the same way I do taking cough medicine or sitting through a meeting with Cruella, my old boss: grimace and bear it.
But then about a third of the way in, when Finn and Claudia finally made contact, I got involved enough that I almost missed my train stop and had to dive through the closing doors. The rest of it had its moments. I hated the whole thing with The Beast, but I was at least interested enough to keep going and finished it in about a day.
But my big takeaway here is that I really don't like dystopian fantasy. That kind of book where the world is very different from the one we know, and everyone is oppressed and unhappy. Ugh. I'm a rainbow and unicorns kinda girl. I need a happy ending. I read a lot of paranormal fiction, but I like the kind where the main characters have lots of steamy sex, kick bad-gay ass side by side, and live happily ever after.
And Chance, 3 inches isn't a B. It's a training bra. It doesn't even rate underwire.
Posted by: Bookgirl | February 25, 2010 at 10:43 AM
Um, yeah, bad-guy ass. I actually love the gays. I try not to kick them. And you know I definitely don't read books in which others do, given my loathing for the Right.
Posted by: Bookgirl | February 25, 2010 at 11:01 AM
I would totally kick wide-stance republican gays. I would.
Posted by: Polly | February 25, 2010 at 01:00 PM
What is this BCG you speak of?
Posted by: Diosa | February 25, 2010 at 02:44 PM
@Diosa, BSG = Battlestar Galactica. I was on a forced march through the first season, and shaky yet at season two, but Helo was enough for me--he's also what kept me watching Dollhouse.
The last season of Sara Connor Chronicles was my favorite season of television ever. I felt like the show had just hit its stride and then it got canceled. I'm still not over it. I don't expect I ever will be.
Posted by: Polly | February 25, 2010 at 03:28 PM
Ok Ok...man...1. The only reference I have to go on is myself and porn. So in order to perfect the rating system those with experience can tell me what does a D size rating equate to?
2. Just to set the record straight B does not = bad...I prefer to think of it as perky. Not on the male side mind you because I think 3 would not be perky...just sad.
3. On a different topic then males with small keyboards...I have been watching the healthcare summit and some of the republicans are really just in the way. If I was the Prez. I would have stood up, waved over secret service and kicked a few of them out. I mean it...it would have been a ballsy thing to do but some of these people have no interest in fixing the problem, only scoring cheap points. Come to think of it maybe the two subjects are not that far apart...Republicans and men with small keyboards I mean. (Sorry for the grammer Polly...I just had to)
@Mia...I won't rate Caprica until I come up with a more PG rated rating system less I get into any more trouble but let me just say this. You ever bring a boy home for the first time and you are really hoping for a night of Obama like "YES WE CAN...Oh and we just did" experience but instead get a Bush "evildoers" experience...that pretty much explains Caprica.
Posted by: Chance | February 25, 2010 at 05:06 PM
So... Dystopian fantasy is my favorite genre of book. Or like, at least, top 3. My real favorite kind of book is one that is well-written, and this one wasn't. I didn't give a crap about the characters and I found the story to b pretty boring. Which is sad, cause i think it was a sound premise.
That said, if you didn't like this book, but want to read good, YA distopian fantasy, read The Hunger Games series. That is a non-stop, read through, miss your bus stop kind of book. The best I can say for Incarceron is "nice jacket" and "helped me go to bed early every night for a couple of weeks rather than spending hours tearing through the pages of a book I can't stop reading."
Posted by: Danielle | February 25, 2010 at 05:18 PM
@ Chance - love your Caprica rating and it's what I had thought. So I guess its good that I stayed away. Also I just realized you said Kristin Stewart in on your sex list. perv.
Sigh. I guess I'm the only one who's liked it so far. Me and Diosa, right?
Although I will say that I don't think age has anything to do with liking the read. A good book is just a good book. YA or adult.
Posted by: Mia | February 25, 2010 at 06:09 PM
@Mia, I don't know, I think a great book has to cast a really wide net but a good book can get away with less. I adored A Wrinkle in Time when I was a kid but was less blown away as an adult. But I still heart The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, and Winnie the Pooh.
Posted by: Polly | February 25, 2010 at 07:42 PM
I will be the only man in America that will admit to loving Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea...Let me amend that...the only straight man.
Posted by: Chance | February 25, 2010 at 09:00 PM
@Chance, you are a king among men, my dear.
Posted by: Polly Poppins | February 26, 2010 at 07:33 AM
@ polly. I see your point. Although I still require even good books to work outside of their genre. if they don't i usually refer to them as a 'good something something book' like its a good picture book or a good non-fiction. rather than its just a good solid book.
Posted by: Mia | February 26, 2010 at 09:31 AM
BSG rocks. That is all.
Posted by: Ramblin' Jack | February 26, 2010 at 11:55 AM
@Ramblin' Jack - Damn straight.
Posted by: Mia | February 28, 2010 at 12:36 PM