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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I read it a while back. Wild ride!

I was so annoyed with the first half - all of the proselytizing was annoying and I didn't enjoy remembering that age (idealistic 20s) when you think you have all the answers to global problems. I also thought the idea of guerrilla gardening was strange - using random plots of land to farm?? Even organically, this seemed out of line. I thought the group should have been into restoring native plants to the wildlife rather than taking every random corner for human usage.

And then the second half turned to this enormous conspiracy with billionaires, violence (to say the least), and cult vibes. It was extremely cinematic writing.

So I ended up feeling like I just hated it. But on the other hand, I'm still thinking about it![/quote]

OP here. Agree with much of this. Possible spoilers to follow, for those who haven’t read it.

Did you ever read Moo by Jane Smiley? Some of this seemed very derivative of her Chairman X, Arlen Martin, etc. Catton just took it to a whole new level in a more apocalyptic world. And the very long sentences, half of which included semicolons, gave me the same vibe.

I didn’t hate it, and I’m still thinking about it, but the ending - was that necessary? I remember being invested in Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto and being dismayed by the ending. But then again, I understand that it really couldn’t have ended any other way. From the first page, everything pointed to this kind of end.

Anyway, it’s clear the book made an impression on me, and you as well. I’ll be thinking about it for awhile. [/quote]

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