Welcome to Litsy!

Sitting in the garden, reading, finishing this.
Yep, one to read, plus to pass on. I might try it for my 15 year old niece...

My daughter recommended this as she's very into recent dystopia fiction.
It's good! Uneasiness surrounds the idea, that a wall is keeping The Others out and must be guarded.
There's blame alluded to, of the older generation and their responsibility.
I like...

If you're a fan of Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven, I would recommend this less well-known dystopian cli-fi story about a society who has built a giant wall around its border. The only purpose is to keep out the Others. Each member of the society must serve time defending the Wall. It's a fairly short novel but has a lot to say about climate change, survival, & social divisions. ⭐⭐⭐💫

Underwhelming climate change novel. I can‘t believe it made it on the Man Booker Prize short list a few years ago. The momentum of the story is fine but it never really goes anywhere. I‘m most disappointed by missed opportunities to dig deeper into this weird society, but Lanchester committed to his uninteresting “Everyman” narrator (who is complicit with his culture‘s subjugation of “others” but thinks pirates are terrible). 🌊 🛶 🔥

#TBRPile 📚 “It‘s cold on the Wall. That‘s the first thing everybody tells you, and the first thing you notice when you‘re sent there, and it‘s the thing you think about all the time you‘re on it, and it‘s the thing you remember when you‘re not there any more.”

I really enjoyed this book. It hit a little close to home with some of the themes, which made it feel a little too possible at times, but that kept me curious about what would happen next.

The way the story went through its stages was brilliant, allowing a glimpse into the fears and dreams of the characters as they grew and adapted to life on and off the wall that defined their existence.
⬇️

Readable dystopian novel that clearly takes its inspiration from Brexit, Trump, climate anxiety and the rest, describing a Britain after "The Change" which has built a wall around its coast to keep out "The Others". Slightly disappointing ending after a great first half.

A polite attack on us, a book about an endless wall to keep out the rising water and anything else, a place where the words “Concrete, Water, Sky, Wind, Cold" are meaningful, and say a great deal about humanity, the planet's fragility, and hopelessness.

Great book. Runs the full range of the dystopian world he has created, whilst also putting in a great plot. Some lovely touches of characterisation, and the inter generational conflict almost sounded too real.

Finally this book is over. I can‘t remember the last time I spent this long to read a 270p book. I started last Monday, went away for the weekend and didn‘t think about the characters or the book once. There‘s nothing wrong with the book, I‘m not just its right reader. If it hadn‘t made it to the Booker Longlist, I never would‘ve picked it up.

I‘m giving this one a Pick 👍🏻. The second half dragged a little for me - but ultimately redeemed itself. There were some truly poignant moments that made it all worthwhile. 👍🏻♥️💔 very glad I listened. Will be thinking about this one ... I think it has every right to make the Booker short list 🤞🏻

I‘m half way through The Wall on Audible & my blue tooth battery just died. So I have to wait. I‘m very surprised, as I had no interest in it & Im finding that it‘s really good so far... it‘s giving me chills about the future of our world. It‘s also very quotable:
...” relief is probably the purest form of happiness there is “ ... I can identify with this.
Looking forward to the second half .... 👍🏻

Ready to start my fourth book from this year‘s Booker Longlist

I don‘t usually love man booker nominees, and expected this to be slow and dry, but found it quite the opposite. Dropped in a world ravaged by climate change, I was completely engrossed in the story and all the questions I had - who are The Others? Where is the setting? What happened? - drove me to read ahead. Even though many questions went unanswered, I found this a very satisfying and enjoyable read. #manbooker

I still have to read three books from the Booker longlist, but I‘m 💯% sure that this is the weakest book on this year‘s list. In my opinion this is just an average dystopian YA story. Some interesting thoughts/ideas about near future, but poor execution. #BookerPrize2019

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

This ended up being ok despite all indicators to the contrary. It might not be a literary prize-winning effort and as a dystopia it takes a fairly minimalist approach to world-building. Take one big wall, add water, baby politicians and some "Others" and that is your backstory. However, I approached this as a type of team-bonding novel; a low-key version of Platoon, set in England with tea and biscuits and as such I enjoyed it

This one, a 2019 Booker longlist title, was... fine. The intense foreshadowing kept me reading, and the writing itself was fine. I liked the way it played with the concept of “othering.” But it didn‘t do much for me emotionally or intellectually. A better examination of walls/borders and the human consequences can be found in another Booker longlist title - Lost Children Archive - which is denser but gives so much more to chew on.

I'm puzzled about the hype surrounding this one. Yes, the themes of mass population movent, xenophobia and climate disaster are apposite but the writing is bland and the characters barely hold together. The world-building is sparse, not least because there is no information about what happened during the Change. Sea levels rose dramatically, that's all we know. It's a curiously flat book and I'm surprised it's a Booker long-lister

Long-listed for Booker Prize 2019. “Ravaged by the [climate] change, an island nation [...] has built the Wall - an enormous concrete barrier around its entire coastline. Joseph, a new Defender, has 1 task: to protect his section of the Wall from the Others, the desperate souls who are trapped amid the rising seas outside and are a constant threat. Failure will result in death or a fate perhaps worse: being put to sea and made an Other himself.”

7/13 #bookerprize longlist

A slow build for me but I came to like it much more than I thought I would at the beginning. It seemed simple but got deeper and more complex as it went on and I really didn‘t want it to end. I liked the bare almost mystical landscapes and the enigmatic characters like the captain and the hermit. I‘m not sure if this will end up on my personal shortlist cause there‘s so many good books this year but I really liked it

A bit #MoreMehThanYeah. While I did like the setting and premise of the book, it was just a bit too boring to really wow me. The characters felt flat, and some parts moved way too quickly, while others were way too slow.

I‘m counting this as my #SoldiersStory for #Booked2019, since the MC is serving out his compulsory military service for most of the book.

#BookerPrize2019

Everything about this, setting, plot, characterizations, even the message the author seems to be putting across, is all just too simple. There is no complexity in any of it to dig into. And yet, the plot points are still over explained. To the point that even the most crucial events, that should be exciting, lose all impact. I think I'm starting to hear a "how did this make the Booker long list?" echo.

Booker 5/13

Dystopian novel about England. The world building was effortless (I did not see the author working to create this world it was just revealed) and the story was engaging to a point. There was a detachment from the characters for me. Well written and I would be curious to read more work from this writer but this story held me at arms length. 3.5 🌟

First person narrative always translates well to audio I think. Set in future Britain after climate event led to a wall being built and patrolled around the island to keep out 'others'. Obvious commentary on government and ordinary peoples inertia regarding climate change and also immigration.
Longlisted for the Booker I'd vote no on short listing it. But entertaining enough to be a pick.

This book is as dull and monotonous as the endless concrete wall at its center. The dystopian plot is not well thought out nor clever- climate change has caused water levels to rise, walls are built surrounding Britain to exclude “The Others” from being able to enter, while the world seems to somehow continue otherwise unaffected- no food shortages, a persevering economy, etc. What the plot lacks is not offset by the writing... (cont. 👇🏻)

This is a dystopian novel about climate change, nationalism, and immigration, as much as it is about human nature and basic survival. The book started out slow with a dissertation about the wall and climate change and the disruption of society-not the most interesting way to do world-building. It did pick up about halfway through. Despite the characters constant fight for survival, however, the book just didn‘t seem to move quickly. 2.5⭐️ #Hoopla

1- Currently reading The Wall, themes of climate change, anti immigration and slavery. One chapter to go will add a review!
2- Podcast- Broken Harts is a 6part series about a lesbian couple who adopt 6 African American children and the ensuing tragedy.
3- Book discussion- Tan France‘s (Queer Eye) new memoir! Love talking books with @samjmitchell 💜📖

A slow book with periods of boredom for the characters punctuated with sheer terror. I found there to be parallels between those on The Wall and the young men in the trenches in WW1; a lack of understanding why and mistrust in the elite and the old not serving time. Questions are raised about immigration and climate change, I enjoyed the quiet spaces in the book which allowed reflection.

I have to bail. 80 pages in and it‘s as bad as doing a 12 hour shift at the Wall. Lol To me, this book is like watching paint dry.

Sandy Hook, E beach, Gateway Recreational, NPS.
Beautiful day to start this one. So far on p36 and I‘m hoping it takes off soon, bc It‘s a bit of a slug right now🤞🏽

“It‘s not the future, but it‘s a version of a future, and it feels a lot like a version of the future that we are heading for.”

This is John Lanchester describing the tagged book, about England after an (utterly believable) apocalypse due to climate changes. It is a very good book and it fits The Clash‘s lyrics perfectly!

#LondonCalling #WanderingJune 📸: Google

The UK has build a wall around its coastline to protect its inhabitants against the rising sea and refugees trying to enter the country after the Change. We follow some people who take turns defending the Wall.

This is a frightening and very realistic novel about migration and climate change, about survival in harsh and uncertain times. The book describes a world that is unmistakably ours, albeit irreparably damaged.

#Booked2019 Cli-Fi

I think thia book is a good mirror to reflect upon what our world will be like when climate change in no longer stoppable. Wheb our efforts are meaningless and we must find a new way to live. It was a social commentary on how in times of crisis we sheild ourselfes off from.helping others and create this us Vs them mentality.

The ending was of survival and while it wasnt a happy ending it was an ending of relief.

Daily Check-in

Walked 8 miles between yesterday and today.
Read up to chapter 19.
I am going on a hike tomorrow.

#BookFitnessChallenge
#BFC19

So today for #BFC i walked : 4 miles.

Listened up to.chapter 21 of Nelson Mendela Long Walk to Freedom.

Read up to chapter 10 of The Wall

#BookFitnessChallenge
@wanderinglynn

What will we do when the sea levels rise? What will become of humanity? This book offers a version of that future told through the eyes of Kavanagh a lad sent to defend the Wall from the Others. People are sent to the Wall, they have to survive 2 yrs in the cold hoping that the Others don't make it over the Wall. Fans of dystopian novels will enjoy this, I did.

#Dystopian #Future #ReadABook #BookNerd #Bookaholic #Books #Defenders #Survival

The first third of this book is repetitive and rather dull, but I am so glad I stuck with it. The second and third parts enthralled me. It is a cautionary tale about what happens when we build walls ( *cough* Trump!) and the disastrous, possible effects of climate change. It really is a dystopian novel of our time.