Absolution

The Southern Reach Trilogy, Book 4

De: Jeff VanderMeer

Narrado por: Bronson Pinchot

Ten years after the publication of Annihilation, the surprise fourth volume in Jeff VanderMeer’s blockbuster Southern Reach Trilogy.

When the Southern Reach Trilogy was first published a decade ago, it was an instant sensation, celebrated in a front-page New York Times story before publication, hailed by Stephen King and many others. Each volume climbed the bestsellers list; awards were won; the books made the rare transition from paperback original to hardcover; the movie adaptation became a cult classic. All told, the trilogy has sold more than a million copies and has secured its place in the pantheon of twenty-first-century literature.

And yet for all this, for Jeff VanderMeer there was never full closure to the story of Area X. There were a few mysteries that had gone unsolved, some key points of view never aired. There were stories left to tell. There remained questions about who had been complicit in creating the conditions for Area X to take hold; the story of the first mission into the Forgotten Coast—before Area X was called Area X—had never been fully told; and what if someone had foreseen the world after Acceptance? How crazy would they seem?

Structured in three parts, each recounting a new expedition, there are some long-awaited answers here, to be sure, but also more questions, and profound new surprises. Absolution is a brilliant, beautiful, and ever-terrifying plunge into unique and fertile literary territory. It is the final word on one of the most provocative and popular speculative fiction series of our time.

©2024 VanderMeer Creative, Inc. (P)2024 Blackstone Publishing

Loved it!

The Southern Reach trilogy has been one of my favorite book series since I initially read it 6 or 7 years ago, so I was ridiculously excited to learn that VanderMeer was writing another book in the series. At first I was a little skeptical when I heard that it was going to be a prequel, but I was not disappointed.

The book is separated into three sections, each of them functioning as a somewhat self-contained but related story. Each section was amazing, the prose was beautiful, and though the beginning of the third section was extremely hard to get through on my first listen (the sheer concentration of variations on the f-word is… remarkable, and I don’t usually mind heavy swearing), I’m glad I stuck with it, because that section ended up being one of the most beautifully deranged and disquieting things I’ve ever read.

If you’re looking for clear cut answers for any of your burning questions from the original trilogy, this book will not give you that, but I’ve come to expect that from VanderMeer’s writing. I liked this book so much that I went back and re-read the original trilogy and now I’m listening to this one for a second time.

Oh! And the narrator goes all out for this book, especially in the third section. I highly recommend this audiobook.

More questions than answers

Is the book good? Yes, but you won’t get any more answers here. The two separate main characters were both enjoyable in their own way despite the… colorful introduction of the second.

crazy trip

This is a manic, drug-fueled fever dream of a read. Very chaotic. I did not enjoy it and couldn't wait for its frenzy to end.

Love it

I love this series, this book, this narrator, would definitely recommend. Love how Jeff VanderMeer writes these weird contorted sentences and odd concepts

The reader is AMAZING

I really enjoyed the way the reader phrased the whole book. I could feel in my bones the emotions and scenery that was described. What a mind bending experience.

It's ok

The last part is almost unlistenable to start but gets much better. Bronson does a great job as a reader, I'm looking forward to listening to him again. I listened to all four books back to back and I wouldn't do that again, I could have used a little break between them.

Meh

Great story and premise. But the book muddles through boring scenes that are made more frustrating by packed on adjectives that make no sense. If I ever hear something smells like electricity, or boots are “streamlined but still anomalous” again it will be too soon. The narrator’s female voices sometimes sounds like a hentai whimper. Still love the first two books.

Masterpiece with Minor Flaws.

A lot of people are complaining (rightfully) about the expletive laden 3rd section of the book. It does serve a narrative purpose however and it gets less prevalent as the section goes on.
Bronson Pinchot does an excellent job narrating and has a very dynamic approach to it.
Without spoiling too much, the story answers many questions about Area X but replaces them tenfold with new revelations that beg to be dissected and analyzed.

Second best of the 4

Exceeded already high expectations - returns to the surreal fever dream horror of Annihilation without clumsily relying on any of the previous books, while somehow building and relating to all of them. 10/10

The rabbit hole is a möbius loop

One of the best modern authors. Every new book adds another layer of complexity to the series in dizzying ways. Absolution has the feel of an extended episode of the X-files written by Stephen King while high on dmt.