Amatka
Written by Karin Tidbeck
Narrated by Kirsten Potter
Have you ever been told a title was either a ghost story, horror story, or haunting, just to find it was just a story? A dystopian tale that made absolutely no sense, but you feel something's wrong with you because everyone you see has previously read it gives it five stars and says it's so creepy that they were blown away? No? Well, this is Amatka, by Karin Tidbeck. #element-7546cfd5-7814-4f8f-b84b-5d683668aa69 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
A world that reminded me of the 1995 movie The City of Lost Children and the television adaptation of Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale, I found Amatka to be terribly un-haunting, un-creepy and un-likable. Interesting, but I found myself disappointed, since I was referred to the title as being a haunting, European novel.
The story tells of Vanja, a surveyor of sorts for the government, who travels to Amatka, a small town that's, um... special. They live by a MOSO code. MOSO standing for mark often, salvage often. When this rule is followed, things stay where they're supposed to. If you do not mark them often, say their names often, they'll.. disintegrate? Vanish? Become a puddle of gloop. They're gone and that affects the realm of reality. Yeah, that's the story in a nutshell. I know- I did not get it, but I understood it.
Everything is linked to a sort of prophet in this situation. Vanja reads of a poet who seems to reach into her soul, conflicting what is real and what isn't. She, I believe, is attempting to test people's thoughts and point towards the sort of veil that divides the world where she writes and the world in which Vanja resides. Many of the residents, especially the children, become affected by the powers that destroy and take from the one where Vanja lives... Those caught are punished.
Amatka is not creepy, Amatka is not spooky or haunting. Amatka is preternatural, mysterious and outlandish. What its really about is suppression and the syncopation of a society, where the main ingredient of every meal is mushroom! They can't write because paper is a commodity that is no longer shared, so everything is rote. They play and sing games in a community room, altogether, where they name things (to keep them, remember?) uphold synchronicity. And do not even get me started on their estranged relationships and care of housemates.
The characters of Amatka the town, and the book, are flat with barely any personality, so when the revolt arises, its empty and as blanched as I imagined the scenery. The explanation was a murky as a mud puddle and the resolution, especially after an ugly yet ignorant betrayal, you never truly comprehend what took place and why it took so long to come to fruition.I simply ended up not caring.
But honestly, it was written perfectly, just not clearly. It's won amazing awards and accolades, so I'm just stumped. I need to be careful though; their Gestapo-like officials could easily come and offer me a laid back lifestyle, care of a lobotomy. Being the rebel that I am, I proudly state I didn't like Amatka, so I'm running towards the next read.
Cheers!
Amatka
Karin Tidbeck
Narrated by Kirsten Potter
Published by Vintage in paperback
Released June 2017
Runtime 6h 10m
Narrated by Kirsten Potter
Have you ever been told a title was either a ghost story, horror story, or haunting, just to find it was just a story? A dystopian tale that made absolutely no sense, but you feel something's wrong with you because everyone you see has previously read it gives it five stars and says it's so creepy that they were blown away? No? Well, this is Amatka, by Karin Tidbeck. #element-7546cfd5-7814-4f8f-b84b-5d683668aa69 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
A world that reminded me of the 1995 movie The City of Lost Children and the television adaptation of Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale, I found Amatka to be terribly un-haunting, un-creepy and un-likable. Interesting, but I found myself disappointed, since I was referred to the title as being a haunting, European novel.The story tells of Vanja, a surveyor of sorts for the government, who travels to Amatka, a small town that's, um... special. They live by a MOSO code. MOSO standing for mark often, salvage often. When this rule is followed, things stay where they're supposed to. If you do not mark them often, say their names often, they'll.. disintegrate? Vanish? Become a puddle of gloop. They're gone and that affects the realm of reality. Yeah, that's the story in a nutshell. I know- I did not get it, but I understood it.
Everything is linked to a sort of prophet in this situation. Vanja reads of a poet who seems to reach into her soul, conflicting what is real and what isn't. She, I believe, is attempting to test people's thoughts and point towards the sort of veil that divides the world where she writes and the world in which Vanja resides. Many of the residents, especially the children, become affected by the powers that destroy and take from the one where Vanja lives... Those caught are punished.
Amatka is not creepy, Amatka is not spooky or haunting. Amatka is preternatural, mysterious and outlandish. What its really about is suppression and the syncopation of a society, where the main ingredient of every meal is mushroom! They can't write because paper is a commodity that is no longer shared, so everything is rote. They play and sing games in a community room, altogether, where they name things (to keep them, remember?) uphold synchronicity. And do not even get me started on their estranged relationships and care of housemates.
The characters of Amatka the town, and the book, are flat with barely any personality, so when the revolt arises, its empty and as blanched as I imagined the scenery. The explanation was a murky as a mud puddle and the resolution, especially after an ugly yet ignorant betrayal, you never truly comprehend what took place and why it took so long to come to fruition.I simply ended up not caring.
But honestly, it was written perfectly, just not clearly. It's won amazing awards and accolades, so I'm just stumped. I need to be careful though; their Gestapo-like officials could easily come and offer me a laid back lifestyle, care of a lobotomy. Being the rebel that I am, I proudly state I didn't like Amatka, so I'm running towards the next read.
Cheers!
Amatka
Karin Tidbeck
Narrated by Kirsten Potter
Published by Vintage in paperback
Released June 2017
Runtime 6h 10m
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