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The Plague
A modern retelling of the Camus classic that posits its story of infectious disease and quarantine in our contemporary age of social justice and rising inequity.
At first it's the dead rats; they start dying in cataclysmic numbers, followed by other city creatures. Then people begin experiencing flu-like symptoms as well as swellings in their lymph nodes. The masses react in disbelief when the official diagnosis comes in and later, when a quarantine is imposed on the increasingly terrified city.
Inspired by Albert Camus' classic 1947 novel, Kevin Chong's The Plague follows Dr Bernard Rieux's attempts to fight the treatment-resistant disease and find meaning in suffering. His efforts are aided by Megan Tso, an American writer who is trapped in the city while on a book tour, and Raymond Siddhu, a city hall reporter at a daily newspaper on its last legs from the latest round of job cuts.
Told with dark humour and an eye trained on the frailties of human behavior, Chong's novel explores themes in keeping with Camus' original vision--heroism in the face of futility, the psychological strain of quarantine--but fraught with the political and cultural anxieties of our present day.
At first it's the dead rats; they start dying in cataclysmic numbers, followed by other city creatures. Then people begin experiencing flu-like symptoms as well as swellings in their lymph nodes. The masses react in disbelief when the official diagnosis comes in and later, when a quarantine is imposed on the increasingly terrified city.
Inspired by Albert Camus' classic 1947 novel, Kevin Chong's The Plague follows Dr Bernard Rieux's attempts to fight the treatment-resistant disease and find meaning in suffering. His efforts are aided by Megan Tso, an American writer who is trapped in the city while on a book tour, and Raymond Siddhu, a city hall reporter at a daily newspaper on its last legs from the latest round of job cuts.
Told with dark humour and an eye trained on the frailties of human behavior, Chong's novel explores themes in keeping with Camus' original vision--heroism in the face of futility, the psychological strain of quarantine--but fraught with the political and cultural anxieties of our present day.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 8, 2021
i really liked Camus' La Peste, so this was a very anticipated read of mine. unfortunately, it failed to deliver.
this was written in 2018. it is, of course, impossible to read this without cross-referencing the picture of a city in lockdown with lived experiences from covid-19, even though the disease depicted here is more deadly. some things are spookily prescient; some are not realistic at all. but i can forgive chong for that - how on earth, after all, would he be able to completely accurately portray a quarantined city? up until 2020, it would have been unthinkable for all of us, so i can't quite find it in me to criticise that, especially as some parts were accurate enough to make me double-check that this was written before 2020.
the story itself was simple, which is what i was expecting. unfortunately, the characters were bland and the prose was not sumptuous and sparkling enough to lift the novel up into the heights of greatness, instead leaving it lingering in mediocrity. nothing was really evoked, except from boredom.
although i did like camus' original a lot, it has been a few years since i read it, so i can't comment on how well chong translated this story to its modern canadian setting. but it certainly wasn't as engaging as i remember camus' to be, and as a stand-alone work divorced from the original, it's dull and pedestrian.
i also didn't like how this was posited as exploring social inequalities and modern associated problems, but all three of the main characters were middle-class and of asian descent - the same as the author's. as someone also of asian descent, i did enjoy this perspective of a minority ethnic group, but the fact that they were all well-heeled and privileged meant that this book did not seem like it was exploring social inequity in the slightest. siddhu does visit a squatters' residence for like two pages, but that very much reads like a, "oops, we'd better throw in a first-hand account of seeing impoverished people just so we can say we did that." the lower classes are mentioned a couple of other times, but it's basically like, "the lower classes were, of course, disproportionately affected by the disease, especially because of gentrification. uh, anyway, back to our regularly-scheduled well-off protagonists."
there's nothing inherently wrong with just having middle-class protags, but in a book that is supposed to specifically explore "our contemporary age of social justice and rising inequity" - yeah, nah.
overall, very dull and mediocre, with little-to-none of the philosophy that made camus' original so interesting.
this was written in 2018. it is, of course, impossible to read this without cross-referencing the picture of a city in lockdown with lived experiences from covid-19, even though the disease depicted here is more deadly. some things are spookily prescient; some are not realistic at all. but i can forgive chong for that - how on earth, after all, would he be able to completely accurately portray a quarantined city? up until 2020, it would have been unthinkable for all of us, so i can't quite find it in me to criticise that, especially as some parts were accurate enough to make me double-check that this was written before 2020.
the story itself was simple, which is what i was expecting. unfortunately, the characters were bland and the prose was not sumptuous and sparkling enough to lift the novel up into the heights of greatness, instead leaving it lingering in mediocrity. nothing was really evoked, except from boredom.
although i did like camus' original a lot, it has been a few years since i read it, so i can't comment on how well chong translated this story to its modern canadian setting. but it certainly wasn't as engaging as i remember camus' to be, and as a stand-alone work divorced from the original, it's dull and pedestrian.
i also didn't like how this was posited as exploring social inequalities and modern associated problems, but all three of the main characters were middle-class and of asian descent - the same as the author's. as someone also of asian descent, i did enjoy this perspective of a minority ethnic group, but the fact that they were all well-heeled and privileged meant that this book did not seem like it was exploring social inequity in the slightest. siddhu does visit a squatters' residence for like two pages, but that very much reads like a, "oops, we'd better throw in a first-hand account of seeing impoverished people just so we can say we did that." the lower classes are mentioned a couple of other times, but it's basically like, "the lower classes were, of course, disproportionately affected by the disease, especially because of gentrification. uh, anyway, back to our regularly-scheduled well-off protagonists."
there's nothing inherently wrong with just having middle-class protags, but in a book that is supposed to specifically explore "our contemporary age of social justice and rising inequity" - yeah, nah.
overall, very dull and mediocre, with little-to-none of the philosophy that made camus' original so interesting.
April 25, 2018
I could not stop reading this book—it is funny and terrifying and so spot on in its depiction of Vancouver in crisis. This is my major wish: to see a film version starring Keanu Reeves as Dr. Bernard Rieux. Can someone make this happen?
May 16, 2020
Mixed feelings about this book.
What I liked:
-How it’s set in Vancouver & I can recognize dozens of references to places I’ve been to, making it relevant to me as a Vancouverite; many current issues also were referenced as growing wealth gaps, drug overdoses, & gentrification
-The depictions the author made of a city in lockdown (as it’s eerily similar to what we are experiencing today)
-How small details of character connections all seemed to come together as the book progressed
-How this is based on Camus’ book The Plague
What I’m meh on:
-The narration style (though this was fully understood by the last chapter; wasn’t my cup of tea initially and it made it difficult to empathize or connect with any characters
-I didn’t exactly take away much from this book other than marvelling at the strength of compassion of some characters who wished to do everything in their capacity to help others
-The point of the mayor’s character and his subplot
I remember when this book first came out but I only got around to reading it now due to the obvious recent events that make this all the more “closer to home”. I wonder if the author is spooked by his foreshadowing?
What I liked:
-How it’s set in Vancouver & I can recognize dozens of references to places I’ve been to, making it relevant to me as a Vancouverite; many current issues also were referenced as growing wealth gaps, drug overdoses, & gentrification
-The depictions the author made of a city in lockdown (as it’s eerily similar to what we are experiencing today)
-How small details of character connections all seemed to come together as the book progressed
-How this is based on Camus’ book The Plague
What I’m meh on:
-The narration style (though this was fully understood by the last chapter; wasn’t my cup of tea initially and it made it difficult to empathize or connect with any characters
-I didn’t exactly take away much from this book other than marvelling at the strength of compassion of some characters who wished to do everything in their capacity to help others
-The point of the mayor’s character and his subplot
I remember when this book first came out but I only got around to reading it now due to the obvious recent events that make this all the more “closer to home”. I wonder if the author is spooked by his foreshadowing?
April 25, 2018
I wanted to like this book, but for the life of me I couldn't get into it. I've seen a number of readers/reviewers mention the book's humour, and honestly I'm baffled by this as I don't think I ever so much as cracked a smile. I have read the Camus source material, and am from Vancouver (the city being skewered), and still found this to be a sadly muted, lifeless read with not a single memorable character or moment throughout. The book, from minute one, feels muted and distant, like it's in that state where you're just about to drift off to sleep but are trying desperately to remain awake—and it is never able to shake this feeling. (And yes, I have read through to the end and know the reason for its clinical approach, but that does not make up for this being the slog that it is.)
My disappointment is likely heightened as I thoroughly enjoyed Chong's previous book, Beauty Plus Pity. Unfortunately, however, The Plague feels more like a shadow of an idea than something fully realized. More than anything, I just wish the tone of this book had worked for me like it seems to have for so many others. I wish I could see the humour or cleverness on the page. Alas, I could not.
*Something to keep in mind, I suppose, as I write this, is that the Leacock Medal finalists were just announced, and Randal Graham's Beforelife is one of them—a book I found so painfully, offensively unfunny that I, quite literally, threw it across the room at one point. So humour is subjective. This might be to your taste where it wasn't to mine.
My disappointment is likely heightened as I thoroughly enjoyed Chong's previous book, Beauty Plus Pity. Unfortunately, however, The Plague feels more like a shadow of an idea than something fully realized. More than anything, I just wish the tone of this book had worked for me like it seems to have for so many others. I wish I could see the humour or cleverness on the page. Alas, I could not.
*Something to keep in mind, I suppose, as I write this, is that the Leacock Medal finalists were just announced, and Randal Graham's Beforelife is one of them—a book I found so painfully, offensively unfunny that I, quite literally, threw it across the room at one point. So humour is subjective. This might be to your taste where it wasn't to mine.
March 8, 2018
A modern take on Albert Camus', "The Plague," Chong manages to take Camus' writing from a provincial French village, to the hustling metropolis that is Vancouver in the near future of the year 201-, in a way that is reminiscent of a callback or a continuation rather than a retelling of Camus' original. While keeping some distance within the narration, giving the readers a more dispassionate or even clinical approach in some instances—most definitely an approach that stems from this event being already mentioned in history books as opposed to the narration being told as the event is actually transpiring—there manages, through the presence of secondary characters' stories entwining within that of Dr. Rieux's, to retain a haunting presence that makes this modern interpretation/transcendency of Camus' work Chong has created to contain its own merits rather than anyone else's, whomever that may be.
"The Plague" is a somewhat quixotic—but undoubtedly important—look at a historical plague coming into its own, and characters coming or unraveling into their own, in the bustling, politically stirred, and economically charged backdrop of Vancouver; interestingly enough, I think Chong chose, either by intention or not I do not think matters as the result manages to be the same, the correct time to release this novel, it seems timely socially, politically, and economically.
Thank you to edelweiss+ and Arsenal Pulp Press for the ARC of this book.
"The Plague" is a somewhat quixotic—but undoubtedly important—look at a historical plague coming into its own, and characters coming or unraveling into their own, in the bustling, politically stirred, and economically charged backdrop of Vancouver; interestingly enough, I think Chong chose, either by intention or not I do not think matters as the result manages to be the same, the correct time to release this novel, it seems timely socially, politically, and economically.
Thank you to edelweiss+ and Arsenal Pulp Press for the ARC of this book.
December 8, 2018
I have not read Albert Camus' novel, but it is definatly on the top of my list now. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I loved that it was set in Vancouver. The first chapter where he sets up the location and decribes vancouver gave me chills. The only weakness for me was at times the disconnectedness of the character. I can understand and appreciate it was integral to the story and strengthened the style and themes...but I found it often became too disconnected and I would struggle to empathize with characters. However, overall I would definatly recommend this read.
March 10, 2018
I never read the Albert Camus original, but I really enjoyed this Vancouver-centered adaptation by Kevin Chong. We really get to identify with the characters and wonder what it would be like if we were suddenly faced with a disease-ridden quarantine. The pacing is on the slower side of things, but that's almost what pulls you even further into the world he creates. Parallels with the real world are undeniable.
June 13, 2018
this is really a terrific book, and contains one of my all-time favourite garbage truck scenes. But what's really wonderful is the way Chong plays out the private, human moments in the midst of public health disaster. A good companion to Nancy Lee's The Age.
November 27, 2018
The book is about a plague, yes, but more about the crises already present in a beautiful, progressive city— gentrification, drug use and overdose, racism, political scandal, the wealthy believing they have the right to do anything they want. The plague kills the city’s rats and shuts its borders and inspires fear and loneliness but more than anything reveals the rottenness at the heart of Vancouver— selfishness, isolation, short attention spans, hedonism. The ways in which the three main characters find each other are completely arbitrary, and yet their refusal to let go or give up is anything but. How can you build a community in a city in the midst of ruination? How do we accidentally or purposefully ruin space and place and opportunity and each other? Our heroes aren’t entirely successful, because how CAN they be in the face of entangled issues so much larger than themselves? But they don’t entirely fail, either. And I think if more of us became accustomed to the fact that not entirely failing is a kind of success, we might actually be able to change the world.
Parts of it drag, and some of characters narrate in a weirdly stilted way, but it’s an endearing and important portrait of Vancouver nonetheless.
Parts of it drag, and some of characters narrate in a weirdly stilted way, but it’s an endearing and important portrait of Vancouver nonetheless.
April 18, 2018
The Plague by Kevin Chong is a recommended modern adaptation of Albert Camus's original 1947 classic novel.
The Plague is written as a historical account looking back to the year 201- when the plague occurred. The setting is moved from the original French village or Oran to present day Vancouver where the unnamed, omniscient narrator tells the story and follows three characters. After the rats and subsequent other wild animals who live in modern cities started dying in alarming numbers, then people began to experience flu-like symptoms and swelling in their lymph nodes. The sick are clearly infected with Yersinia pestis, or the plague, and the city is immediately placed under quarantine.
Dr. Bernard Rieux is trap in the city while his wife is off receiving alternate treatment for her cancer. He is trying to find a way to redress the treatment-resistant disease, while he is alternately seeking to find meaning in suffering. Megan Tso is an American writer who is trapped in the city while on a book tour. She is trying to hide from an ex while assisting Dr. Rieux. Raymond Siddhu, who is married and the father of twins, is a reporter who is trapped in the city due to the quarantine.
Chong explores the same themes as the original novel, including the nature of destiny and the human condition, the frailties of human behavior, the psychological strain of being under quarantine, and the bravery required in the face of futility. He also places the novel in the present day by addressing many current political and cultural anxieties. His characters are well-developed and compelling. Chong does an incredible job developing his characters and making them real individuals facing a stressful crisis.
The plot however, when it should be full of nerve-racking tension and anxiety because, duh, it's the plague in a major city, is actually too slow moving and, well, a bit dull. As a character study and used as a comparison to Camus's novel, it is worthwhile to read; as a novel though about the plague hitting Vancouver, the pace of the actual story is rather weary.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Arsenal Pulp Press.
The Plague is written as a historical account looking back to the year 201- when the plague occurred. The setting is moved from the original French village or Oran to present day Vancouver where the unnamed, omniscient narrator tells the story and follows three characters. After the rats and subsequent other wild animals who live in modern cities started dying in alarming numbers, then people began to experience flu-like symptoms and swelling in their lymph nodes. The sick are clearly infected with Yersinia pestis, or the plague, and the city is immediately placed under quarantine.
Dr. Bernard Rieux is trap in the city while his wife is off receiving alternate treatment for her cancer. He is trying to find a way to redress the treatment-resistant disease, while he is alternately seeking to find meaning in suffering. Megan Tso is an American writer who is trapped in the city while on a book tour. She is trying to hide from an ex while assisting Dr. Rieux. Raymond Siddhu, who is married and the father of twins, is a reporter who is trapped in the city due to the quarantine.
Chong explores the same themes as the original novel, including the nature of destiny and the human condition, the frailties of human behavior, the psychological strain of being under quarantine, and the bravery required in the face of futility. He also places the novel in the present day by addressing many current political and cultural anxieties. His characters are well-developed and compelling. Chong does an incredible job developing his characters and making them real individuals facing a stressful crisis.
The plot however, when it should be full of nerve-racking tension and anxiety because, duh, it's the plague in a major city, is actually too slow moving and, well, a bit dull. As a character study and used as a comparison to Camus's novel, it is worthwhile to read; as a novel though about the plague hitting Vancouver, the pace of the actual story is rather weary.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Arsenal Pulp Press.
October 22, 2018
Not sure how I stumbled upon this book but I read the synopsis, thought it sounded really interesting (having previously read Camus' original I thought it would be cool to read someone else's take on it).
I had no idea until I bought it that Kevin Chong is based in Vancouver and the novel is set in present day Vancouver. Tripped me right out, as a Vancouverite myself, to be reading about the streets I walk, and the views I see everyday and the recognizable people who inhabit our fair city. There are plenty of novels, shows and movies that address what would happen if the plague or something like it hit modern day society, but they have always been set in some other city, in some other country. Totally wild to be reading about it like it actually happened here. It clearly stuck with me because I had a couple of rather bizarre and vaguely dark dreams over the course of my read.
Thoroughly enjoyed it! Recommended for everyone of course, but especially my fellow Vancouverites :)
I had no idea until I bought it that Kevin Chong is based in Vancouver and the novel is set in present day Vancouver. Tripped me right out, as a Vancouverite myself, to be reading about the streets I walk, and the views I see everyday and the recognizable people who inhabit our fair city. There are plenty of novels, shows and movies that address what would happen if the plague or something like it hit modern day society, but they have always been set in some other city, in some other country. Totally wild to be reading about it like it actually happened here. It clearly stuck with me because I had a couple of rather bizarre and vaguely dark dreams over the course of my read.
Thoroughly enjoyed it! Recommended for everyone of course, but especially my fellow Vancouverites :)
September 27, 2018
This retelling of The Plague, set in modern-day Vancouver, felt all too real. I read this book at the end of summer but felt like I was in the middle of a treacherous, never-ending winter while I was in the thick of it. I couldn’t help but look twice at anyone who coughed on the bus. A timely critique on a changing city.
June 2, 2018
A slow-paced tale of a deadly flu epidemic in Vancouver resulting in a quarantine of the city and how the citizens deal with it day after day. The main characters are well written, caring people who tell their story In a documentary style. Basically an okay, unexciting book.
September 1, 2018
I think this book deserves more attention. The portrayal of Vancouver in crisis made me squirm for how close to home it gets. But there's more than that. It has a lot to say about suffering and compassion and, to my mind, actually builds on Camus' foundation.
November 7, 2020
A gripping book that couldn't be more timely. I love that it is set in Vancouver, the city that never gets to play itself (in film) and rarely appears in literature, and I find it eerie how much Kevin Chong got exactly right about what living through a pandemic does to people.
February 27, 2019
A beautifully woven tale
March 7, 2019
I loved the Vancouver setting, but I did not find the main characters especially sympathetic or interesting. I also really liked his earlier book, Baroque a Nova, and gave it to my neighbour's son in Vancouver who was about the same age as the protagonist.
October 12, 2018
Cerebral and poignant, and written in a clinical style, this novel deals with death and dying, friendships, breakups, and how stressors impact people as a society. Though it drags at parts, I got a lot out of this. It doesn't push any particular ideology, but floats in this hazy, static gray area.
July 30, 2018
This novel is so much more than a page-turning thriller. In clear and subtle prose, Chong renders three characters--Tso, Rieux and Siddhu-- whose complexity, relationships and struggles had me completely immersed.
The backdrop--a totally recognizable Vancouver--is presented with uncanny acuity. Inequalities and tensions crackle underneath the surface of the beautifully rendered narrative. The plague in this novel is literal as well as metaphorical. In that respect, it is a powerful take on, or reboot of, Camus's original.
The backdrop--a totally recognizable Vancouver--is presented with uncanny acuity. Inequalities and tensions crackle underneath the surface of the beautifully rendered narrative. The plague in this novel is literal as well as metaphorical. In that respect, it is a powerful take on, or reboot of, Camus's original.
August 16, 2018
This was an interesting book that tells the story of a major Canadian city that gets quarantined when it is hit with the plague. The story is told from the perspective of 3 different characters who are trapped within the city when the quarantine is established. Their previously unconnected lives become interwoven as the story unfolds. I wish that the pacing was a little more dramatic. This was not the apocalyptic thriller I was anticipating.
December 19, 2018
My first book by Kevin Chong, who is clearly a gifted writer. But this didn’t work for me. It could have intertwined with Camus more interestingly, and Chong’s exploration of character overwhelms plot, of which there is not much. I had hoped for more— but I will certainly read more of him!
May 25, 2018
"Inspired by Albert Camus's classic 1947 novel," the back of The Plague says. Well, you can tell it's striving to be philosophical, but Kevin Chong spends so much time shooting us around Vancouver (we get it, it takes place in Vancouver) like we're in a pinball machine, bumping off character after character, whizzing in and out of timelines like secret passageways, eventually letting us fall right down the middle of the machine past the flippers' reach. There. That pinball metaphor was deeper than this book.
Sorry, I'm being harsh, but it's a book called The Plague and it seems to be missing the best parts of a plague... it's just not dramatic. I know the author teaches creative writing, but he needs to spend some time reading plays or watching some theatre to get more of an idea of forward-moving, complex conflict. For a sixth book, I expected more.
Sorry, I'm being harsh, but it's a book called The Plague and it seems to be missing the best parts of a plague... it's just not dramatic. I know the author teaches creative writing, but he needs to spend some time reading plays or watching some theatre to get more of an idea of forward-moving, complex conflict. For a sixth book, I expected more.
July 15, 2020
Rereading it during the pandemic. I actually grabbed it from VPL during my last library trip before quarantine, I was there to drop off books and grab some holds that had come in and was feeling very, very anxious about being in a public space (I had a panic attack on the bus directly afterward) - when I saw this book on the shelf it seemed an appropriate time to reread it. I think possibly a bit of it is too dark to fully contemplate in this context: the sense of futility is partially not representative of the COVID-19 Pandemic because policy and medical interventions do make a difference, while in this novel the infection rate seems truly random. But, I'm sure that to healthcare workers in the trenches Rieux's pragmatic approach - to work himself to the bone even though thousands will still die, and then eventually succumb to the disease himself - feels not super far off in the darkest moments, and that's what's too bleak for me to fully consider. A friend who's into philosophy kind of explained Camus' whole deal and I think I get this book a little better this time around with that lens; the first time I read this book I wished I'd had more access to the social conditions of this Vancouver, and particularly the history of the annex, but I get that that's beyond the scope of Camus' existentialism. I still think it would've been a richer novel with those aspects included.
This time around the scene with Tso and the [m/b]illionaire was a little hard to fit into the broader theme of the book, and I'd kind of forgotten about it until that note near the end that Horne-Bough was jumping in as an investor when he got out of prison. It does serve to highlight the wealth disparity in Vancouver (and globally) and how that's affecting death along those economic strata: the poor die by mass numbers in obscurity and the rich build useless monuments to their wealth around them, retreating to their second or third houses.
I have some pages I took photos of so I'll update this review with those quotes later.
This time around the scene with Tso and the [m/b]illionaire was a little hard to fit into the broader theme of the book, and I'd kind of forgotten about it until that note near the end that Horne-Bough was jumping in as an investor when he got out of prison. It does serve to highlight the wealth disparity in Vancouver (and globally) and how that's affecting death along those economic strata: the poor die by mass numbers in obscurity and the rich build useless monuments to their wealth around them, retreating to their second or third houses.
I have some pages I took photos of so I'll update this review with those quotes later.
January 1, 2019
finally finished this book. I just didn't enjoy it.
January 11, 2020
Meh. It wasn’t an action or a thriller. It was a social commentary on how Vancouveriets would react in a situation where the city was closed due to virus.
February 4, 2019
Not at all what I expected, and I was surprised by this book, the intertwining nature of the stories being told, and the use of Vancouver as the backdrop for the story.
July 31, 2020
The book looks at the developments following from the outbreak of a new contagious disease in Vancouver, Canada, which lead to a city-wide lockdown. Reading during the COVID19 pandemic is very strange, as the book seems more like non-fiction.
It follows three main characters’ point of view: a local doctor, a reporter and an American writer visiting Vancouver temporarily and caught in the quarantine net. The book’s main focus is on the personal experiences of these characters as their lifes are completely upended and a new temporary existence becomes the new normal.
The author also uses the outbreak and quarantine as a vehicle to highlight the city’s pre-existing problems through a new light. But this seems to take a backseat to character development. I must say it is remarkable how the author got right several small aspects of the quarantine, such as people’s behaviour towards interactions, the use of masks and the anxiety generated by the situation.
Given the divided focus and the small length of the book, I found it hard to really connect with the characters.
As a Vancouver resident, it was interesting to see all the references to local customs and locations. However, at times it is too nuch and feels like pandering to local readers.
One thing that bothered me was the attempt to equip the character with “smart quips” and witty conversation at all times. There is very little room for simple interactions. This feels particularly out of place when a very solemn situation is interrupted by some light-hearted reference.
I believe reading this book in extraordinary “COVID-times” has hindered the experience, as there is no escape, which usually allow the reader to surrender to the narrative more.
It follows three main characters’ point of view: a local doctor, a reporter and an American writer visiting Vancouver temporarily and caught in the quarantine net. The book’s main focus is on the personal experiences of these characters as their lifes are completely upended and a new temporary existence becomes the new normal.
The author also uses the outbreak and quarantine as a vehicle to highlight the city’s pre-existing problems through a new light. But this seems to take a backseat to character development. I must say it is remarkable how the author got right several small aspects of the quarantine, such as people’s behaviour towards interactions, the use of masks and the anxiety generated by the situation.
Given the divided focus and the small length of the book, I found it hard to really connect with the characters.
As a Vancouver resident, it was interesting to see all the references to local customs and locations. However, at times it is too nuch and feels like pandering to local readers.
One thing that bothered me was the attempt to equip the character with “smart quips” and witty conversation at all times. There is very little room for simple interactions. This feels particularly out of place when a very solemn situation is interrupted by some light-hearted reference.
I believe reading this book in extraordinary “COVID-times” has hindered the experience, as there is no escape, which usually allow the reader to surrender to the narrative more.
February 17, 2024
Based on Albert Camus' The Plague, Kevin Chong's The Plague is about a city that is quarantined for several months due to a plague. Interestingly, the book was written in 2018, before Covid.
It's been years since I've read Camus' novel so I don't recall all the details, but I remember enjoying it. But Chong's novel, not as much. The writing style and narration were strange (perhaps it is similar to Camus' style, I don't remember), and I didn't care for the characters. The only reason why the book held my interest was because it was based in Vancouver, my home city. Chong was very specific with his references to the city, such as the Stanley Cup riots and they SkyTrain pulling into Joyce-Collingwood Station. I even learned something about the history of my city from the book -- I had never before heard of the Gastown riots in 1971, something that was referenced in the story.
This book isn't really worth reading unless you are familiar with Vancouver.
It's been years since I've read Camus' novel so I don't recall all the details, but I remember enjoying it. But Chong's novel, not as much. The writing style and narration were strange (perhaps it is similar to Camus' style, I don't remember), and I didn't care for the characters. The only reason why the book held my interest was because it was based in Vancouver, my home city. Chong was very specific with his references to the city, such as the Stanley Cup riots and they SkyTrain pulling into Joyce-Collingwood Station. I even learned something about the history of my city from the book -- I had never before heard of the Gastown riots in 1971, something that was referenced in the story.
This book isn't really worth reading unless you are familiar with Vancouver.
June 6, 2020
This was a bizarre reading experience, having completed Camus' The Plague relatively recently. It is almost a blow-by-blow literary remake, at least at first. There are attempts to do more with female characters. Our little group has also seen some of the research Chong has no doubt gone through -- on 1918, Ebola, and other previous pandemics. Overall, it was an enjoyable dramatic envisioning of contemporary contagion, but in the end it felt a little pale. Comparing Chong's writing to one of the great literary masters of the twentieth century (which, why would you do that to yourself?), one senses a less visceral, less fully embodied, and less passionate set of characters and events. The child death scene, for example, is minor compared to Camus. And the wrestling with God and spirituality and meaning in life is muted, faded.
May 4, 2019
When the plague hits Vancouver, nobody is spared. A story more about the effects of a city-wife quarantine than the disease itself, The Plague offers an interesting view into the lives of the survivors in a world where people are obsessed with the dead.
While I wouldn’t call this book one of my favourites, I did enjoy it overall. It was heart-wrenching to read about the people who died. The connections between the character were interesting although made it less believable.
I was also not a fan of the narration where the “authors” would pull you out of the story to refer to themselves. It was somehow simultaneously trying to be a novel and an account of what happened.
Narration issues aside, this was a good read, although nothing to rave about.
While I wouldn’t call this book one of my favourites, I did enjoy it overall. It was heart-wrenching to read about the people who died. The connections between the character were interesting although made it less believable.
I was also not a fan of the narration where the “authors” would pull you out of the story to refer to themselves. It was somehow simultaneously trying to be a novel and an account of what happened.
Narration issues aside, this was a good read, although nothing to rave about.
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