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The Family Tree
A female cop confronts near-future visitors in this “beautifully realized” feminist sci-fi novel “full of delightful surprises and sparkling wit” (Kirkus Reviews).Police officer Dora Henry is investigating the bizarre murders of three geneticists. Meanwhile, strange things are happening everywhere she turns. Weeds are becoming trees; trees are becoming forests. Overnight, a city is being transformed into a wild and verdant place.And, strangest of all, Dora can somehow communicate with the rampaging flora.A potential civilization-ending catastrophe is in the making. The nearer Dora gets to a murderer—and to the truth—the more seemingly disparate events begin to entwine. And the answers she seeks today to the salvation of humankind may lie in a far distant future. . .one which is suddenly much closer than anyone imagines.An exhilarating and enchanting novel that deftly combines fantastic invention with insight and a social conscience, from one of the most lyrical and important voices in contemporary speculative fiction“This out-and-out charmer is unquestionably Tepper’s best work so far.” —Kirkus Reviews
500 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
144 people are currently reading
2016 people want to read
About the author
Sheri S. Tepper
74 books1,082 followersSheri Stewart Tepper was a prolific American author of science fiction, horror and mystery novels; she was particularly known as a feminist science fiction writer, often with an ecofeminist slant.
Born near Littleton, Colorado, for most of her career (1962-1986) she worked for Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, where she eventually became Executive Director. She has two children and is married to Gene Tepper. She operated a guest ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She wrote under several pseudonyms, including A.J. Orde, E.E. Horlak, and B.J. Oliphant. Her early work was published under the name Sheri S. Eberhart.
Born near Littleton, Colorado, for most of her career (1962-1986) she worked for Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, where she eventually became Executive Director. She has two children and is married to Gene Tepper. She operated a guest ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She wrote under several pseudonyms, including A.J. Orde, E.E. Horlak, and B.J. Oliphant. Her early work was published under the name Sheri S. Eberhart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
December 10, 2012
Oh, Tepper, how I love you. Why have I not read all of your books?
This is, at first, a confusing bunch of unrelated stories and then suddenly, magically, inevitably it is one blisteringly good story- a story that makes one question one's essential assumptions about what it means to be human, what it means to be ethical, what it means to be good. There's a richness here that wells up slowly and almost imperceptibly, a richness that comes from top-notch writing and plotting. This is a book to be read over and over. I can already tell that once is not nearly enough- and I can't wait to go back and see what I missed.
This is, at first, a confusing bunch of unrelated stories and then suddenly, magically, inevitably it is one blisteringly good story- a story that makes one question one's essential assumptions about what it means to be human, what it means to be ethical, what it means to be good. There's a richness here that wells up slowly and almost imperceptibly, a richness that comes from top-notch writing and plotting. This is a book to be read over and over. I can already tell that once is not nearly enough- and I can't wait to go back and see what I missed.
March 13, 2010
I both dread and look forward to the day when I have read all of Tepper’s books. This has to be one of her best, despite it having been published over ten years ago. In this book, Tepper pairs two stories which, at first, at confusingly intertwined. Of course the relationship between these two tracks becomes clear as the book advances. The first is about Dora who is living in present day in a loveless marriage that is suddenly broken up when a weed invades the routine of her life. The second follows a harem slave as she set out on an adventure with the prince of the realm. What Tepper is able to do is lead the reader through the twists and turns of her mind to conclusions about the world, our relationships to it and to each other, and deep self examination. And she does all of this in the context of a page turner that I had difficulty putting down. The combination of poignancy and humor in this book reminds me of The Fresco, another of my favorites of Tepper’s. The best word I can come up with is dramedy which I recently learned in the context of tv programs. I think Tepper at her best embodies that uncategorizable thing that is a story mirroring life in its emotional complexity.
January 12, 2011
Sheri Tepper would have to be my favourite multi-published author overall. A prolific writer, her imaginative and diverse books cover ethical, environmental, social and even metaphysical issues. These themes can address anything from race, feminist/sexist power plays, ethics, virtues and archetypes / symbols, consciousness,and many more!
Tepper shines in the realm of fantasy/sci-fi. Her books, to a large degree, are fairly predictable in that you know you will be drawn in and lose yourself totally in the worlds and their dramas that she so eloquently and vividly creates.
'The Family Tree' (1997) stands out to me as her most surprising work. It is almost on par with her "Marianne" trilogy, which I consider the pinnacle of her work (to date, I have read maybe 50-60% of her books.) 'The Family Tree'
'The Family Tree' is a startling book. The separate character's groups and locations (modern day earth, and another, totally different world) are initially confusing, but knowing Tepper has the ability to join loose threads, I perservered with curiosity as to HOW she would do this. This in itself makes this particular novel stand out from her other work. There sure is a huge surprise within it's pages, totally unpredictable and shocking in its whole repercussions. It causes one to pause, review the story line, see the pieces slotting in more coherantly, then continue reading with piqued curiosity.
Tepper's books often contain life wisdom, little pearls of "self-help" which leave me wishing I was brave enough to get a pen and mark them out. There were several in this book. Finishing "The Family Tree" leaves me awed at Tepper's uniqueness and "out of the box" thinking. She would be someone I would dearly love enjoying an armakfatidi concoction with, discussing geneticism and repercussions of "what if's..." I highly recommend this book for many reasons - the surprise twist, the concepts and ethical issues it raises, as well as a remarkably good storyline....
Tepper shines in the realm of fantasy/sci-fi. Her books, to a large degree, are fairly predictable in that you know you will be drawn in and lose yourself totally in the worlds and their dramas that she so eloquently and vividly creates.
'The Family Tree' (1997) stands out to me as her most surprising work. It is almost on par with her "Marianne" trilogy, which I consider the pinnacle of her work (to date, I have read maybe 50-60% of her books.) 'The Family Tree'
'The Family Tree' is a startling book. The separate character's groups and locations (modern day earth, and another, totally different world) are initially confusing, but knowing Tepper has the ability to join loose threads, I perservered with curiosity as to HOW she would do this. This in itself makes this particular novel stand out from her other work. There sure is a huge surprise within it's pages, totally unpredictable and shocking in its whole repercussions. It causes one to pause, review the story line, see the pieces slotting in more coherantly, then continue reading with piqued curiosity.
Tepper's books often contain life wisdom, little pearls of "self-help" which leave me wishing I was brave enough to get a pen and mark them out. There were several in this book. Finishing "The Family Tree" leaves me awed at Tepper's uniqueness and "out of the box" thinking. She would be someone I would dearly love enjoying an armakfatidi concoction with, discussing geneticism and repercussions of "what if's..." I highly recommend this book for many reasons - the surprise twist, the concepts and ethical issues it raises, as well as a remarkably good storyline....
August 6, 2011
One of the best books I've ever read. Following the story of Dora in the present day and Opalears/Nassif in another entirely, the two stories converge with the best twist I have never seen coming. Dora's town is being taken over by a new kind of plant, which she has an affinity for, while at the same time she is trying to leave her controlling husband. Opalears is a slave who has been sent on a journey with the Prince to the mysterious St Weel because an Evil Thing, the Great Enigma, is threatening everyone's way of life. Themes include ecology, family, tolerance, and humanism. I can't really tell you much more about it without ruining it for you, so you really need to read it yourself. Please, please read this book.
May 26, 2009
This book was freaking awesome. At first I was puzzled by the storylines--they seemed like they had NOTHING in common, but then they collided in a magnificent way. The characters were rather endearing, and the story? I found it to be rather hopeful in the end.
January 13, 2019
I finally read a book by Tepper! She's been on my list for a long while, being a prolific science fiction/fantasy author who isn't, well, another dude.
Unfortunately, I found it difficult to connect with the story or any of the characters. Dora Henry is a police officer (which isn't very convincing to me and I actually forgot that fact several times throughout the reading). The most interesting part of the book is that a weed hurts her husband, a man with whom she is in an unconsumated marriage for reasons that do, eventually, become clear to the reader. Nature goes bat-shit crazy then and soon trees have taken over the entire city, making it impossible to drive. Animals come from the forests. Dora finds she can communicate with the trees.
Throughout Dora's story, we are given another story involving other characters which seem, at first, confusing or out of place, but trust me, it does all come together eventually. The "twist" is sort of neat but it still didn't make the entirety of the book pop for me.
Ultimately, the story turned into a "save the world" thing which, yes, we should be trying to save the world, granted, but it was obvious on a Lorax level that Tepper had an agenda with this book. I'm sure her other books must be similar. Nuance is a good thing, especially for making quality fiction.
It's also a hefty book, so the beating over the head of certain points was a bit much for this specific reader, but I can see how it would appeal to a lot of other readers.
Unfortunately, I found it difficult to connect with the story or any of the characters. Dora Henry is a police officer (which isn't very convincing to me and I actually forgot that fact several times throughout the reading). The most interesting part of the book is that a weed hurts her husband, a man with whom she is in an unconsumated marriage for reasons that do, eventually, become clear to the reader. Nature goes bat-shit crazy then and soon trees have taken over the entire city, making it impossible to drive. Animals come from the forests. Dora finds she can communicate with the trees.
Throughout Dora's story, we are given another story involving other characters which seem, at first, confusing or out of place, but trust me, it does all come together eventually. The "twist" is sort of neat but it still didn't make the entirety of the book pop for me.
Ultimately, the story turned into a "save the world" thing which, yes, we should be trying to save the world, granted, but it was obvious on a Lorax level that Tepper had an agenda with this book. I'm sure her other books must be similar. Nuance is a good thing, especially for making quality fiction.
It's also a hefty book, so the beating over the head of certain points was a bit much for this specific reader, but I can see how it would appeal to a lot of other readers.
As time goes on, however, people learn the things they thought were impossible are, in fact, merely improbable and they learn to make improbable things happen through technology, until the time comes when no one believes in magic anymore because all the improbable things are being done by machines.
(p93)
October 24, 2013
For those who find Sheri S. Tepper's authorial preoccupation with eco-feminist issues humorless, The Family Tree is likely to be a revelation. The twin stories intertwined here—one a kitchen-sink detective story set in the present day, and the other an exotic tale of multiple tribespeople on an adventure to save the world—both sparkle with a sly jocularity not seen since Tepper's earliest novels. The moment when the two stories converge is simply magical; the first time I read it, I sat up in my bed, dumbfounded at the neatness of it all.
Tepper is writing at the height of her powers in her fable on the connectedness of all living creatures. As an introduction to her themes and her incredible imaginative skills, The Family Tree is a good introduction to the author's novels, and a ripping good read on its own.
Tepper is writing at the height of her powers in her fable on the connectedness of all living creatures. As an introduction to her themes and her incredible imaginative skills, The Family Tree is a good introduction to the author's novels, and a ripping good read on its own.
September 6, 2011
This one was great up until the end, which in a magnificent twist, turned the whole (otherwise completely readable) novel into a really ridiculous treatise on how humans suck, animals are not only awesome but sentient, and how we need to stop destroying the earth. I love Tepper's books, but sometimes her political leanings are a little too obvious, and that was the case here, to the detriment of the book.
February 27, 2009
This is the book that made me love this one and only science fiction author. It is like a beautiful set of nesting boxes. Each new treasure opened makes you gasp at what is revealed.
August 15, 2021
Rarely, do I give an author a second chance. Usually, if they really don’t impress me, I’m out. However, Sheri S. Tepper’s The Gate to Woman’s Country which I read in 05? was interesting. It was about a world of matriarchy and men were outlawed. She has a Ursula Le Guin vibe to her, which I mean as a compliment. Her genre is eco feminist fantasy or sci fi. She’s written a lot of books. I will probably check them out later.
This is speculative fiction with fascinating ideas and premises. Dora Henry investigates when trees start attacking back and there are diverse storylines that all line up. There are also various murders of scientists, which is where the mystery part comes in. It's Eco Feminist, mythical, mystery and just a lot to unpack. Like I’m not even sure I tracked it all. Would be excellent in a class with Ursula Le Guin, who is also fab. The Left Hand of Darkness is the one I’d read first. Its from 1997 and much of it feels timely. Like, she deals with population control, urban development, etc. There’s like a cell phone reference but that's it. Warning to those who dislike multiple POVS, it does have many storylines. Usually, there’s one I gravitate towards and get frustrated with how they develop. Tepper does pull it off. I think she might have more ideas than she can cope with, and it could be about 100 less pages. But, on the whole, very excellent. 5 stars. I haven’t decided whether to keep my copy or donate it so someone else discovers it. (Also just moved. So many books)
This is speculative fiction with fascinating ideas and premises. Dora Henry investigates when trees start attacking back and there are diverse storylines that all line up. There are also various murders of scientists, which is where the mystery part comes in. It's Eco Feminist, mythical, mystery and just a lot to unpack. Like I’m not even sure I tracked it all. Would be excellent in a class with Ursula Le Guin, who is also fab. The Left Hand of Darkness is the one I’d read first. Its from 1997 and much of it feels timely. Like, she deals with population control, urban development, etc. There’s like a cell phone reference but that's it. Warning to those who dislike multiple POVS, it does have many storylines. Usually, there’s one I gravitate towards and get frustrated with how they develop. Tepper does pull it off. I think she might have more ideas than she can cope with, and it could be about 100 less pages. But, on the whole, very excellent. 5 stars. I haven’t decided whether to keep my copy or donate it so someone else discovers it. (Also just moved. So many books)
May 13, 2019
7/10 en 2005.
Ideas, aventuras y personajes dignos de mención se mezclan en este libro de la siempre reivindicativa Tepper.
La crítica social, religiosa y de costumbres se deja ver entre las aventuras que conducen la lectura y que hacen que no nos traguemos un coñazo de apología peleona, sino una inteligente y bien escrita novela de CF y Fantasía.
Ideas, aventuras y personajes dignos de mención se mezclan en este libro de la siempre reivindicativa Tepper.
La crítica social, religiosa y de costumbres se deja ver entre las aventuras que conducen la lectura y que hacen que no nos traguemos un coñazo de apología peleona, sino una inteligente y bien escrita novela de CF y Fantasía.
August 27, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. But it's hard to write a review that doesn't spoil it. In the beginning the author moves between two worlds. The modern earth timeline I found the most interesting and the storylines moved along quicky. In contrast the other timeline had a lot of new characters (and countries) to get to know and it tended to get a little bogged down. But right in the middle of the novel everything collides together in a way that had me laughing out loud. And from then on the book was a lot of fun to finish.
January 18, 2013
This is a hard book to comment on without giving anything away - and if you read other peoples reviews and views you will see they too struggle. There are however two story lines here and yes they are most certainly interwoven - reading this book reminds me so much of 12 Monkeys or is it just me. However for an author known for her stereotypes I find the book contains a fair and balanced mix. I will put my hand up and admit that I have not read much by her - however I did enjoy this and look forward to reading more.
December 20, 2011
Difficult and confusing start although halfway through it came together.. If you like talking animals this is for you.
Found at a cake stall. 1 of 7 books for $5 total!.
Found at a cake stall. 1 of 7 books for $5 total!.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2024
3.5+
Starts off as one of the best novels that I've read in the past few years, fades through the middle, and really disappoints at the end. Even with the disappointing ending it's still better than most of what I've read recently and I'd recommend it.
The first 30% has a tendency towards exposition but has truly beautiful prose, interesting characters, and trusts the reader to be able to adapt to the world without excessive handholding. It's been a long time since I needed to use the dictionary on my kindle and this introductory section constantly delivers subtle, nuanced, and rewarding vocabulary. The multiple perspectives are fairly interesting and it builds a sense of intrigue and motion.
The next 50% has much less sophisticated prose and becomes primarily plot driven in the "I have to get these viewpoints together and get everyone to X at the same time" sense. I don't recall having to use the dictionary once during this phase. Perhaps 60% through we get the plot-twist payoff. It's consistent and makes sense I guess, but I didn't really enjoy it myself.
The ending truly disappointed me. I felt like it was clumsy, rushed, and fell into a set of tropes that the author had avoided up to this point. Any pretense of attention to prose was given up. Characters started to make inconsistent decisions, relationships advanced at rocket speed. Some plot threads were left undone, or resolved so quickly that I was left thinking "wait, after all that this is what we get?" The final plot twist appeared completely out of nowhere... there was absolutely no foreshadowing and it felt completely unplanned, as if the author was given a "you can't end it this way" note from an editor, and made something up at the last minute.
The most positive thing I can say about the ending is that the author .
Starts off as one of the best novels that I've read in the past few years, fades through the middle, and really disappoints at the end. Even with the disappointing ending it's still better than most of what I've read recently and I'd recommend it.
The first 30% has a tendency towards exposition but has truly beautiful prose, interesting characters, and trusts the reader to be able to adapt to the world without excessive handholding. It's been a long time since I needed to use the dictionary on my kindle and this introductory section constantly delivers subtle, nuanced, and rewarding vocabulary. The multiple perspectives are fairly interesting and it builds a sense of intrigue and motion.
The next 50% has much less sophisticated prose and becomes primarily plot driven in the "I have to get these viewpoints together and get everyone to X at the same time" sense. I don't recall having to use the dictionary once during this phase. Perhaps 60% through we get the plot-twist payoff. It's consistent and makes sense I guess, but I didn't really enjoy it myself.
The ending truly disappointed me. I felt like it was clumsy, rushed, and fell into a set of tropes that the author had avoided up to this point. Any pretense of attention to prose was given up. Characters started to make inconsistent decisions, relationships advanced at rocket speed. Some plot threads were left undone, or resolved so quickly that I was left thinking "wait, after all that this is what we get?" The final plot twist appeared completely out of nowhere... there was absolutely no foreshadowing and it felt completely unplanned, as if the author was given a "you can't end it this way" note from an editor, and made something up at the last minute.
The most positive thing I can say about the ending is that the author .
April 5, 2022
Sheri Tepper writes gorgeous prose. Her imagination blows me away. I wondered if the idea that started her writing this novel was about a weed that bites back. I'm not usually in to environmental stories, but this story grabbed me (or the weed did, actually) and I decided to trust Tepper and her imagination.
She creates alternating realities -- one is more or less the present in which Dora Henry, a homicide detective, married to Jared, is tasked with investigating the murder of a scientist working with animals. The other is an exotic reality with a character named Opalears who narrates what turns out to be a quest for the Great Enigma. These two realities are connected, but we don't find out how until about 2/3 of the way through the book. I can't say anything more without giving the whole game away. Suffice it to say, Tepper explores the human relationship with planet earth and all the plants and animals living on her in surprising ways.
The characters in this novel intrigue, are unique and original, and shocking at times. The world building is masterful. Tepper plays on a reader's imagination to fill in what she leaves out, then twists it around on the reader. So there are twists as well as surprises. I think my only quibble is that the pace lagged far too often. I became impatient with the Opalears sections because the homicide Dora was investigating was more interesting to me.
I enjoyed the story and I especially loved reading Tepper's incandescent prose. She has a talent for description and painting vivid images that evoke emotion as well as a world. I'd recommend this novel to readers of fantasy, environmental stories, and literary speculative fiction.
She creates alternating realities -- one is more or less the present in which Dora Henry, a homicide detective, married to Jared, is tasked with investigating the murder of a scientist working with animals. The other is an exotic reality with a character named Opalears who narrates what turns out to be a quest for the Great Enigma. These two realities are connected, but we don't find out how until about 2/3 of the way through the book. I can't say anything more without giving the whole game away. Suffice it to say, Tepper explores the human relationship with planet earth and all the plants and animals living on her in surprising ways.
The characters in this novel intrigue, are unique and original, and shocking at times. The world building is masterful. Tepper plays on a reader's imagination to fill in what she leaves out, then twists it around on the reader. So there are twists as well as surprises. I think my only quibble is that the pace lagged far too often. I became impatient with the Opalears sections because the homicide Dora was investigating was more interesting to me.
I enjoyed the story and I especially loved reading Tepper's incandescent prose. She has a talent for description and painting vivid images that evoke emotion as well as a world. I'd recommend this novel to readers of fantasy, environmental stories, and literary speculative fiction.
February 18, 2025
Incredible story! Plants that watch your bicycle, trees that give you cherries and force us into mass transit.
A great work of eco-feminism.
A great work of eco-feminism.
January 2, 2020
So many twists and turns! She had me turning the page to find out what was going on. From trees who communicate to a strange new world, I was engrossed until the end!
May 13, 2020
The beginning was very good, and the two apparently-unrelated storylines were both engaging in their own way. The twist was truly unexpected.. but the book went downhill from there. Not an unpleasant read, but the second half felt more like a YA novel.
May 22, 2024
What a delight!
I have been meaning for _years_ to try Tepper, and this book, thanks to a co-worker, just fell into my hands. Though it isn't one of the books that made her rep - indeed, I'd not even heard of it before - it's definitely good enough that I intend to read more.
Three things start the book:
Police officer Dora Henry spots a weed in her husband's meticulously-neat garden. It resists all his attempts to destroy it. And it seems to respond when she talks to it. And then trees start sprouting up everywhere, overnight...
Dora also is called to the scene of a murder. A geneticist, murdered on the grounds of the company where he works. And, it turns out, two other geneticists in the area have been murdered recently in exactly the same way...
In some other place and time, a young slave named Nassif is selected to accompany her Sultan's son Shahir on a quest...
There's a _lot_ going on here. There are themes of religion, ecology, animal rights, destiny, and much more. There are numerous likeable characters (and a despicable villain or two), unexpected adventures that make sense when the whole thing comes together (as, inevitably, it does), huge twists and surprises, and much more than that. And it's all written cleanly and economically.
I have been meaning for _years_ to try Tepper, and this book, thanks to a co-worker, just fell into my hands. Though it isn't one of the books that made her rep - indeed, I'd not even heard of it before - it's definitely good enough that I intend to read more.
Three things start the book:
Police officer Dora Henry spots a weed in her husband's meticulously-neat garden. It resists all his attempts to destroy it. And it seems to respond when she talks to it. And then trees start sprouting up everywhere, overnight...
Dora also is called to the scene of a murder. A geneticist, murdered on the grounds of the company where he works. And, it turns out, two other geneticists in the area have been murdered recently in exactly the same way...
In some other place and time, a young slave named Nassif is selected to accompany her Sultan's son Shahir on a quest...
There's a _lot_ going on here. There are themes of religion, ecology, animal rights, destiny, and much more. There are numerous likeable characters (and a despicable villain or two), unexpected adventures that make sense when the whole thing comes together (as, inevitably, it does), huge twists and surprises, and much more than that. And it's all written cleanly and economically.
February 20, 2020
Beginning, pleasingly, because it’s different for Tepper, in the modern time with a policewoman investigating three murders of geneticists. Dora is married to an odd engineer, and trees are growing out of control overnight and taking over suburbia again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2012
Kids: don't try this at home!
Tepper is the grand master of the literary surprise. I remember when I first read "Grass", and about a third of the way into the book, she suddenly turned all the readers' preconceptions on their side. The aristocrats weren't what you thought they were. The hunt wasn't what you thought it was. And the aliens definitely weren't what you thought they were either.
In this one she pulls a trick of epic proportions. About two thirds of the way in, she yanks the rug out from under you in a way that had me slapping my head and saying "I did not see that coming!". But she doesn't cheat; all the clues were there.
Well worth a second read, just to see how she did it. You will not be bored.
Tepper is the grand master of the literary surprise. I remember when I first read "Grass", and about a third of the way into the book, she suddenly turned all the readers' preconceptions on their side. The aristocrats weren't what you thought they were. The hunt wasn't what you thought it was. And the aliens definitely weren't what you thought they were either.
In this one she pulls a trick of epic proportions. About two thirds of the way in, she yanks the rug out from under you in a way that had me slapping my head and saying "I did not see that coming!". But she doesn't cheat; all the clues were there.
Well worth a second read, just to see how she did it. You will not be bored.
November 23, 2008
I read this book as part of the ABC Author challenge, as this was my first read of Tepper, and I must say, I was pleasantly swept up in the fantasy-world she created, and her interesting and comical allegories. While her political view sometimes comes out a bit strong, she has a wonderful delivery of those ideas; one that, no matter your political stripe, the story and message resound. And, just as I thought I had the story figured out, another twist in the plot lead me in another direction...very imaginative and completely enchanting. Well worth the reading time!
August 12, 2018
4.5
What a BOOK. Anything I say about it would essentially be a spoiler, but how fucking masterful. Not sure I adored Dora--towards the end when she spoilerrailed against people for having too many kids, taking up too much space, not paying enough attention to the environment, but particular agitating against the disaffected she sometimes started to feel more like a caricature than a real person, but even that couldn't dull my overall enthusiasm for the story. I spent the last quarter making pterodactyl noises into my hands in disbelief.
What a BOOK. Anything I say about it would essentially be a spoiler, but how fucking masterful. Not sure I adored Dora--towards the end when she spoilerrailed against people for having too many kids, taking up too much space, not paying enough attention to the environment, but particular agitating against the disaffected she sometimes started to feel more like a caricature than a real person, but even that couldn't dull my overall enthusiasm for the story. I spent the last quarter making pterodactyl noises into my hands in disbelief.
September 27, 2013
The Family Tree deals with all of the serious themes that Tepper is known for - ecology, overpopulation, etc... but does so in a very clever, funny way. The format is one of two seemingly unrelated, interleaved stories (one a contemporary drama, one an Arabian-Nights-flavored fairy tale) which merge about halfway through the book - some might find it a bit gimmicky, but I like it...
It's one of those books that it's hard to say much about without major spoilers, so I'll leave it at that!
It's one of those books that it's hard to say much about without major spoilers, so I'll leave it at that!
February 28, 2014
I guess I didn't hear the "preachy" other people found. Why read a book if you're not interested in someone else's opinions? Or perhaps it's the subject and content of the preaching that makes people uncomfortable--she asks questions people STILL don't want to look at.
Anyway, I love her. Can't wait to get back to her and read more.
Anyway, I love her. Can't wait to get back to her and read more.
January 14, 2009
This is a great story about a group of time travelers from a dystopian future attempting to recover a messiah figure from the distant past, from the time just before the start of the current plight. An excellent Tepper book.
June 18, 2020
I wish I had started reading Tepper's books when I was growing up. They are simply amazing and I love them.
September 20, 2022
En este libro hay dos historias. La primera es la de Dora, una agente de policía contemporánea que tiene que investigar unos extraños asesinatos al tiempo que toma la decisión de divorciarse de su marido, un hombre nada afectuoso que nunca la ha tocado y siempre la ha tratado como una criada. La segunda, la de unos curiosos personajes que emprenden una búsqueda en una ambientación de corte medieval (magia incluida) pero que muy pronto se nos deja claro que está en nuestro futuro. Hacia la mitad del libro, ambas tramas confluyen.
La primera parte del libro es plúmbea como ella sola. Los capítulos de Dora son interesantes, pero son los menos. Y los otros capítulos se dedican a contarnos historias secundarias, a hablar de teología y a formar un grupo que no se sabe muy bien hacia dónde va: la contracubierta describe este viaje como "tolkieniano", pero ya le gustaría a Tepper ser tolkieniana. Solo es pesada.
Con todo, esa primera parte es mejor que la segunda, que es mucho más amena pero a cambio sostiene durante doscientas páginas un mensaje ecofascista del tipo "los humanos somos el virus" que me ha revuelto bastante el estómago. Lo desarrollo en el spoiler:
A la pesadez y al ecofascismo se suman unos personajes cero interesantes y el rollito ese tan inverosímil de conspiraciones mantenidas durante milenios. Bastante alta es la nota que le pongo.
La primera parte del libro es plúmbea como ella sola. Los capítulos de Dora son interesantes, pero son los menos. Y los otros capítulos se dedican a contarnos historias secundarias, a hablar de teología y a formar un grupo que no se sabe muy bien hacia dónde va: la contracubierta describe este viaje como "tolkieniano", pero ya le gustaría a Tepper ser tolkieniana. Solo es pesada.
Con todo, esa primera parte es mejor que la segunda, que es mucho más amena pero a cambio sostiene durante doscientas páginas un mensaje ecofascista del tipo "los humanos somos el virus" que me ha revuelto bastante el estómago. Lo desarrollo en el spoiler:
A la pesadez y al ecofascismo se suman unos personajes cero interesantes y el rollito ese tan inverosímil de conspiraciones mantenidas durante milenios. Bastante alta es la nota que le pongo.
September 23, 2018
3.5. Uneven and a bit pedantic, but so creative! More than once I was like: what?!? There are some crazy plot twists in here, all in service to building up to a very specific point of view about human treatment of animals and nature. Ultimately, this book is heavy on the “message” side of storytelling, which is usually very annoying, but it’s done in such a thorough, complicated and yet whimsical way, I did end up liking it a lot anyway.
The book begins with the story of Dora, stuck in a loveless and sexless marriage, and some strange foliage that appears. Just when you start to settle into that narrative, totally different characters, seemingly set in some kind of high fantasy realm, show up with a different, quest-based story. For the first half of the novel it is not at all apparent how these stories relate to each other. And when they do come together, it really flips the whole story! It may stretch credibility, but it’s definitely unpredictable. And while the first half is rather slow and contemplative in all of its different parts, the second half is full of action, a fast-moving plot, and Lessons (capital intentional). In fact the book ends on one of those Lessons.
I liked the first part better than the second, tbh, but at that point I kept reading to see what new development Tepper would throw into the mix. And she certainly keeps throwing new stuff at you, right up until the very last pages! Ultimately this means the Big Ideas present don’t get a lot of room to breathe, let alone much time spent on the lovely character development we got to enjoy in the first half of the book. But nonetheless I admire Tepper going balls to the wall here. I think this is one of her earlier novels; even in this it’s clear she’s got a talent.
Read this if you want a kind of wacky take on 90s environmentalism. I enjoyed it, but I am curious to read Tepper’s later work, where hopefully she wasn’t quite so driven about message, and ironed out some of the technical storytelling kinks on display here.
The book begins with the story of Dora, stuck in a loveless and sexless marriage, and some strange foliage that appears. Just when you start to settle into that narrative, totally different characters, seemingly set in some kind of high fantasy realm, show up with a different, quest-based story. For the first half of the novel it is not at all apparent how these stories relate to each other. And when they do come together, it really flips the whole story! It may stretch credibility, but it’s definitely unpredictable. And while the first half is rather slow and contemplative in all of its different parts, the second half is full of action, a fast-moving plot, and Lessons (capital intentional). In fact the book ends on one of those Lessons.
I liked the first part better than the second, tbh, but at that point I kept reading to see what new development Tepper would throw into the mix. And she certainly keeps throwing new stuff at you, right up until the very last pages! Ultimately this means the Big Ideas present don’t get a lot of room to breathe, let alone much time spent on the lovely character development we got to enjoy in the first half of the book. But nonetheless I admire Tepper going balls to the wall here. I think this is one of her earlier novels; even in this it’s clear she’s got a talent.
Read this if you want a kind of wacky take on 90s environmentalism. I enjoyed it, but I am curious to read Tepper’s later work, where hopefully she wasn’t quite so driven about message, and ironed out some of the technical storytelling kinks on display here.
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