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Peter Ropp

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Absolution (Southern Reach, #4)

by Jeff Vandermeer (Goodreads Author)

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Reading for the 2nd time

read in December 2024

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Peter Ropp said: " To return to a series that you ostensibly had finished a decade ago, to great success mind you, and decide to add a new volume to it is a risk. Fortunately, Jeff VanderMeer manages to recapture the sensation of crossing the border into Area X in this To return to a series that you ostensibly had finished a decade ago, to great success mind you, and decide to add a new volume to it is a risk. Fortunately, Jeff VanderMeer manages to recapture the sensation of crossing the border into Area X in this fourth and final(?) book in the series and while as usual he does not give us ALL the answers, he leaves me with plenty of food for thought to keep me satisfied.

Absolution is split into three parts; the first chronicles a group of researchers investigating the Forgotten Coast 20 years before it became Area X, showing that even before the events of Annihilation, there was always something wrong with the Coast.

The second part follows Old Jim, a side character from Acceptance who was more connected to the Area X phenomenon and the Severance family than you would have ever guessed before. His story takes place in the time leading up to Area X. Old Jim shows us just how twisted it can be working for Jack Severance and also gives more depth to the strange S&SB that we met in Acceptance.

The third part details the First Expedition into Area X by the Southern Reach, from the eyes of one John Lowry. His expletive-filled account is a bit of an experimental read, with the “f” word ebbing and flowing like waves on the ocean and words peppered in between. This retelling doesn’t quite match up with the glimpses we got into the journey in Authority, but VanderMeer has commented that the perception of events is somewhat subjective to whose perspective we view them from. Overall, you get a slightly deeper understanding into how Area X works and an idea of what awaits the world outside Area X in the events post-Acceptance.

Overall, a great trip in a wonderfully weird world that makes me think about the nature of reality, how we deal with change and systems that we don’t initially understand. While the fan in me desperately wants more from Area X, my better judgment knows that I need to trust that Jeff VanderMeer is giving me all I need to know about the world he writes about. ...more "

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(page 15 of 464)
— 9 hours, 50 min ago

Mar 21, 2025 07:09PM · see review