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Loading... Moon Beaverby Andrew Hook
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. "Moon Beaver" begins with Benny Henderson, an inhabitant of the increasingly drab Norwich, who finds himself struggling to retain his sense of originality in a city that has been permeated by Company rhetoric; it is being blanketed by propaganda that forces the relinquishment of an individual identity in order to create manageable conformity. As the city slowly grows greyer and falls deeper into an abyss of Company compliance, a young woman of unspecified age and origin, who calls herself Moon Beaver, unexpectedly enters Benny’s flat while he is in the middle of a bubble bath and entrances him with her “cult of one.” From thence on, he unquestioningly allows the strange woman to invade his life, deplete his savings, and guide him away from his fiancée, Louise, as they venture overseas. Enthralled by her spontaneous lifestyle and her belief in her own immortality, Benny attempts to learn from her the mysteries of time, which she purports to manipulate. It is clear to Benny that he will eventually be abandoned by Moon, and thus feels as if every day with her could be the last. The occult of Moon Beaver pervades and complicates the lives of every character: Louise attempts to come to terms with Moon’s sense of freedom, and ultimately her own, as she delves into Moon’s indeterminate past; Lou, a Midwestern hen farmer from the States, tries to reconcile his love for his hens with his love for Moon; and Benny, attempting to understand Moon’s philosophy, concentrates on negotiating issues of time and sustainability outside of the Company norm. Andrew Hook’s "Moon Beaver" is a novel of life, death, and the transitory time spent in between. Moon’s character and sense of self is eerily inspiring and makes for a read that is both absorbing and beguiling. The issues raised by Hook are poignant to everyday life, and the consequences of living in every kind of way are potentially haunting: how do we immortalize our finite selves, and how do we do so without sacrificing the people we love? no reviews | add a review
A comic satire of big business, the cult of individuality, and the teasing quality of time, this is an adventure story for those who hate adventure stories. No library descriptions found. |
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The story begins with Benny Henderson, living in the Company-run city of Norwich, who finds himself struggling to retain his sense of originality in a place that has become overrun by the Company, which has essentially smothered the town in its propaganda in its attempt to create a homogenous community. (Sounds delightful, no? I’m moving there next week.) Benny works for the Company, lives in an apartment building the Company owns, all of his friends work for the Company, and his fiancé also works for the Company. Essentially, the Company is Benny’s life.
That changes though, when Moon Beaver enters Benny’s life and forces him to see outside his small, Company-run world. Moon Beaver takes Benny with her on her travels, opening his eyes to a life outside the Company’s influence. And just as Benny’s eyes are opened, so are those of his fiancé and his friend.
As I said before, "Moon Beaver" was a thought-provoking novel, as it brought up questions about happiness and the identity of self. Too often, I’ve found that I let myself be defined by what I do, or where I live, rather than what I think, like, or feel. I’m going to make an effort, going forward, to not let that happen. I don’t want to wake up one day to find that my entire life has become my career.
(Unless that career becomes someone who gets to eat chocolate-covered caramels all day, because I really like the sound of that job.) ( )