Bernard Beckett

## Spoiler-free

It's been almost three weeks since I finished this book, and every time since then that I sat to write down something about it (which admittedly wasn't quite often), I would stare at the blank page, and feel unequipped to do the book justice yet. I didn't have the right words for it yet. Tomorrow I'll try again, I told myself, more times than I can count, was it procrastination? I am not sure. But here we are, I have finally managed to try to put my thoughts and feelings about show more this book into words (I want to say on paper but as you can see....)

Let me start by trying to describe the book first, without giving away anything that might potentially hinder the reader experiencing the book in it's entirety. The book starts with Anax (Anaximander) going into 'The Academy' to take part in an oral examination (I had pre-exam jitters!!) on a topic of her choice, to enter the said Academy. The Academy is said to be one of the most prestigious institutes in the Republic. Some people may bristle at how much the world is borrowed from Philosophical works, specifically Plato's Republic, but I was, am quite ignorant here, probably having lived under a rock most of my thinking life, and hence haven't read or heard much about Plato's Republic, a shortcoming on my part really, but it in no way hindered my understanding or enjoyment of the book, at least I think so, but then again to quote the book itself

> You think you're the end of it, but that's what thinking is best at: deceiving the thinker.

As the examination progresses, so does Anax's understanding of herself, of the Subject she had chosen to study, and most of all why she had chosen the subject at all. We get to take the journey with her, and a subtle theme I found weaved throughout the book was, 'Pay attention to what you pay attention to.' There were of course more overt themes examined i.e. what it means to be human, is pure thought something we should strive for, would a world populated by beings of pure thought and no emotions or empathy be rational as one would expect it to. Another quote from the book that stands out in this regard is:

>Are you saying a society wracked by plague is preferable to one wracked by indifference?

Give this a read, if you want to follow a more introspective journey, of the Anax trying to understand herself , of trying to understand why she sees the world the way she does and much more. I also feel compelled to mention this was quite a short book, as books go, but in no way was it lacking on ideas, or lingering thoughts. As Adam said when trying to explain what made him human:

>"I am not a machine. For what can a machine know of the smell of wet grass in the morning, or the sound of a crying baby? I am the feeling of the warm sun against my skin; I am the sensation of a cool wave breaking over me. I am the places I have never seen, yet imagine when my eyes are closed. I am the taste of another's breath, the color of her hair. "You mock me for the shortness of my life span, but it is this very fear of dying that breathes life into me. I am the thinker who thinks of thought. I am curiosity, I am reason, I am love and I am hatred. I am indifference. I am the son of a father, who in turn was a father's son. I am the reason my mother laughed and the reason my mother cried. I am wonder and I am wondrous. Yes, the world may push your buttons as it passes through your circuitry. But the world does not pass through me. It lingers. I am in it and it is in me. I am the means by which the universe has come to know itself. I am the thing no machine can ever make. I am meaning."

This book lingers. And that's the highest compliment I can give the author. show less

This is the third time I'm trying to write this review. Not for lack of things to say, but for fear of 1) giving away too much and ruining this book for other people, and 2) not doing the book justice. In this version of my review I hope to not do either of those things. One review I read after reading the book said it perfectly. Basically this is a book that is best to go into as blindly as possible. If you know too much about it before going into it, it could potentially ruin the book for show more you. The discovery is the majority of the enjoyment with this one, trust me!

While it comes in quite a small package at just 150 pages, this book packs quite a punch. It's a book that really makes you think. Primarily about the human condition. What does it really mean to be human?

The book itself is written in a the format of the main character, Anex, delivering essentially her thesis to a board of advisers in her attempt to join The Academy. Because of this sort of academic setting, the delivery of dialog and the overall feel of the book is a bit cold and detached, but not without reason! In fact, the way it's written is actually a lot more engaging than I originally anticipated when I first dived into the book.

I don't think I'm going to say any more. Trust me, I want to. This is a book that would be a fantastic book club read (if you're in one) because it brings about a lot to think about, and a lot you just want to talk about with someone else who has read it. But in an effort to allow you to discover that on your own, I recommend this book if you're looking for something very different from the normal dystopian, but something that stands very strong and will really make you think about...well, a lot of things. If you enjoy philosophy even the tiniest bit, or just the idea of thinking more about our place in the world, then I think you'll enjoy this one. I know it's left quite the impression on me, and I already want to read it again for things I might have missed the first time through!

More of my reviews at I'm Loving ♥ Books. show less

Wow. This was such a different book from what I expected. 1, it is set in an alternate reality where Jesus is seen as one of the 3 great prophets and everyone worships St Augustine instead. 2, the lives of the principal characters were NOTHING like I expected. 3, The philisophical debates that rage between the Rector and Tristan, the main character ,were very complex and yet easy to understand! And the ending....my godness, I did NOT see that coming! I love books that surprise me and this show more one was so amazing. Basically it is the story of Tristan and Grace and the age old question over fate. Are our lives pre-determined or do we have free will to change the future course of our existence? The story opens with Tristan and Grace in a car late at night skidding off the road and rolling down an embankment. Trapped upside down with horrific injuries that are slowly killing them, they relate the story of their lives up to this point in time. Tristan, taken from the slums to spend his life at a boy's school devoted to St Augustine battles with the Rector over the notion of free will - that we make our own destiny and it is not preordained. After sneaking out one night he sees Grace, a girl from a convent who is offering clandestine succour to the people of the Night. (Those who chose not to believe in anything and are therefore banished from society) and falls in love. When he returns to his dorm, he is captured by the Rector and held for two years to face a number of experiments designed to show that there is no free will. Meanwhile, Grace too is discovered, but she is banished from the convent and forced into a life of prostitution to survive. It is here that the two worlds (literally) collide. show less

Holy fucking shit, Batman! Holy fucking shit! *SPLAT!* My brain has exploded. I am blown away by the awesomeness of this little book.

Firstly, I owe a huge thank you to Lyndsey's review for inspiring me to read this because HOLY CRAP, HOOOOLY CRAP! This is the dystopian book to end all dystopian books. Doesn't matter if you think this sort of thing isn't for you, or if you're disillusioned with the genre.

At the very least this book will make you THINK. Think about the state of humanity, its show more limitations and where it is heading. Think about the pursuit of happiness, our curiosity, our technological advances. If the world ended as we know it tomorrow and we had a chance to start again from scratch, could we truly create a utopian society? Could we succeed in creating something we could be proud of? Or are we a doomed species hopelessly cursed to repeat the same mistakes?

Brain power is needed to read this, especially for the Third Hour chapter because damn if that wasn't a mind-bending philosophical debate regarding what it is to be human. I had to take a break to recharge the old batteries and when I returned to it...the jaw dropped and I had to re-read a paragraph because OH...MY...GOD I did not see That coming, That was a game changer, It brought a whole new meaning to what I had read.

Genesis is a small book, an expensive one, so expensive I decided to borrow it from the library but I must have a copy. It's absolutely worth the money. This book may be less than 200 pages but you could write a dissertation on it. Seriously.

Don't read up on this book, don't research it, just find a copy and read the hell out of it. Go in blind and discover for yourself the reason why I have given this the highest possible rating. show less