Malevil

Oxymoronically, I found Malevil to be a somewhat light read about the aftermath of the apocalypse. That is not to say that there aren't horrific and brutal events, and suffering for the survivors. Rather, I found that their survival actually comes a bit too easily, with just the right mix of people and material to ensure prosperity in the near future. That being said, it is an interesting and entertaining book, with a few very strong characters. It is well written and had the effect of making me almost wish for the new life that was being built. There are a few undemanding but thought provoking, philosophical arguments and discussions. The book was written in the seventies, but is not dated. I enjoyed it and found myself a bit comforted show more for some reason. show less

Malevil by Robert Merle
Written 1972 and translated from the original French in 1973.

Although written in the early 70's, there is nothing dated about this tale of survival under the worst conditions possible visited on the planet. Most are familiar with this sort of novel. Odd pockets of civilization survive the ultimate destruction. A battle that gives no warning, no vibes at all. There were no preparations to make, because Who Knew?, which is probably the most..."democratic" way to begin. With people that happened to be together in a safe place at the right time.

Very little of the story is devoted to the Before Time. We are given snipets of information about the participants in the survival, but the greatest part of the book is show more dedicated to the emotional, physical, and yes, the spiritual survival of the members. And I use the word 'members' very seriously. These people are members of the new civilization, a civilization that must be very careful in the directions it takes and the choices it makes as well as the battles it must fight.

The main protagonist Emmanuel is one of the strongest characters I have encountered in fiction. It is his personality that makes the book work IMO. His courage and decency form the pattern of the new path they must travel. And yes, it is a love story as well, although not in the way you'd think.

This book is in the top ten of my favorites of all time, I have reread it.....I don't really know how many times. Just recently I've begun it again, and was surprised. How many "end of the world" books do you know that begin with an analysis of Proust's madeline scene? I'd not attempted Proust the last time I read this book, so I had my laugh out loud moment, and sigh for the day.

This book has all the ingredients...mystery, love, battle scenes and intrigue and yes, sadness and longing as well. One of the few books that no matter how many times I read it, there are still scenes that can bring tears to my eyes.
So, if you can find this book, buy it and enjoy! show less

A small group tries to rebuild their lives in 1977-post-nuclear-apocalyptic France.
This one surprised me with how good it is. Engaging and suspenseful in all the right ways and with fantastic characters.

Jo, jen 3 hvězdičky!Mám totiž takovou kacířskou myšlenku: všichni, kdo mi Malevil doporučují, že to je nejlepší PA sci-fi, tak to říkaj jen proto, že je to stará kniha kritiky oceňovaná :P :)))
Jo, nepřišlo mi to jako žádná bomba. Možná proto, že nejsem čtenář scifi, ale za poslední 2 roky jsem přečetla hodně PA knih, od jednoduchých po "jiné", tak mi tohle nepřišlo nikterak třeskutě originální.
Jo, není to vůbec špatně napsané, hlavní postavy nejsou ploché, mají docela vyvinutou charakteristiku, ač ocaď pocaď (a týká se to mužských postav, ženám autor asi vůbec nerozumí, jsou to pro něj ukdákané slepice, hlavně ty staré, ty mladé mají ještě povahový rys a to, že show more chtěj chlapa:D ). Živoření PO apokalypse je zde skokem do středověku a má zajímavé, leč očekávatelné prvky toho, jak si s tím může dnešní člověk poradit. Asi by to hrdinové měli mnohem těžší nebýt to vesničané, co stále žijí jakžtakž soběstačně, lidé z velkoměsta by na tom byli hůř. No a tohle bylo asi to, co mi vadilo: vlastně hlavní postavy měly předem velké šance na přežití, kdežto příběh měšťáka by byl náročný. Také mi vadilo, jak Malevilákům vlastně vše vychází - přežijí těhotná zvířata, mají dost osiva a i tu ženu v plodném věku získají. A ještě víc, jak Malevil byl skrznaskrz kladný - kamarádství, důvěra, pospolitost, dělení. Jak chrabré oproti teokracii v LaRoque, nebo loupeživé vojenské bandě, co vše si podrobuje silou! show less

One of my favorite survivalist novels. As ever we always seem to degenerate back to where we started. And it is truly a male evil - one of war even after the catastrophe of nuclear devastation. We just can't let go of trying to kill one another...

I am not going to re-hash the story. I will say I enjoyed it. It wasn't exactly as I has thought it might be. More like a memoir. It was a very interesting take on how we might rebuild after a calamity.Not gonna spoil that for you! I am glad I read it. Just remember this was originally published in French, so some of the translation may be a bit off, but I loved how it was written and the language used.

I am not going to re-hash the story. I will say I enjoyed it. It wasn't exactly as I has thought it might be. More like a memoir. It was a very interesting take on how we might rebuild after a calamity.Not gonna spoil that for you! I am glad I read it. Just remember this was originally published in French, so some of the translation may be a bit off, but I loved how it was written and the language used.