Earth Abides
by George R. Stewart
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Book Reviews of Earth Abides
Book Review: Times change, and so do our expectations
Summary: 4 Stars
I read this book in the 60s, just over a decade after it came out. When I read some of the reviews here, I decided to skim through it again. What had surprised me were the negative reviews. I remembered the story as a very interesting one, with characters I could appreciate, if not like.
What I found different was the fiction that has come along in the past 40 years. In "the old days" fiction often was more thoughtful with less action and more introspection. Characters did not always solve the problems with which they were confronted (although I must admit that this was not the case as often in science fiction). Stewart in Earth Abides gives us a world in which nearly the entire population of the earth has died from a pandemic. Ish, the main character, spends much time alone in the beginning. As the few survivors begin to gather together, they look to him for leadership, something he's not certain he is qualified to do. The exception is that he is well read, and his greatest passion is to preserve the library in the area in which he lives.
(spoiler lieth here) Some of the reviewers here seem surprised at the deterioration of civilization amongst the group. Were they as surprised if they read Lord of the Flies? True, those characters were all children, but many of Stewart's characters are uneducated or unsophisticated, who never understand Ish's preoccupation with the knowledge housed in that library. They are too busy learning to survive with none of the trappings of modern life, and without the tools to re-create that life. The story is depressing as one reads the slide into savagery. But what is represented is one possible outcome should such a holocaust occur in the world.
For different outcomes, try reading Day of the Triffids (there be monsters), or Malevil. Or see the old b&w film Things to Come. This was once a very popular sub-genre of science fiction and many possible outcomes have been depicted.
Book Review: Suprised reader
Summary: 4 Stars
Long ago, when I was about 12, I read a book by George Stewart called Fire. I remember enjoying this book. When I came across The Earth Abides last year I remembered thinking that I might enjoy this one based on my prior experience with his earlier book. Besides I liked the title. Well my enthusiasm started to wane after reading the first 100 pages or so. I started to think that perhaps my taste had changed in the intervening decades. In Fire, I had found interesting his asides where he described the fire and its growth. Here, when he interrupted the story in an aside describing changes to the world and the decay of mankind's works, I found it distracting and thought it broke the narrative flow. Several times I found myself saying "that is not the way people would behave" and second guessing the author- fighting against the direction the author was taking us. I thought that perhaps the story, being written in the late `40's, was dated. However, about two-thirds of the way through the book, right about the time when a couple of the colony members were sent on a cross country trip to see what was going on in the rest of the country, I had a major change of heart. It was like a log jam breaking. I suddenly let go of my preconceptions and opened my mind up to his vision, his story. I found the story suddenly compelling and the characters believable, and the writing, while not on the level of a Saul Bellow, moving and effective. I found his description of civilization slipping backward, and the growth of the colony into a tribal, superstitious society, in contrast to the protagonist's scientific "modern" leanings, very powerful and imbued the story with a powerful melancholy. However, the book is not necessarily all depressing. Indeed it makes clear that mankind would survive- and the earth would abide until his eventual return. Looking back, writing in the first person was very effective. The final chapter is a beautiful and fitting ending.Book Review: A thoughtful journey through the end of civilzation
Summary: 5 Stars
"At the funeral of Homo sapiens there will be few mourners."
I loved this book. So many end-of-the-world tales center on violence, war, superhuman heroes and unrealistic resolutions. Earth Abides is unique. It follows the story of "Ish", a biologist who was busy doing research alone in the mountains of California when a virus swept around the planet wiping out all but a few members of the human species. Immune to the virus, possibly because of a well-timed snakebite, Ish proceeds to explore the empty world. He travels across the United States, returns to the west coast, and helps establish a small community with a handful of survivors.
Earth Abides is special because it all seems so real and down-to-earth. Ish is a scientist who makes keen observations and comes up with brilliant solutions to problems. But he is always very human. The character never drifts in a formulaic larger-than-life hero who can save the day. I also like the realistic mix of survivors. No, they aren't all Mohawk-wearing rapists and murderers. No, they aren't all highly intelligent saviors of civilization. They are an assortment of people one might see walking down any sidewalk in any city. Some smart, some dumb; some nice, some not so nice.
Earth Abides covers a lot of ground, stretching out many years beyond the disaster. It is fascinating to read the author's description of crumbling cities and vanishing highways. It reminded me of the fine nonfiction book, The Earth Without Us.
This book was a pleasure to read and I highly recommend it.
"At least," he thought, "life is quieter."
"Yes, a tribe is like a child. You can show it the way by which it should grow up, and perhaps you can direct it a little, but in the end the child will go his own way, and so will the tribe."
"Men go and come, but Earth abides."
Book Review: A Classic Only for Being First
Summary: 2 Stars
I have been a huge fan of the TEotWaWKI (The End of the World as We Know It) genre for quite some time. In a conversation with a fellow fan, I revealed that I have not heard of this book. After the shouts of shock and consternation died down, I was strongly urged to read it.
Boring!
Most of the book is taken up by the main character (Isherwood Williams) going on and on about what he or others should do. Then he does nothing! It got to the point that, after an actual interaction with another character (rare though they were), I dread the blah-blah-blah that was about to come.
The only reason why I finished this book (and kept this from being a single star review) was the insight it provided on the age in which it was written. These are the things that stand out for me:
* Being apologetic for not killing or running off the supposed mentally dificient member of the group.
* It seeming to be OK for younger folk to painfully pinch very old people when they don't respond as expected (so much for respecting your elders).
* The shame in having to bypass a mountain lion rather than killing it.
* Killing a calf only for its liver, and killing its mother just because it was in the way.
* Fear that a kid may be too smart and the need to keep it from reading too much.
* Purposely not using reference material when trying to do something for which they have no experience.
* Seeming lack of desire for good food. Whatever is around is good enough. No need to go out of your way to make something good.
* The only time sex is implied is for making babies or cast aspersions upon someone's character.
This was an exercise in anti-intellectualism and anti-sensualism. I'd rather be killed in the plague than to have to live with this bunch.
Book Review: Starting Over
Summary: 4 Stars
The premise of this story is the elimination of 99% plus of the human race as a result of a world-wide plague. The plague only effects humans. All other species of life continues to live and in some cases, thrive. Does that sound like something you've read before? I don't think so. In this story the plague kills slow enough to allow the living to bury the dead, thus the streets are not full of dead bodies and the freeways are empty. The remaining few gather themselves into small "tribes". The leader of the tribe in our story was a history professor at a major university which is very close to the location of the University of California, Berkley. As a professor he observes the progress, or regress, of his tribe as a student might and creates a tale that would be appropriate for an Anthropology class.
Equally interesting to the "student" is the impact on the ecology as a result of the loss of mankind. It is truly amazing how much control man has and the impact of his sudden removal. To give even examples would be to deprive the reader of experiencing it themselves. Although not a long book it covers a period of around 70 years or more. It does so by summarizing periods of 10-20 years into short chapters. The author does an excellent job of maintaining continuity in this manner.
I would recommend this book hold-heartedly to the serious reader, not because it is a difficult read, for it is actually quite an easy read, but because it is not an action adventure story but a serious look at the possible destiny of mankind. A destiny which I for one would hope we would be better than. The story was written in 1949 but would vary little if written today. An "end of earth story" with a very modern premise would be "One Second After" written in 2009 which was fascinating to read back-to- back with Earth Abides and which I will be reviewing separately.