Creation Lake
Ratings37
Average rating3.6
This was completely different than expected, mostly reading more like a textbook than a piece of trippy fiction. However, underneath the exorbinate amount of unneccessary detail, philosophy, and historical context, there is a throughline about an undercover operation targeting potential climate extremists that is served well by the quality and depth of the writing. The trouble is that this, and the intriguing dynamics that come along with it, get lost as the writer continuously gets stuck in the weeds.
Creation Lake is complex. It contains multitudes. It is anthropology. It is ethics. It is ecology and politics. It is inter- and intrapersonal. It is contemplative and it is urgent. It is written wonderfully.
It asks the reader to do some work. To meet with the text, to engage with it, not just consume it like yet another digital flicker on a screen. But it will reward such readers.
I enjoyed it thoroughly. I will read it again, and I'd be thrilled if it won the 2024 Booker, for which it is shortlisted.
5/5
I mainly wanted this to end, but I was intrigued enough to stick around. And it did get interesting towards the action end of the plot, but there's something about Kushner's choice of heroine, or maybe her audio book narration voice, that just bugged me.
Who on goodreads decided to tag this as Science Fiction !?