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Happy Holidays to all who celebrate!
A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick. If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.
1. In writing about the Black Death, Willis had the advantage of hindsight, but much of the 2056 attitudes towards the present day epidemic was recognizable. Did present day Oxford in the novel seem realistic to you?
#ClassicLSFBC
BookmarkTavern, wanderinglynn, Readergrrl, Johanna414, The_Literary_Jedi, KathyWheeler, Lizpixie, BookBelle84, Larkken, julesG, Deblovestoread, majkia, LeticiaToraci, sebrittainclark, kwmg40, rwmg, CatLass007, BookwormAHN, CSeydel, rretzler, RamsFan1963, TheSpineView, bnp, swynn, PaperbackPirate, Bookwomble, Klou, RaeLovesToRead, Roary47, MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm, AuthorCjwhitcomb , Lesliereadsalot, PageShifter, tokorowilliamwallace, MerlinTheSlightlyAwkward, Books_et_al, bookwyrm7, AnishaInkspillKathyWheeler It did seem realistic. If I‘d read this book before 2020 though, I would have it wasn‘t because people would not act like that if faced with an epidemic or pandemic. (edited) 2mo
Ruthiella @KathyWheeler While she obviously didn‘t predict cell phones or the internet, I agree that the behavior of people facing a quarantine and a pandemic was all too familiar. 2mo
rwmg And this was the present day's 2nd epidemic/pandemic, which does not bode well for our future. 2mo
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The_Literary_Jedi I was annoyed with the general incompetence of the people involved with the project itself once Badri got sick; not one knew how to operate the machine? I first read this back in the 90‘s in HS & I remember thinking there was no way authorities would be so stupid or people be so panicky…lol. 2mo
Ruthiella @rwmg I suspect our experience with the next pandemic (not a question of if but when) will be equally divisive and difficult, unfortunately. 2mo
Ruthiella @The_Literary_Jedi While overall I enjoyed it because I was particularly invested in the Middle Ages story line, the ridiculousness of the missed calls, etc. drove me crazy. It was just to extend the plot tension, but it only annoyed me. (edited) 2mo
Larkken The picketing for useless reasons, general confusion/breakdown of services, and blaming of minorities was painfully familiar. @Ruthiella I did a lot of skimming during the missed connections parts, for sure not my favorite parts either. (edited) 2mo
Ruthiella @Larkken I remember similar issues in “Blackout”, with break downs in the technology and endless (ENDLESS) dialogue about how to get back. 2mo
Larkken @Ruthiella ew... Even though I really liked it, I have to admit that my tear-to-page quota was exceeded in this book so I already wasn't rushing to read the sequel, and that info pushes it still further down the list! 2mo
swynn In terms of the resistance to public health measures and conspiracy-suspicious responses to quarantine, she was spot-on in ways I probably would not have appreciated before 2020. I do think, though, that she also used some comic exaggeration, that for me didn't fit well with the desperate and tragic scenes in the past, and also the future's final act 2mo
Ruthiella @swynn I‘m glad you brought that up. I also found it a bit disconcerting the switch from the light comedy in the present day compared to the drama and trauma of the past. Agnes, in particular, gutted me. 2mo
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