Book Review: Braised Pork By An Yu

 An Yu has been on my radar since I boldly resisted a copy of Ghost Music a while back on Net Galley.

I would gaze at the titles which are tempting indeed and then for whatever reason, sail on by. 

But this time, in a bold effort to meet my reading goal of "books completed" I decided to jump into Braised Pork- a novella that, on audio, lasts about 5.5 hours. 

This was such an interesting read.  I cannot say I had exactly a "good time" with it, but I can say it held my attention, and that days later, I'm still mulling it over.

I admit, I am NOT a fan of the minimalist- abstract-ish cover, but, I also don't hate it. It just didn't do much for me as a reader overall. 

    Weird Girl fiction is ALL THE RAGE  - at least over on the Book Tok.  It seems either one is a romantasy gal, or a weird girl reader- very rarely do the two mix it up.  I kind of like both, and I am going to make the case that Braised Pork is essentially kind of a weird girl novella. 

Set in Beijing and Tibet, we follow Jia Jia, a young woman who married for security it seems.  She was a painter, but hasn't been painting much. He businessman husband is found dead in a bathtub in their apartment. She's surprised but seems to move on from that with a disaffected style- starting an affair with the local bartender, and navigating some complex financial situations. All the while, she occasionally- not too often- starts to think about a drawing and a dream her now deceased husband shared with her. A dream of a man that was half fish with a man's head. 

As she glides through her life, picking up a few art jobs, and seeing the bartender intermittently, she becomes obsessed with the image of a "fish-man" that her husband described and drew for her after a business trip to Tibet. She begins to paint it, but cannot complete it. At this point, she decides the best action is to take a trip-- the same trip-- that her husband did. 

  Readers are taken on a wild ride through Tibet, discovering supernatural moments and a place where time seems to slightly- ever so slightly bend. Jia Jia returns with a better understanding of her world and her place in it. 

I'm still unsure if this is meant to be a piece of literary mood fiction with some magical realism, or a deeply symbolic meditation/depiction of mental illness.  I feel like I could make the argument either way and be ok with it, so I suspect - for readers- it's a "take the interpretation that works best for you at this point in time" kind of conclusion. 

 I loved that so much was packed into this novella that still manages to feel as if one is reading along on a slow moving stream. I was often confused, and left to ponder pieces here and there. This is a good one to savor on a weekend morning at a coffee house. Definitely recommend- especially if you've gone through all the "usual" weird girl recommendations and are hankering for more. 

First Published :  5/14/2020

Pages: 240

Available as an Audio Book :  yes ~ 5 hrs

Trigger Warnings:   alcohol use, death, on page sex (non graphic) , smoking, divorce, (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick

 

I'm back on the Hugo Awards as I complete a reading prompt for my local bookstore's reading challenge.  This prompt was for a Classic.  While The Man in the High Castle might not come to mind as rapidly as Pride and Prejudice, it is most assuredly a classic of Sci-Fi. 

  Frankly, I am learning I'm not a big fan of early Sci-Fi.  It's really a strange mash up of male insecurity, weird obsessions and a heavy dose of the times in which the writers were living.  These guys were inventive, but it's clear their imagination didn't go as far as I originally thought.  Even with Space Travel as a part of the novel, the entire imagining of space travel was pretty nebulous. And I suppose that's fair, given that travel on airplanes itself was generally priced for only the wealthy and business class at that time.  I can see that imagining a future where cargo was carried all over the place without a blink of an eye wasn't top of mind.  It is always interesting to see how we imagine the future world.  In Dick's case, it's one where Germany can colonize Mars, but secret info is still passed on by Photostat.  Since currently, we can not colonize Mars, but have well outgrown a photostat, the juxtaposition is jarring. 

    I didn't love this book, but I also did not hate it.  Readers follow several main characters who are all pieces of literary art. We have:

 I could likely write a post about the motivations, emotions and representations of all the characters. But, I'm not that kind of book reviewer!  What I found interesting, was that the characters didn't all come together in one defining moment. Instead they all seem to share in common a loss of identity and a seeking for meaning in life. They are all passionate, but- they aren't finding satisfying outlets for their passion. 

Juliana was a fascinating character- at once shallow- concerned about wardrobe, getting a nice meal or hotel, and on another level, literally murderous when protecting people- who are really representatives of ideals she holds dear. She definitely doesn't totally understand her own actions.

The shared passion and seeking is what unites the characters, even though some of them never interact at all. 

  There is no Hero's arc here.  PKD leaves us all sort of feeling drained and fizzled out there at then end, wondering what the point of these semi-intersecting stories was.  I think Dick maybe meant for us to sit and stew in that for a bit.  I definitely have been thinking about the book in the days since I finished it. 

I'm not sure the whole story works for me, but the characters he created are amazing and worth the read.

STATS

First Published  1962

Pages: 240

Available as an Audio Book : ~9 hrs 

Trigger Warnings:  violence, racism, weird I-ching consultations, murder, sexism

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

 

Book Review Crow Lake By Mary Lawson

   This was an audiobook I picked up via  NetGalley/Brilliance publishing. 

Crow Lake  seemed to fit in with my water theme perfectly. I did not realize this was basically off the backlist, but it seems it was originally published in 2002, so though it is with a new narration by Amelia Sargisson, I think I can still consider it a "beat the back-list" novel! 

This was a debut novel for Mary Lawson!  This is a story set in the Canadian Shield region of Northern Ontario

he story is centered around Kate coming home for her nephew's birthday celebration. As she travels, readers are taken on a journey through memory of her childhood growing up in the Canadian Shield area of Ontario in a farming family. Kate and her brother's were suddenly orphaned, and this event altered their life trajectories. As the youngest Kate was very attached to her brother Matt who loves nature and shapes her own interests, as she becomes a zoologist as an adult. Set against the background of Crow Lake - a small town where everyone knew everyone, the tightly told drama unfolds. As Kate returns home, she must face the facts that she can return to the people she loves, but that they , like her, are not static and things have changed, for better and for worse.

I enjoyed this novel. The writing was direct and elegant in it's simplicity. Amelia Sargisson is the narrator, and she narrated in a clear voice that did not detract from the story line. I felt immediately immersed, within the narration.

This book is sort of quintessential literary fiction. It read a bit like historical fiction at this point, having been first published in 2003. For me the main theme might be how "you can't go home again" and of course, while, one can almost always return to a physical home location, the setting and the persons associated with home are never static..

 This would be an EXCELLENT choice for Book clubs! 

STATS

First Published :2002

Pages: 320

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes (8 hr 34 min) 

Trigger Warnings: mental health, parental death

Not a full list, please read responsibly. 

 

 

Book Review: An Owl on Every Post by Sanora Babb

 If you ever wanted to read a book about survival in adverse circumstances, this would be one I'd recommend. 

   I am a HUGE fan of Babb.  Her work Whose Names are Unknown should get more readership and praise, and it was overshadowed by The (also excellent) Grapes of Wrath. Given that Steinbeck is such a fantastic writer, that's no problem, but it is kind of ironic that it's well known that Steinbeck used Babb's field notes while writing his classic- and didn't give her any credit.... 

  For me, I personally think both are fantastic novels, and should be taught in conjunction.  They have different styles and approaches to the topic and compare marvellously. 

But I'm here today to talk about an Owl on Every Post, Babb's autobiographical work about growing up in a one room dugout -- farming broomcorn.  This was a definite poverty situation, with 5 people living in a one room home that was basically dirt.  Here's a link to what this might have looked like. 

An Owl on Every Post is considered "YA"  which I find, very strange.  It is ABOUT a young girl, growing up on the plains, but the topics, are really also appropriate for adults.  After all, we were all aged 7 at one time. This is a coming of age memoir, but not one  where Babb grapples with maturity or the challenges as such, in fact, I think she just happens to grow up in the pages of the book.  In that way, it seems less YA than many YA novels that are written to address that time of life.  Rather, Babb is describing her time of life. There's no romanticizing the harsh winters, or lack of food at times, nor the sometimes challenging isolation of the way of life chosen by her father, but there is a deep thread of resilience throughout. The writing itself is perfection- it's not flowery, or overly descriptive, but each word paints the perfect picture, and for me, I felt as if I was right there, in almost every moment. 

This book also would make a good gift for a reader you are unsure about. It's interesting, well paced and written, and doesn't moralize. Let me know if you pick this one up! 

First Published :1970

Pages: 266

Available as an Audio Book :YES

Trigger Warnings: medical situations,  poverty, hunger, child death, snakes, animal ghosts.

    Not a full TW list, please read responsibly.   

Book Review: Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma

  Spooky Season is in full swing at my house!  I'm so pleased to have finished Immortal Dark! 

This novel has been on my radar since it came out in 2024. It made a big splash across "Booktok"  and I thought this was going to be sort of a Book Tok fluffy vampire book with some nods to Ethiopian culture,  and boy was I wrong. I honestly am left wondering if I read the same book as the bubbly enthusiastic reviewers did. 

   Not that it isn't good.  It IS very very GOOD.  It just pretty much transcends the usual Book Tok tropes and has a lot more depth than what is normally on offer. (and yes, we do all create our own algorithims) ...

   Our protagonist, Kidan is one tough woman. She and her sister were raised outside of the Vampire/Human society they were born to. In order to protect herself and her sister, Kidan has done some unspeakable things. When we meet Kidan, June (the sister) has disappeared and Kidan is searching frantically for her. Kidan is given an opportunity to locate her sister, while reclaiming her familial house on the famed Uxlay campus. The house (which indeed is sentient!) is occupied by Susenyos- a Vampire with a checkered past. The two are instant enemies, and like all good romances, the enemies soon find they have more in common than they have differences. 

   We have all likely read our share of vampire novels. Immortal Dark is a bit of a new take on the well worn vampire tropes. Her novel brings in pieces of various African cultures, entwining this with classic vampire stories. For me, the balance between familiar vampire themes and the African highlights was perfect, each augmenting the other and fitting together seamlessly. 

   What struck me about this novel is that none of the characters are particularly likeable. I intermittently found myself cheering for Susenyos and in the next minute deciding that I was more for Kidan, and often deciding that I really didn't like either's scheming, difficult personalities. This leaves all sorts of space for discussion of morality, loyalty, the cost of deception. I was compelled to find out what happens and read for 4 hours straight to get to the end.  I'm lining up for book two now. Will Kidan and Susenyos reject their prior bad acts or will they choose to fall deeper into the dark? I can't wait to find out. 

   Great read for Spooky Season! 

First Published : 2024

Pages: 448

Available as an Audio Book :YES

Trigger Warnings: parental death, SI, violence, strong language, blood drinking, death, murder, parental abuse,  

Not a full TW list, please read responsibly. 

Book Review: The Hurricane by RJ Prescott 3/5 Stars

 So, I read this because the title  "The Hurricane" fits nicely into my water theme. 

Does it have anything to do with actual hurricanes?  No. Most assuredly no. 

If I really want to spin it, I could probably discuss how often we use water associated terms to describe non-water events, people, things. I don't think I want to delve into things that deeply. 

This is an average, enjoyable sports romance set in the UK.  There's nothing unique about it at all, and for me, that was actually what made it enjoyable.  My mind didn't have to work with this one.

Emily is a broken fragile girl who remains fantastically attractive and fragile. She's struggling financially but she does have her apparent talent for math going for her as she forges ahead in her mathematics degree. Despite her very bad circumstances, she remains physically attractive and unfailingly kind and nice to every one who approaches her, all the time. 

Cormac O'Connell is an undisciplined boxer who grew up with an alcoholic mother. He's desperately seeking a feeling of home.

One day he seems Emily being kind to a homeless man, and decides she is going to be the one for him. 

And he falls hard and fast. Emily falls hard but requires some convincing. 

Together they become stronger. Predictably, both have huge amounts of emotional intelligence and their relationship quickly become bullet proof. (This is honestly the part that really is not that believable, as most folks packing that much trauma between the two of them would have more communication issues/trust issues etc, but this is a novel, it's ok!) Both of them speak to each other as if they had a degree in "trauma -informed" therapy. This novel which is a series of stand-alone but interconnected romances  was put out in 2016- which I think we can all agree was a very different time. 

I enjoyed O'Connell's obsession with Emily and I enjoyed that it was a welcome obsession. I enjoyed the moments where  together they conquered his horrid mother and her vicious step-father on the way to a happy-ever-after ending. 

Pearl Hewitt reads the novel in the audio book, and I think she did a pretty good job with the narration, though maybe I could have used a bit less of the high pitch. That said, it was a clean and clear narration, and easy to follow. 

  I learned nothing about water! 

Do I recommend?  YES - if you want a spicy contemporary romance about overcoming obstacles. No- if you are looking for anything more nuanced. 

STATS

First Published : February 2016

Pages: 432

Available as an Audio Book :YES

Trigger Warnings: Death, parental neglect, alcohol, SA, poverty, violence, sexual content, family drama, toxic relationships. 

Book Review Waterline by Aram Mrjoian

 

Obviously, it is still 2025 and I am still reading on the theme of Water.  I'm not sure where this is getting me, the theme, that is, but I am definitely picking up books I might have otherwise ignored.  This one was difficult to ignore because of the bright colors used on the cover. 

Secondarily, I wanted to read this because I had a good friend in my first two years of college who was Armenian.  Her mother often discussed this genocide which, of course, I had not heard about. Her mother always reminded us that "You can't give up because you don't know what will happen tomorrow"  this is in very stark contrast to my Mom who would wonder and worry incessantly about what could happen tomorrow. So, it's stuck with me. 

The novel, however... 

Has nothing to do with my college friend beyond the fact that both my friend and the novel characters were both affected by the Armenian genocide. Or maybe, if I spoke with her today I'd find out it had EVERYTHING to do with her, who knows.  

     

    For me this is an astounding work of fiction, that I think, is advertised as something that is maybe isn't. 

What I thought I was going to get- a deep look at the generational trauma of the Armenian genocide and how it affects persons today. 

What I feel I got?- A deep look at grief  and the effects of suicide within a close knit family, with a nod to generational trauma related in this case to the Armenian genocide. 

    Both of these are things worth writing about, but as I read through this book, I definitely felt that they were two different things  and that reviewers were leaning into the historical aspect very heavily, when the book just touches on it as part of the family lore. Mrjoian says that he intended that less than 10% of the novel be focused on the genocide - which I believe he achieved. The genocide itself was like a ghostly spectre sort of hovering about throughout all of the characters we are introduced to- in one way or another.  Reviewers, however, really pushed the genocide connection which lead me to think that I would be getting chunks and chunks of history. 

For me, this was a novel of a portrait of deep grief and the way a family processed this grief in the modern era. The author explores different ways to process (or not process) grief and loss and leaves space for readers to recognize themselves in characters and processes. Some characters drink, others find release in movement (hiking, swimming, sex, exercise classes) while others power forward and only melt down when it all becomes too much. The knowledge of the genocide seeps in at the corners of their minds, and affects the choices they make in grief, but a glaring direct connection isn't present- which is likely the point. Perhaps, generational trauma isn't a sledgehammer exactly, but more of an insidious process that finds us and creates core expectations and beliefs that we'd be hard pressed to explain. 

   This is a worthy read, but I can't say it would be one if you wanted to learn exact details of the Armenian Genocide. The writing is gorgeous and to the point and I'd gladly read another work by Mrjoian any time- but I might check into the topic a wee bit more deeply before diving in!

STATS

First Published : June 3, 2025 

Pages: 288

Available as an Audio Book : yes

Trigger Warnings: suicide, generational trauma, genocide, alcohol and drug use, revenge porn, infidelity, as always this is likely not a complete list, so please read responsibly. 

 

Book Review The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed

 I'm tempted to review this set of novellas together, but,  I thought why not do them as I go.

  I initially attempted to read this novella several months ago and I set it aside, likely due to ARC reading distractions. I did request the ARC for her latest novel- which turned out to be... the third in this series!  So, back to The Annual Migration of Clouds it was! 

     I liked this novella a lot, and I think once I finish the other two books that go along with it, I may come to love it. My usual complaint is that the novella just kind of stops.  Some things are wrapped up- but overall, as a reader, I want more. 

A  No Spoiler summary - because I really loathe Spoilers! 

Set in the future where we have finally fully destroyed the climate, Reid , a 19 year old girl is our protagonist. She's just received word that she's been accepted to a university that has taken on mythic qualities within her small survival oriented community. She's thrilled and in shock, and she definitely wants to go, but- not everyone in her community thinks it's a good idea.  Reid is infected with a fungal symbiote and this symbiote seems to have a mind of it's own! This push-pull between family/community obligations and a desire to grow and explore beyond the daily routine is something that many readers will instantly find relatable. While it's focused on the first time leaving home, I felt this as a much older adult who still struggles with family and society obligations. The back drop of climate destruction and survival gave the work a serious tone that several coming of age stories miss. The decisions that Reid makes have serious consequences for her and her community.  We end this short novella with a final decision made, and a sort of new order established, but readers are left wondering if this was the right decision!  Luckily, We Speak Through Mountains is readily available! 

     Mohamed has a beautiful writing style. It is precise but also conveys emotion and personality.  Her characters seem fully developed in just a few sentences. I felt immersed in the post-apocalyptic community and invested in the decisions that Reid had to make. Definitely one I'm going to recommend in the future! 

STATS

First Published : September 2021

Pages: 168

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings: Death, absent parent, chronic illness, violence, animal death, alcohol, medical content, body horror (not a full list- read responsibly!!!!) 

Book Review Service Model BY Adrian Tchaikovsky 3.5/5 Stars

 Service Model, by Adrian Tchaikovsky is nominated for a 2025 Hugo Award! 

As only 6 novels were nominated and I had already read a few of them, I decided to go ahead and try to read all six before the winner is announced in August!

   Service Model was an interesting read! It starts off with a fascinating premise, in a future world where humans are served by robots, Charles, a Valet unit discovers he's unwittingly murdered his Master. 

Now he surmises, that certainly. 

"Given the Considerable investment in Domestic service that Charles represented, surely he should be allowed to murder three, or even five people before being deemed irreparably unfit for service" 

-Service Model (A. Tchaikovsky) 

I found myself cackling away, and thoroughly enjoying this novel which made me feel as if I was transported into a mechanized Wizard of Oz situation. Charles knows that he has sone something wrong, and after a delightfully ridiculous investigation, he journeys to a sort of "data collection/reprogramming center".   UnCharles (as he becomes since he isn't exactly the same Charles service model as before), befriends another being and together they adventure together, The Wonk, as the being is known, seems to also need some repair. This unlikely pair stick together to the final page, giving readers a hopeful message at the conclusion. 

Did I enjoy this book?  YES, I really did. Do I have some issues with it? Yes, I really do.  Primarily, it was just....too long. By the end, the humor I experienced at the beginning was wearing thin, as the sort of pure logic of the robotic mind is funny and charming, but also became tedious, and somewhat repetitive much like a curious child- 10 questions about something are wonderful- but 40...sort of become unbearable in one afternoon. I conceded that this was maybe the authors intention all along! I felt like most of UnCharles's experiences were interesting and clearly had a point, but perhaps... possibly... they could have been condensed, ever so slightly, because the ending was also fantastic, it was just... the middle part where I almost returned this to the library.  Tchaikovsky is a prolific writer and publishes multiple full novels each year, and as a basic reader, I suspect maybe a bit better editing could be employed.  I would have DNF during a few of the clunky areas, except that I wanted to finish it due to the Hugo nomination. Again, I'm just one of many readers, so it's only an opinion. 

This is nonetheless a solid post apocalypse novel, written from the point of view of the Robot, in a Robot/Human Team.  It gives room to ponder AI, and unintended consequences of AI, and it really does have some very amusing moments! This would be a fun book for any Sci-Fi book club, and it is also appropriate for young adults. 

As a bonus, I had the audio book and it was narrated by the author! He has a great reading voice, and I really really really enjoyed that. 

As for me... I think I enjoyed Alien Clay more and think it might be a better choice for a Hugo, but... again, I'm just an average reader! It will be exciting and interesting to see what wins! 

STATS

First Published  June 2024

Pages: 384

Available as an Audio Book : Yes

Trigger Warnings:  violence, murder, theme of abuse and loss, war, 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

What is your favorite Tchaikovsky Novel? 

 

Book Review: Not a River by Selva Almada 3/5 stars

  I picked up this short novel, really a novella (104 pages!)  as part of my 2025 Water theme. 

It was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and has garnered many accolades. 

I was really excited to read it, I'm a fan of sparse prose and so I thought this was going to be precise and insightful. It was precise and - perhaps I missed the insightful part. There was a lot going on in this little volume and I can see it being an important read and discussion for literature classes, but for me... 

it didn't quite do it for me. 

  We have a story of an ill fated fishing trip of sorts, in rural Argentina, which is peppered with lots of flashbacks, making it almost a dual timeline narrative- except it's really more of a multiple timeline, which, was a little bit difficult to follow with the audio book.  This may be one novel that would have been better for me to have the actual book in my hands. Themes that emerged: life and death, masculinity and toxic masculinity, rural life and community, and a touch of magical realism (really not even a touch, a whisper of this) . 

  I do think I'd read more from this author, the writing was very good - I just somehow did not quite engage as I thought I would with the actual plot/storyline, and thus, it left me very happy when it ended. This, I think is a fault of me- the reader- and not the writer. In addition, it is a translated work, so it is not exactly the original and that can change quite a bit for readers.  Indeed the translator notes herself that this was a difficult work to translate due to some slang and idiosyncrasies in the novel. Which made me wonder if a lot of the magic was really lost in translation despite a very serious effort. 

 So, who is this for? People who like really evocative sparse writing, those who want a shorter novel, persons interested in Argentina, students of literature, and those exploring expressions of masculinity. 

While this wasn't for me, I do see the value of this work, it's clear that it is well regarded and I'm not discouraging a read of this novel, but I will say, in the end, this will not be in my top 12 for the year! Have you read this novel?  Please share your thoughts! 

STATS

First Published  May 2025

Pages: 104

Available as an Audio Book : Yes

Trigger Warnings:  Death, misogyny, alcohol, violence

(this is not a full list, read responsibly) 

Book Review The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova 5/5 stars!

 Well, this was a surprise for me! 

I fell in love with The inheritance of Orquidea Divina  by Zoraida Cordova!

 

This book was suggested as a read for our diverse book club and ultimately it was rejected. I was hoping it would come up again for March, but I'm not the moderator for that club and it was never to be seen again!  I had it on hold at the library, and when it came up- i decided Why not try it! 

   I am still surprised at the way this novel just kind of quietly wormed it's way to the top of my listening list of audiobooks. TO be frank, this cover, as beautiful as it is, doesn't really do it justice. It looks so Victorian to me that I was not exactly excited to read about an inheritance from a sort of rigid time period. OF COURSE, this is not at all what this book is about. 

And I do find the alternate cover  is really much better:  Which do you prefer? 

    Readers are treated to a dual timeline story, where we learn about the amazing, resilient Orquidea Divina - and her life from infancy to transformation, because death never really comes for Orquidea. 

In the second timeline we follow her relatives, particularly her grandchildren who are out in the modern world, but are called home for their inheritance. 

   Again, I thought this wasn't for me, but...the characters of Marimar and Reymundo in particular just dragged me right in. I wanted to know what was going to happen for them, and let me attest, readers are in for a wild adventure, full of unique magical realism, drama, a touch of horror,  mayhem, some hard truths, cosmic intervention and love. While this can be enjoyed as a fantastical tale of magical realism,  readers will also be able to relate to characters as they experience dreams broken and dreams realized, feelings of belonging, and rejection, the pain of lies and broken promises and the joys of discovering a place they can call home.  

Currently this book is vying for favorite read of the month- in competition with Kiss of the Fur Queen. 

STATS

First Published 2021

Pages: 336

Available as an Audio Book : YES

Trigger Warnings:  Body horror, child death, death, infidelity, parent death, alcohol use, 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: The Demolished man by Alfred Bester

 The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester was first published in 1953 and was honored as the first ever Hugo Award winner. 

   I decided last year that it would be fun to read all the Hugo winning novels and sort of explore how Sci Fi has expanded and changed over the years. 

I did not expect to have such trouble with The Demolished Man.  It took me 5 months, and a Staycation to finally conquer this one. 

I didn't particularly dislike it, but I REALLY  did not love it. 

In summary Ben is a paranoid business owner who's haunted by a recurring nightmare of a faceless man.  Even in a world full of telepathic people, he has not been able to conquer this dream. Ben decides a business rival is the cause of this and determines to kill him. This is a tall order, as - with the advent of telepathic people, most crimes are stopped before they occur as someone reads the thoughts before the actions can occur.  Bester gives us an inverted police procedural - the reader knows the crime and the perpetrator and follows the investigation with that knowledge, so there's no guessing here, just following along as detectives try to figure it all out, and the perpetrator takes evasive maneuvers!

  

    I feel pretty lukewarm about this novel. I can see how, at the time, it would be quite the rage.  Bester is clearly influenced by current events and trends.  he describes the paranoia that accompanied the Second Red Scare- which he was living through.  Characters all spend quite a lot of time, encouraging others to "peep" them telepathically to see they are on the up and up. As the novel moves along,  characters go through various, new-fangled rebirth treatments, which reflet the way psychoanalysis was growing and changing in the 1950's under the influences of Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and Erik Erikson, theorists who focused on the "unconcious mind" and placed strong value on dream analysis. 

A murder does occur, and the perpetrator of the crime is finally caught - using a variety of telepathic tools, and a computer which takes up a lot of one room! Bester certainly did predict a time when AI might feature heavily in society- as he describes a computer that's fed the evidence and spits out a conclusion that the police need to follow. The perpetrator is then scheduled for "Demolition"  But demolition isn't exactly what it seems, and Bester seems to advocate for rehabilitation and or  encouragement of those who are going against societal norms, stating,

“If a man's got talent and guts to buck society, he's obviously above average. You want to hold on to him. You straighten him out and turn him into a plus value. Why throw him away? Do that enough and all you've got left are the sheep.”
― Alfred Bester, The Demolished Man

Of course, this quote - indicates that if someone isn't like others, they need to somehow be changed back into something acceptable - a "Plus-Value" so I'm not sure if he realized that while he's advocating for people to not be sheep- he's also advocating for them to actually just be "Plus value" people - so intelligent, controllable/useful sheep maybe? 

 In 1950's America,  conformity was so valued, that I think even suggesting someone who went against society was above average, was somewhat radical. Reading it today, I'm wondering exactly what changing a person to a Plus value means.  This book has never (as far as my research could find) been a banned book and it does not seem to really challenge the order of the world.  Or at least, not in a glaringly obvious way like the 1954 winner of the Hugo awards has done for decades. 

  Why am I so lukewarm on this?  

Bester - really transposed 1950's roles on to the women in the novel, wholeheartedly and without any second thought.  His descriptions and remarks on their physical appearance is not something that would be accepted today. And there's a sequence where a young woman undergoes a rebirthing process, spends a lot of time calling an adult man "Dada"  while the adult man encourages her to sit on his lap etc. Once she emerges from her infant and toddler stage, he feels he can then approach her for an adult relationship.  It just gave me the ICK.   I read in a review that this relationship was supposed to help the reader feel kindly towards that man, but it just made me glad I was not a woman in the 1950's. Just WOW.  All of the other women are given similar treatment and always described in terms of physical attributes.  It was - errr- not very forward thinking of this Science Fiction writer. Science Fiction really has a reputation especially in these early days, and indeed I can see how it shaped and reinforces beliefs about women. When I first read Heinlin, I felt like  his Sci Fi wasn't that good, but he really pinned how men felt about women in that time period. 

  As a side note, I was highly amused that while Bester could imagine a time when video calling would become important, his characters were constantly dashing from their rockets- to a phone booth to make these Video calls. I think I might trade video calling for literal rockets?  But here we are. 

I have finished the first Hugo award winner, and I am delighted to move on ,and very very pleased to not have to read that again!