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Landscapes: Review

Landscapes by Christine Lai is an interesting novel, consisting of mostly first-person accounts of a slowpocalypse devastating England interspersed with detailed descriptions of books and artwork relevant to the story. The protagonist describes her experiences studying art and interacting with a pair of brothers at a large art- and literature-filled estate. The narrative spans decades, during which climate change causes increasing devastation. On top of the environmental devastation, the protagonist suffers personal tragedy as well.

I found myself more interested in the world-building (or, more accurately, world destruction) than the story arc of the main characters. And the novel strangely avoids the central trauma, discussing events before and after. For something so central to the story it was surprising it was left up to the reader's imagination.

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Last modified on 27 May 2024 by AO

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