Name: The brief history of the dead
Rating: 4.153846153846154 (13 reviews)
ISBN: 9781400095957

Kevin Brockmeier

The brief history of the dead

Phil

Wow! This was beautifully written and I loved how the disparate story threads were weaved together. And it was so creative. However, the end was a bit obtuse for me. Difficult for me to follow. I didn't understand the reason for, or meaning of, the second to last chapter which was a strange dream scene. Because of that, I am tempted to give it 4 stars or 4.5, but it's the kind of book I like so I'm going with 5 stars.

Kristy Donasco

I think the premise is unique and the author was able to write it in a way that the world is magical, surreal, and mysterious. One of my book club members said that this genre is called "magical realism" and makes so much sense.

I found myself rooting for Laura the entire time. She endured so much and pushed through until the end.

From Kevin Brockmeier, one of this generation's most inventive young writers, comes a striking new novel about death, life, and the mysterious place in between. The City is inhabited by those who have departed Earth but are still remembered by the living. They will reside in this afterlife until they are completely forgotten. But the City is shrinking, and the residents clearing out. Some of the holdouts, like Luka Sims, who produces the City’s only newspaper, are wondering what exactly is going on. Others, like Coleman Kinzler, believe it is the beginning of the end. Meanwhile, Laura Byrd is trapped in an Antarctic research station, her supplies are running low, her radio finds only static, and the power is failing. With little choice, Laura sets out across the ice to look for help, but time is running out. Kevin Brockmeier alternates these two storylines to create a lyrical and haunting story about love, loss and the power of memory.

A Novel

The Brief History of the Dead

Sonja H

Ich bin mir bei der Bewertung des Buches nicht sehr sicher und schwanke eigentlich zwischen 2 und 4 Sternen und wähle als Kompromiss die 3 ;-)
Das Buch beginnt sehr vielversprechend und ich finde auch die Idee sehr gut, aber sie verläuft sich ein wenig im Philosophischen. Große Teile der Geschichte blieben für mich unverständlich, viele Fragen wurden am Ende nicht aufgelöst.
Es ist ein interessantes Buch, aber sicherlich nicht jedermanns Sache.

Sunyi Dean

I seem to be having an AMAZING reading month. I can't remember the last time I read so many 4+ star stories in a short time frame (we'll give 'Consider Phlebas' a pass, and roll it into the Culture books overall). Partly this is, I think, because I've taken the pressure off myself to stick to "recent" releases and just concentrated on hunting down fiction that I think I'll love. 

Anyways... this was phenomenal. The kind of book that sets my brain alight, that delights in and plays with language; that contains enormous scope and far-reaching themes, yet very personal stories; that examines the universe through tiny, refractive lenses. The imagery and skillful writing were a joy. I think this will stay with me for quite awhile. 

Fans of weird fiction, new weird, surrealism, and/or litfic with a speculative edge, should pick up this novel if they haven't already. 

TLDR: Look, it was just fucking great. Fin.

Dennis Jacob Rosenfeld

From the author of the widely praised "The Truth About Celia" comes a mesmerizing new work that imagines the world of the afterlife and its stark relation to the world of the living.

The brief history of the dead

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