"Horror is a feeling that cannot last long; human nature is incapable of supporting it. Sadness, whether it be from bereavement, or disappointment, or misfortune of any kind may linger on through life"
~ James De Mille
When I started reading A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder by James De Mille, I wasn't overly impressed. I had to read it for my Foundations of Science Fiction course, and I really did see how it fit into the course as a science fiction book. I'm still a little bitter that it was included in the course because I'm still not convinced that it belongs there, but it was a tragically beautiful book.
In the novel, four English man caught in a dead spot in the ocean and read a manuscript that they found in a copper cylinder about a sailor named Adam More, who is ship wrecked, or abandoned, on an island in the southern hemisphere inhabited by a backwards people who love death, hate wealth, think that the best social status is to be part of the proletariat, and hate the light. Other than it being a fantastic social commentary, it is really well written.
I really enjoyed this book in hindsight, but because I was so bitter about it I gave it 7 crowns out of 10. I'd probably bump it up to a solid 8.
No comments:
Post a Comment