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Chatter about books, reading and anything related to either one.

Book Review

Review: Burn

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Burn

Burn
By Peter Heller
Knopf, 9780593801628, August 2024, 304 pp.

The Short of It:

A stark warning to a divided country.

The Rest of It:

I’ve read a few books by Heller and all of them have left me a little speechless. All powerful, all a bit unsettling but this one, wow, I gotta take a moment.

In Burn, Storey and Jess start their annual hunting trip as they always do, except as they hike through Maine, they come across some alarming things. Maine is in the throes of secession and as they come across each town, they see the horrible devastation of what’s left behind. Evidence of a burn, evidence of attack. None of it good. As they make their way across the country, they begin to wonder what has happened back at home. Are their families safe? Surely, help would have been sent.

They quickly realize that their goal is simply survival, and getting back home but the enemy is not clear cut. They can’t tell secessionists from the military and everyone is fighting for supplies. As the journey continues, food is scarce, and mechanisms for getting home are scarce too. Boats? Not in the greatest shape and too obvious on the water. By foot? Long. Too long. They witness horrible things. No one can be trusted. They are on their own.

Enter a lost little girl.

Still unsure if there is even anything to go back to, home seems like such an elusive thing but then here is this girl, only six years old, desperately wanting to be with her parents. Are they even alive? How has she survived so far? Worried about their own survival but unable to leave a child to fend for herself in this bombed-out world, they take her on and their mission changes.

This story is bleak. There is little hope and honestly, it felt a little exhausting to be on this journey with Storey and Jess. All of the “what ifs” kept going through my mind . What would happen today if something like this happened? Could it? I feel as if it absolutely can which made it even more difficult to read.

Heller’s writing here is a warning. A warning that a divided country cannot win. How do you feel about that? I read this alongside my 1984 (read-along) and man, it put me in a dark place.  And I kid you not, as I was typing this out, I received a phone call from the UNITED STATES. Probably spam but chilling. Like, hello, your country is calling you!

Ahem, If you love Heller, you will also appreciate this book but it’s bleak. You should know that going in. Lots to consider here. Would make a good discussion book.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Bookish Talk

1984 Read-Along – Part 2 Discussion

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1984

1984
By George Orwell
Written in 1948

This week we discuss Part 2!

Schedule (optional)

It’s in three parts, and I SWORE I would not make a schedule but some readers like to have a little structure so here is a brief, brief plan.

  • Read Part 1 by 12/13
  • Read Part 2 by 12/20
  • Read Part 3, finish by 12/31

Here are some questions to ponder for Part 2:

How easy do you think it is to brainwash people after reading 1984?

Uh, extremely easy. I feel like it’s happening now. In the book, the citizens are stripped bare, sometimes literally. They exist on the bare minimum of food, labor day in and day out. Breaking them down this way makes them easier to control. 

In today’s society, many are  in a compromised position financially so promises of riches and a better life naturally appeal to this segment of the population. The potential to make life better, all around, appeals to many but the reality of it is that it can’t be done with loose promises and no action to back it up. Also, the introduction of fear. “They” are coming for you. Promises of protection are welcomed once fear has been introduced. 

Explore the symbolic significance of the clock, the paperweight, the song the prole woman sings, and the nursery rhyme about the bell.

The clock strikes 13, which is 1pm. This is Orwell’s way of letting us know right away that time is handled differently and that mostly, clocks are tied to the BEFORE but this clock is different. It’s presence reminds us, and Winston that time is now different. 

The paperweight. I could see that paperweight in my mind. The translucent quality, the beauty of the coral inside. To  me, it represents a moment in time, from the past. The build-up of its delicate nature hints at something darker lurking around the corner. 

The song and the nursery rhyme. The woman, hanging out her wash while singing provides a false sense of normalcy. As her voice drifts through Winston’s window, all seems to be well and good. The nursery rhyme is rather dismal when you pay attention to the lyrics. It’s a sign that the children are aware of a NEW civilization, one where they spy and people are held accountable, even their own parents. 

How does Winston’s understanding of women change throughout the course of the book?

Oh goodness. In Part 2, Julia is introduced. At first it’s all sweetness and butterflies set against the backdrop of Big Brother. But then Winston admits freely that when he first saw Julia he wanted to rape and kill her. This is an extremely disturbing confession. One that does not surprise Julia in the least. 

He also doesn’t care how many men she’s been with and that he hates purity and wants everyone corrupt to the bone. Why? To tear the Party to pieces. Would that behavior result in the Party breaking down? I don’t think so. I think that is exactly the direction the Party wants citizens to take. Debauchery. Sex only for procreation but the making of the rule itself causing citizens to naturally rebel against it. 

While we’re here, what about that apartment?!? The writing was on the wall with that one. How could someone so easily rent a hideaway like that? I was immediately suspicious. 

Given Winston’s own acknowledgment that he is under constant surveillance, and that it would only be a matter of time before the Thought Police caught him, no one in his world could be trusted. Prior to his capture, which character or characters did you envision as betraying Winston?

I never trusted Julia or O’Brien. This is my fourth time reading 1984 and so much of it I forgot but I never forgot the ill feeling I had when Winston hooked up with her and convinced himself that O’Brien was the way out. 

Ponder these questions and we will reconvene 12/31 for Part 3’s discussion.