futurista

This book is very similar to and came out close to the same time as The Road is set in a 1000-year-old America which has seen better days. Technology is a thing of the past and literacy is non-existent. The hope and dream for those who are left is to reach the coast, sail across the ocean, and hope things are better on a foreign shore. Two brothers leave their home on the plains for the ocean. Only one brother makes it, finding adventure and love along the way.

I greatly enjoyed the lyrical quality of the author's prose. There is very little dialogue in this novel which works nicely. The cadence of the book makes for an enjoyable read. It's easy to find yourself finishing up the book in only one or two sittings. I wonder if this book might have made a bigger splash if it hadn't been preceded by a more famous author's rendition of a similar idea. Jim Crace really deserves more fame than he has. I, for one, am adding all his previous works to my wishlist after this one read.