natemes's Full Review: Nick Harkaway - The Gone-Away World
Now, here's the problem; I can tell you very little about the plot because there is a substantial twist about a 2/3 of the way through (and if that's too much of a spoiler for you then I am sorry, but that's what the reviewer on NPR said and what enticed me to get The Gone-away World from the library).
I can tell you that the world has changed dramatically and the only thing that keeps what little has survived is a chemical called F.O.X. The pipeline that carries and distributes F.O.X is indestructible, infallible, and somehow has caught fire endangering the world. It is up to the the Haulage and Hazmat Emergency Civil Freebooting Company led by Gonzo Lubitsch and crew to save the day despite the presence of monsters, ninjas, corporations, the pencilnecks who run the corporations, and a small number of mimes. (yes, I said "mimes.")
If you like Jasper FForde, Christopher Moore, and Robert Rankin--with their quirky worlds and clever plots you should enjoy Nick Harkaway's debut novel. Genre-wise, I guess I would put it in the post-apocalyptic sci-fi zone, but it is more than that. There's nothing simplistic about the book. I found the book took a little while to get started for me because the plot is a bit complex and takes a little while to start ticking away and to get used to the language. Not that the book isn't engaging from the first sentence. It is very well written and, in places, very clever and even insighttful. Harkaway has a philosopher's eye, a sociologist's ear, and perhaps a linguist's gallbladder. He often uses unusual words, and the first-person narration and tone often reminded me of Joyce--in a good way.
Aside from being a decent adventure sci-fi sort of book, there are, as I said, some genuninely insightful moments as if Harkaway is aiming a little bit toward parable. He addresses questions of identity and culture with surprising deftness and humor.
I wish I could say more, but give it a try and stick with it. The final battle is, to me as a long-time martial artist, quite good and even a little beautiful as it captures just a little glimpse of what it means to actually attain a certain level of insight into the martial arts.
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