Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Children Of God: The Sparrow 02 by Mary Doria Russell

From The Week of November 15, 2009


Children of God completes the story begun in The Sparrow and, in doing so, brings us to the end of an inventive tale that discussed issues of freedom versus slavery, capitalism versus socialism, faith versus agnosticism, and hatred versus forgiveness. Though Children of God naturally lacks its progenitor's punch -- it is the sequel to a story whose most significant virtue was its unusualness --, I did not come away unsatisfied by how it brought to an end a rather fascinating adventure. Rarely have I enjoyed a view of a future Earth more than this one. Ms. Doria Russell's take on intercultural relations and how fraught they are with the perils of misunderstanding have the ring of truth about them. Though I missed the emphasis the Sparrow placed on non-linear storytelling, this concluding work is worthy if a bit overwrought. (3/5 Stars)

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