The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party
by:
M.T. Anderson (author)
"Anderson’s imaginative and highly intelligent exploration of . . . the ambiguous history of America’s origins will leave readers impatient for the sequel." – The New York Times Book Review Young Octavian is being raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers – but it is only...
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"Anderson’s imaginative and highly intelligent exploration of . . . the ambiguous history of America’s origins will leave readers impatient for the sequel." – The New York Times Book Review Young Octavian is being raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers – but it is only after he opens a forbidden door that learns the hideous nature of their experiments, and his own chilling role them. Set in Revolutionary Boston, M. T. Anderson’s mesmerizing novel takes place at a time when Patriots battled to win liberty while African slaves were entreated to risk their lives for a freedom they would never claim. The first of two parts, this deeply provocative novel reimagines past as an eerie place that has startling resonance for readers today.
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Format: paperback
ISBN:
9780763653767 (0763653764)
Publish date: January 25th 2011
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages no: 384
Edition language: English
Series: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation (#1)
Intriguing idea; poor execution. I was SO BORED. There's even a section toward the end made up entirely of letters to and from random characters no one cares about that only occasionally mention any characters we know. WHY??? I will not be continuing this series.
Quick poll: does anyone know an Actual Teenager who has read and loved, or even liked, this book? Truly, I'd love comments on the question. I liked this book, but I am a semi-grownup with a documented interest in both the philosophy of identity and the history of science--both major aspects of Octav...
7/11 - For the first 36 pages I was under the impression that this was some kind of dystopian fantasy, not historical fiction. I hadn't read any of the reviews and the book itself doesn't have a summary on the backcover or inside flap like most books do, so I wasn't well-informed on what the plot w...
At first I didn't know what to think of this book. I was horrified but strangely compelled to continue reading this tale of a slave boy raised in an experimental fashion. By the end, my heart was completely captured and the following passage struck me in particular.“They told me of substance and f...
I'm creating a new shelf. It's called "Old Young Adult," because this is marketed as YA but it shouldn't be regarded as bad because of that.I thought it was ok. The beginning was interesting, and the last 20 pages or so, but the middle 250 just DRAGGED. I started having to force myself to read a few...
10 years ago
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