The Book of Strange New Things (Michel Faber)
28 January 2015
It begins with Peter, a devoted man of faith, as he is called to the mission of a lifetime, one that takes him galaxies away from his wife, Bea. Peter becomes immersed in the mysteries of an astonishing new environment, overseen by an enigmatic corporation known only as USIC. His work introduces him to a seemingly friendly native population struggling with a dangerous illness and hungry for Peter’s teachings—his Bible is their “book of strange new things.” But Peter is rattled when Bea’s letters from home become increasingly desperate: typhoons and earthquakes are devastating whole countries, and governments are crumbling. Bea’s faith, once the guiding light of their lives, begins to falter.
Suddenly, a separation measured by an otherworldly distance, and defined both by one newly discovered world and another in a state of collapse, is threatened by an ever-widening gulf that is much less quantifiable. While Peter is reconciling the needs of his congregation with the desires of his strange employer, Bea is struggling for survival. Their trials lay bare a profound meditation on faith, love tested beyond endurance, and our responsibility to those closest to us.
Average Rating:
Sinclair Manson (28 May 2015 12:50)
This was a book that everyone involved in the discussion liked, despite the potentially contentious subject matter. It is a meditation on faith and its expression that examines the subject from a variety of angles and lets the reader draw his or her own conclusions. Whether its conclusion rejects religious faith or just pulls it back to earth was a matter for debate but it held something for everyone.
Graham MacDonald (31 January 2015 14:09)
Normally you get a good discussion at the group if there's a difference of opinion but this was the exception where we all agreed that this was a really good book still the discussion was one of the best we've had.
Despite a few really grim chapters and a pretty despairing feel throughout some parts of this it was compelling reading, and read a lot quicker than it's length would suggest. An intriguing view on matters of faith that was relatively neutral in judgement it left all of with slightly differing opinions on large sections of the book. Highly allegorical in tone, and better for it, don't come here if you want a traditional sci-fi style first encounter type book but if you want a genuinely intelligent, thought provoking, view of the nature of faith and love then this is the book for you.
I haven't read any other books by Michel Faber but it seems like this might be his last novel since, according to the man himself: "I think I have written the things I was put on earth to write. I think I've reached the limit.". It's heart-wrenching to discover that this was written while his wife was dying of Cancer and this retrospectively adds a huge amount of pathos to the letters written between Peter and his wife. This relationship is at the heart of the novel and in the end it is revealed that this, more than his faith, was probably the key in saving him from his earlier life.
Or maybe not, that's the beauty of this book... it's very easy to interpret different events in multiple ways and in the end, despite it's terrible moments (the chapter in which Bea describes the death of their cat is one of the most horrific things I've read in a long time despite being a comparatively minor tragedy in the grand scheme of things), this adds to the power of the book.