What Fiction are you reading this week, February 23, 2025?

[cbabe]

4. Richard Powers/Playground

Story flips between characters and time. Baffled me until I caught up half way through.

The end was completely ‘whaaat!?’

Powers is a brilliant writer. But I wish he had a better editor.

Plot follows two male friends, poor black poet and rich white techie (cringe). They discover the game Go, also black and white. Becomes their intricate life metaphor.

And then Evie, French Canadian famous best ever oceanographer. And her dives with all the sea creatures. Best poetic parts of the book.

And the South Pacific Island and it’s people trying to stay above water, literally.

And the sentient ai.

Book is one big near future mishmash metaphor.

It could have been a masterpiece but not.