Earth Abides

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 368 pages
• Published by: Del Rey March 28, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0345487133
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0345487131
• Book Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 10.6 ounces

Product Description
A disease of unparalleled destructive force has sprung up almost simultaneously in every corner of the globe, all but destroying the human race. One survivor, strangely immune to the effects of the epidemic, ventures forward to experience a world without man. What he ultimately discovers will prove far more amazing than anything he'd either dreaded or hoped for.


From the Paperback edition.

Inside Flap Copy
A disease of unparalleled destructive force has sprung up almost simultaneously in every corner of the globe, all but destroying the human race. One survivor, strangely immune to the effects of the epidemic, ventures forward to experience a world without man. What he ultimately discovers will prove far more amazing than anything he'd either dreaded or hoped for. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Earth Abides (Mass Market Paperback) In 1957, Nevil Shute wrote "On The Beach", the quietly heart-wrenching drama of the graceful farewell of Mankind after World War Three. In 1959, Pat Frank countered with the triumphantly defiant "Alas, Babylon!" telling us of Mankind surviving World War Three, although in a much-reduced way. Stephen King, in 1978, gave us "The Stand", where the near-end of Mankind comes thanks to a Man-made plague. All of these were preceded by George Stewart's "Earth Abides". The near-end of Man comes from a plague, and the story focuses on the survival of a small, diverse band of people in California. The group is led by a reluctant hero, with the unlikely name of Isherwood Williams. Ish is an introspective, intellectual loner who is prone to rumination, and who never sought leadership nor saw leadership potential within himself. He ends up surrounded by a group of good, ordinary people, who have to figure out how to live in the slowly-decaying ruins of a suddenly-lost civilization. Whereas "On the Beach" is a graceful farewell and "Alas, Babylon!" is a defiance of annihilation and "The Stand" sees the subtotal extinction of Man as a pruning in preparation for a showdown between Good and Evil, "Earth Abides" is a well-written, character-deep lament for the death of civilization. Technically, the story is a gradual but steady and logical unfolding of the realization, by Ish the protagonist, that, while Homo sapiens might not be dead, the world built by Homo sapiens is gone forever. The book could have been subtitled, "Let Us Mourn For Man As Master of the World." The book has five sections. First, we see the initial impact of the plague, through the eyes of the then-solitary Ish. He finally finds a small group of fellow survivors, and they form a community. Next, comes a small subsection that summarizes the first years of the community. Then, the third section shows us that, after seeing the little group grow and, in a very limited fashion, find prosperity and contentment, the seeds of decline begin to bloom. After this third (second large) section, there is another small, transition subsection, summarizing a marked group of heart-wrenching losses. I found this little section overwhelmingly tragic. The last major section tells us . . . I will not give the end away. Is this a good, or even a great, book? I did give it five stars. It is well-written and, while there are a few examples of the story not taking place in today's world (e.g., no cellular telephones or no computers) and one logical problem inadequately or unrealistically addressed (i.e., where did all the bodies go?), overall, "Earth Abides" is quietly powerful and unforgettable. When I finished reading "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clarke, I vowed to never re-experience that brilliantly terrible tragedy again. I make the same vow with "Earth Abides". It is great, and it overwhelmed me. It is beautiful, it is brilliant, and it is tragic to a degree that I cannot put in words. P.S.: This is one book that can be (at least partially) judged by its cover. The cover image perfectly portrays the despair of the story. Comments (13) | | (Report this)