The first book blogger discussion week has come to an end. (For more information on the origins of this, you can read about it at OF Blog of the Fallen.) It was a great idea and I'm looking forward to the next one covering Schismatrix Plus by Bruce Sterling in December. Although I didn't think it was a particularly enjoyable book, Camp Concentration was a great selection since it offered more to talk about than a lot of the more entertaining books that are out there.
It was fun to read everybody's reviews and I think getting a few different perspectives on the novel was helpful in appreciating it more. I found it helpful to actually spend the week reading different reviews and comments instead of writing my review and then just moving on to the next book. Reading the reviews and comments and writing my own comments also made me think of a few things I wish I had further clarified in my review so I'm going to write about them now.
My main issue with Camp Concentration was that I didn't feel like I knew enough about the characters to really care about what happened to them or be sad about some pretty harsh circumstances. However, this novel was still fairly character-driven, especially taking into consideration the fact that this was not common for science fiction novels written around the same time. It was told entirely through the eyes of one character and detailed his life at Camp Archimedes and his transformation throughout the story. It still did not entirely work for me (although his characterization was certainly better than some of the older science fiction authors such as Asimov), but I think it is important to remember that it is a fairly old book as far as science fiction is concerned. This is why I'd be interested in finding out more about how Disch's work was influential and which authors would claim him as an inspiration.
I also stated in my review that I did not feel the book was particularly original or challenging, and I think this could have used some further clarification. It did not seem particularly original to me because there have been plenty of books about corrupt governments treating their citizen's lives as a means to an end, enhancing intelligence in some way, experimenting on humans, life as a prisoner, etc. Also, the exploration of the relationships between intelligence and knowledge and intelligence and madness were nothing new to me, either. Upon further reflection, combining these elements with literary references and the way it was put together was probably more original than I gave it credit for being. The pieces were somewhat standard but the whole was not unoriginal.
By saying the book was not "challenging" I did not mean it was not profound or thoughtful. It did contain much to think about - it's just that the parts that stood out to me were ideas that I'd already read about before. Therefore, it did not challenge my worldview - I never stopped and thought about how I'd never thought about something that way before or changed the way I viewed an idea. For instance, I already thought that IQ tests are not a great measure of intelligence and that genius is often a matter of luck before reading about it in this novel. There was never one of those "Aha" moments for me - which doesn't mean someone else will not have one when reading it (or that I might not have some were I to reread it).
I rambled a bit more than I meant to... I do think it was one of those books that was far more fun to discuss than it was to actually read, so it is a great book for reading groups.
Showing posts with label October Blogger Book Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label October Blogger Book Club. Show all posts
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Blogger Book Club Review of Camp Concentration
 |  | |
  Camp Concentration by Thomas M. Disch  192pp (Trade Paperback) My Rating: 6.5/10 Amazon Rating: 4/5 LibraryThing Rating: 3.81/5 Goodreads Rating: 3.81/5 |  | |
 |
During the 1970s, America is at war. The poet Louis Sacchetti has been imprisoned for dodging the draft, finding five years in jail preferable to life as a soldier, possible death, and participating in a cause he believes to be morally wrong. The story begins when Louis has finally been allowed to have some paper and immediately begins writing a journal about his time as an inmate. Shortly after the writer has started his daily musings, there is a gap in time between entries and it is noted that the format has changed from handwriting to typing. Louis then tells of being snatched away from this prison to a new prison known as Camp Archimedes, which one of his captors promises will be a better place for him with movie nights, access to a library, coffee, and a weekly allowance of funds. In return, Louis must continue writing his journal and recounting his factual observations.
Soon Louis discovers the real purpose of Camp Archimedes - its residents are part of an experiment to test Pallidine, a new drug derived from syphilis spirochete intended to enhance intelligence. Those who have taken the medication are becoming smarter; however, any person who has taken it dies approximately nine months later. This leads the inmates to study alchemy and ways to create an elixir of youth so they do not meet this fate of an early death.
Camp Concentration has a very academic feel and was reminiscent of books I read in college because of the journal format, the references to literature such as Faust, and the discussion of concepts such as genius being inseparable from madness without the involvement of the factor of luck. It was a book that seemed to be more about ideas and making points through plot and character than one that was about plot and character featuring some contributing ideas. This book fell more into the category of interesting than enjoyable - while I'm glad I read it, it wouldn't be my ideal choice for curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and a book on a lazy day.
The weakest aspect of the novel for me was that I didn't form any emotional connection whatsoever to anyone in the book, including the narrator. My favorite books are those where the characters take on a life of their own and seem like real people. In spite of the fact that the entire book is written in first person perspective through journal entries, which would afford the most intimate look into a character's mind, the personalities in the book always seemed very distanced to me, as a reader. Although we know about how Louis struggles with his religious faith as a Catholic, his strong views about the war, and his love of poetry, the book never delves into why the narrator has specific viewpoints, likes, dislikes, and beliefs. It is just expressed as a fact - which is fitting with the instructions Louis was given on writing in his journal and with the overall tone of the story. However, a story very tragic at heart - about people who are condemned to die by a corrupt society to gain knowledge for said society to use - failed to move me in any way since it never made me care about what happened to anyone in the book.
This is a book that would probably benefit from a reread since I'm sure pieces of it would come together better after knowing what was coming. On the first read through, I found myself feeling like it was not that original or challenging since it did not introduce me to concepts I had not encountered and thought about before (which may also have something to do with the fact that it was written before I was born - I would be interested in knowing how much influence it had on later works). This makes me think that I probably missed a lot since it is supposed to be a very thoughtful book - or perhaps my expectations based on what I'd heard about this book were just too high.
Camp Concentration is an engaging story containing a vast amalgam of ideas, and while I am glad I read it, it did not leave much of an impact on me.
6.5/10
Other Blogger Book Club reviews of Camp Concentration:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
