The Brief History of the Dead
2011 • 300 pages
Ratings5
Average rating3.2
15
Ratings5
Average rating3.2
'A prodigy of imagination, insight and overwhelming tenderness' Independent 'Remember me when I'm gone' just took on a whole new meaning . . . Laura Byrd is in trouble. Three weeks ago she and her friends found themselves alone in one of the coldest, most remote places on earth. Her friends set out in search of help, and now Laura realises that they are not coming back. So she gathers her remaining supplies and sets out on an extraordinary journey. Meanwhile in another city, more and more people arrive every day. Each has a different story to tell, but their accounts have one thing in common - it was their final journey. For this is the city of the dead. And the link between this city and Laura's journey lies at the heart of this remarkable novel. The Brief History of the Dead tells a magical story about our lives - about our place in the world, our connections with each other, and what happens to us all after our deaths. It is a story of spellbinding power and imagination, which resonates long after the final page.
Reviews with the most likes.
I really enjoyed this book until Laura Byrd starts realizing she's the only person left and all the people in the “after” start disappearing, then it all gets a little too predictable. Like many said, it's an amazing short story that just went on way too long.
I enjoyed this book, but I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had skipped reading reviews prior to pulling it off the shelf. Plot points revealed in most reviews took away from the discoveries meant to take place as you read. I enjoyed the characters and was left wanting to know more about them. The end felt anticlimactic to me, but that is likely more of a preference thing than an issue with the book itself.
