The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson

With the incomparable vision and breathtaking detail that brought his now-classic Marstrilogy to vivid life, bestselling author KIM STANLEY ROBINSON boldly imagines an alternate history of the last seven hundred years. In his grandest work yet, the acclaimed storyteller constructs a world vastly different from the one we know....The Years of Rice and SaltIt is the fourteenth century and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur--the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe's population was destroyed. But what if? What if the plague killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? This is a look at the history that could have been--a history that stretches across centuries, a history that sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, a history that spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation. These are the years of rice and salt. This is a universe where the first ship to reach the New World travels across the Pacific Ocean from China and colonization spreads from west to east. This is a universe where the Industrial Revolution is triggered by the world's greatest scientific minds--in India. This is a universe where Buddhism and Islam are the most influential and practiced religions and Christianity is merely a historical footnote. Through the eyes of soldiers and kings, explorers and philosophers, slaves and scholars, Robinson renders an immensely rich tapestry. Rewriting history and probing the most profound questions as only he can, Robinson shines his extraordinary light on the place of religion, culture, power, and even love on such an Earth. From the steppes of Asia to the shores of the Western Hemisphere, from the age of Akbar to the present and beyond, here is the stunning story of the creation of a new world.From the Hardcover edition.

One of the most beautiful books I've ever read.

A bit of a doorstop, I read this one in fits and starts over a month. The novel is set up as historical speculative fiction and concerns what the world would be like if European culture had been eradicated by the plague. The reader experiences this world through the centuries in the voice of different characters who are the same reincarnated souls.

I wish I could read it again for the first time.

Abandoned after about 60+ pages, after first part.

Frustrated by slow and then radical turn of story, with author seemingly abandoning protagonist, first for a another character, and then for an entirely different setting and set of characters.

Liked prose, and characters well enough (even if they weren't brilliantly written), but so turned off I will likely not plan to try the author's Mars Trilogy anytime soon, if ever.

I'm frankly shocked that editors let an apparently good author put this out in this state.

Detail [SPOILERS]:

Author abandoned protagonist, apparently killing them off, with no conclusion, closure, resolution, or clarity with what happened. Frustrating to invest in characters, and then have this happen. Also, protagonist (Bold) slowly robbed of agency, as driving force of story became another character, who was a bit unsavory, and basically took over the story. Death/reincarnation sequence particularly difficult and frustrating. Not really enlightening, but instead confusing. Unclear of it was just random images, real religious imagery, or symbolism going on, and frankly at that very point after suddenly losing the protagonist I was frustrated and not really caring about the plight of the secondary character in the afterlife.

Put the book down at first page of second part when author basically started the story over with new setting and characters. No thanks. I won't subject myself to frustration and disappointment for another part after investing my time.

Also: I endured entirely awful and graphic depictions of castration with the hope that it would still be a good book. I'm sorry I did.

[Edit: spelling]

Et si 99% de la population européenne était morte au Moyen-Âge lors de l'épidémie de peste ? L'histoire aurait été différente, et le monde aurait été dominé par les civilisations arabe et chinoise. C'est le point de départ de cette uchronie plutôt réussie. Certains passages sont un peu longuets, mais l'ensemble du roman est plaisant, parfois passionnant, et la fin m'a bien plu.

Really enjoyed the worldbuilding here, and how real the personal stories Robinson takes us throughout the centuries were. Also liked how the style of writing would change as the stories reflected different cultures and time periods. A bit of a slow read at times but overall a really good book.