Synopsis: In All Those Vanished Engines, Paul Park returns to science fiction after a decade spent on the impressive four-volume A Princess of Roumania fantasy, with an extraordinary, intense, compressed SF novel in three parts, each set in its own alternate-history universe. The sections are all rooted in Virginia and the Battle of the Crater, and are also grounded in the real history of the Park family, from differing points of view. They are all gorgeously imaginative and carefully constructed, and reverberate richly with one another.
The first section is set in the aftermath of the Civil War, in a world in which the Queen of the North has negotiated a two-nation settlement. The second, taking place in northwestern Massachusetts, investigates a secret project during World War II, in a time somewhat like the present. The third is set in the near-future United States, with aliens from history.
The cumulative effect is awesome. There hasn’t been a three part novel this ambitious in science fiction since Gene Wolfe’s classic The Fifth Head of Cerberus.
Review: I was hesitant to start this novel and it is true that the reviews were very mixed and it made me anxious. But I think you always have to try a novel by yourself to see how the story really is. The synopsis is rather vague so it’s pretty difficult to really know what will happen here.
I did not know Paul Park or his other series but it’s true that even if the idea is really intriguing and interesting for its originality, I struggled to get into the story. From the first part, we have a double story mixed in one but it was all too confusing and I wasn’t able to really understand what was happening. In the end, it’s true that I got out of the story without being able to hang on the rest of the novel. I’m sure the author has managed to create something very different from what we would typically find but I just think the whole thing was not for me unfortunately. I think it would be better suited to someone else.
blodeuedd
Oh…too bad, it seemed to have promise.
melliane
yes it sounded very rich and interesting
Silvia
I haven’t heard of this book before, but I’m sorry you had to struggle with it… Hope the next read is going to be a great one!
Melliane
thank you!
Jennifer Bielman
That’s too bad because I was intrigued.
Bob @ Beauty in Ruins
Fairly put – I tried to enjoy this one, I really did, but gave up before the halfway mark . . . for precisely the reasons you mentioned.
Melliane
yes it was difficult
Jenny @ Supernatural Snark
Sorry this one wasn’t for you Melliane! I hate being confused while reading, it’s no fun feeling like you’re just not getting something you should be getting. Hopefully whatever you pick up better suits you!
Sarah @ One Curvy Blogger
It sad when a book is so hyped, but turns out to be not for you. 🙁
Kim { Book Swoon }
I haven’t heard of this book before, but the it sounds compelling and maybe complex as well. Glad you gave it a try though, right? 🙂
Melliane
yeah at last I tried it.
Molly Mortensen
Alternate history scifi sounds cool. Some books are really hate it of love it. Good job giving up when you realized it wasn’t for you. I usually stick in there then regret it. I hate it when I can’t understand what’s going on.
Kirsty-Marie
It does sound rather vague, and it’s best if it’s not for you and you’re not getting into it to just leave it (especially when it’s confusing, hate those) you’ll just end up hating it even more otherwise if you force yourself.
kindlemom1
Oh no, I hate it when a book is this bad. 🙁 So sorry this was such a hard read for you.
Braine
Sorry this was a bust! It sounds too complex for my simple mind anyway so I probably wont read this. I hope whatever you’re reading is better than this.
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum
I’m planning to read All Those Vanished Engines this month because it’s still in my netgalley pile and I need to polish it off to clear out my backlog, but I’m so nervous now about how I’ll react to it. I wasn’t seeing great reviews to begin with, and I’d hoped it’d be different for you because you’re very fair even when it comes to books that aren’t your typical reads. Uh oh, now I’m pretty sure this one won’t work for me either.
Melliane
I’m sorry but I hope iy will work better for you. I’m curious to see what you think of it.
ShootingStarsMag
Sorry this one didn’t really work for you. You’re right though, sometimes you just have to check.
Lily
Oh it sucks that this one didn’t deliver because the minute I saw the cover and read the synopsis I was sold…now not so much 🙁
Melissa (Books and Things)
Oh darn. I was hoping for better with this one. Well, onto the next book! May it knock your socks off!
Happy Halloween!
anna (herding cats & burning soup)
Oh boo hiss. Stinks when that happens but yes I agree with ya. Gotta give it a go yourself to see. On the the next! Hopefully it’s a fab read to make up for the not so great.
kimbacaffeinate
That is a shame, but I love that you went for it anyway.
kara-karina
Oh well, it happens to all of us once in a while. I had that with Kameron Hurley…