I Read Naomi Alderman’s ‘The Power’.

I bought this book for my wife a couple of years ago and she really loved it. I knew at some point I wanted to read it, but as any reader knows, the TBR list grows enormous and there is absolutely no way to track down exactly what you might want to read next, so it got added to the pile and sat anonymously in its home, earnest and patient. It wasn’t until I saw that this book was made into a show to be watched on Amazon Prime that I really shifted gears and wanted to get my eyes on it ASAP so that we could end up watching this show together and I must say that I’m disappointed I didn’t jump in sooner.

I love that this book is presented as a piece of historical fiction, and the fact that it implies that our world and our society is an ouroborealis of cyclical self-fucking, a rewritten nexus of possibilities that shift and stunt with our species’ failures and successes, all ultimately leading to a similar reality, a cultural 0 that begins and ends where we left off. I think the way they frame this specifically as a fictional piece of historical fiction really hammers home the overarching main point of the story which is this:

Gender and its roles are capable of shifting in a heartbeat, flipping its dominant hand on various factors including political influence, violence, sexual currencies, etc. But in the end, what really lends one gender ownership over the other is this: control. I think in Alderman’s excellent writing style, in her sometimes minimal, sometimes meandering thoughtfulness, she illustrates exactly how we assign these roles and eventually fall into those same roles without proof or consideration.

At its core, this is a science fiction book which is fairly grounded in an alternate reality that feels exactly like what today’s world would feel like, social mediums and all, if a new mutation were to come across our species. It doesn’t reach far beyond the scope of what humanity is or how we operate. And while global weaponry is broad into play, what this, the eponymous Power, feels like is, in fact, a new weapon. That’s about as science fictiony as it goes. Once we get outside of that distinction, much of this feels like a social commentary which is written like an adventure, one which eventually deals in political ‘intrigue’ and the ways that group thought can send things our of control from being a trend to then grow into mania. And then, eventually, the new normal.

I really loved this book, one which i couldn’t wait to read when i was away from it, and one i didn’t want to put down while i had it in my hands. Excellently written, fast-moving, believable and powerful characters and most importantly a story that felt tangible and plausible. Big time recommended!