Reader’s Notes: The Past is Red
I saw a blurb, or a review, or some text somewhere that was something to the effect of “The Past is Red is like if Candide were about climate change.” I’m not sure that person was incorrect. I really liked a lot of things about The Past is Red, and there were some parts that didn’t work for me, but on the whole I’m very, very glad I read it. For me this book was a study in contradictions. It would drop lyrical, philosophical truth bombs on me during my commute (and before I’d had coffee), and then I’d turn the page to find the next chapter title involved no fewer than three profanities.
I love Tetley, our main character, with all my heart and she was the thing that kept me going during the early parts of the book when it was confusing and non-linear and I wasn’t sure if the book was for me. This book does fall into the category of “more vibes than plot” and I wonder if it might have worked better for me if it were structured explicitly as a collection of interconnected short stories.
I really liked the world building, and it was very nicely incorporated into the story without ever feeling like there was an exposition dump, but in the end I think the value of this book is in the new ways it got me to think about capitalism, power, wealth, resources, and hope. If you’re interested in any of those (and don’t mind some satire and a lot of swearing), you should give The Past is Red a try.
