Far North

by Marcel Theroux

Hardcover, 2009

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Collection

TinyCAT

Genres

User reviews

LibraryThing member wendywoo

Set in the Arctic region sometime in the future, although it doesn't actually say when. The main character of the story is Makepeace, a kind of law keeper patrolling a deserted town. Something cataclysmic has happened to the world (again we never find out what exactly) and most of the cities now

lay empty. This is the story of the journey Makepeace makes after witnessing a plane crash, hoping to find civilisation in a bleak, frozen landscape.

This isn't the sort of book I would normally choose but I did keep turning the pages to find out the fate of Makepeace. There are a few interesting twists along the way! I think it would appeal to fans of post-apocalyptic titles such as The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Very well written and definitely worth a read.

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LibraryThing member stang50logan

Was a decent dystopian novel with plenty of twists and turns. the author must have forgot to elaborate about why the world is in the state it is in other than some wars and climate change, not detail at all. Worth the read though. Good character development.

LibraryThing member aidanbyrne

There seems to have been a spate of literary alternative future books in recent years - Atwood's two, Crace's Pesthouse, Russel Hoban, McCarthy's The Road - perhaps it's an index of the state of the planet. I can't help thinking, however, that as things get worse, readers are going to spend less of

their time indulging in feel-bad books about environmental and social decay and more time dealing with the real-life consequences.

The latest of these is Marcel Theroux's Far North. It takes an oblique line - North East Russia (Siberia and environs) have been colonised by American Quakers and others seeking a simpler life than that found in decaying, consumerist cities. Gradually however, as civilisation falls in the rest of the world, their new settlements, and ideals, have fallen too. The sole survivor faces loss and hardship initially without hope until the world intervenes again - setting out on a journey to find a better life, Makepeace is repeatedly captured, tortured, used and manipulated. Virtually no-one can be trusted and nothing is as it seems.

There are no tricks in this book, though there are twists. Science (in the form of experimental substances) make an appearance, but the emphasis is on the nature of gender and the redemption available through childbirth (which seems slightly conservative to me), but the ultimate message seems to be that acceptance of our decline is the best we can do.

I enjoyed this book. The characterisation, especially of Makepeace, is subtly done and the narrative is unobtrusive.

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LibraryThing member teresa1953

I have to admit this is not the genre I would normally choose and I was unsure if I would enjoy it. However, I found it a very interesting read. The several surprises throughout the book held my attention and found me re reading some sentences because I couldn't quite believe it the first time

round. The first one was most certainly the best!

The plot, characters and landscapes are very bleak, but this is crucial to the storytelling. I would most certainly read future books by this author and I was impressed by Marcel Theroux's descriptive prose.

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LibraryThing member Fluffyblue

This book has been likened to other post apocalyptic novels such as "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy and "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood - but since I haven't read either (although I own both) I can't comment on that.

The book is well-written and set at a decent enough pace. There are some

surprising twists along the way, none more so than the first one!

It wasn't exactly a story to cheer about. All the characters in it were quite tragic and the landscapes were very bleak. Having said that, it did make for an interesting book and I will not be afraid to read more of this type of fiction.

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LibraryThing member Cygnus555

This was a very enjoyable jaunt through a future landscape that I never thought I would wander. Very enjoyable reading overall. I loved the character, was intrigued by the pace and unfolding of the story, captivated by the turns. It was on pace for a solid 4 star rating. I didn't care for the

latter third of the story; it didn't keep the same interest level for me (promising start, fade toward the end)... but still - overall I recommend it for a good "end of days" with a hopeful twist story.

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LibraryThing member klarusu

A bleak novel set in a dystopian future in the 'Far North' where society has broken down and become a no-man's land of have nots, this book is narrated by the protagonist as they try and survive in the isolated, harsh world that exists in these pages. I'm loathed to say too much because there are

moments in this whose impact relies on the fact that the reader is not over-informed about the plot. It's a really well written book and owes much to the same literary canon that gave rise to Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road'. If you read and enjoyed (although that may not be the best word ... maybe 'appreciated' 'The Road', then this should certainly engage you). Whilst it is a bleak world that this novel is set in, I felt less 'bruised' on reaching the end than I did with 'The Road' but similar questions were raised in my mind. I would certainly recommend this, it's a fast and engaging read and Theroux has brought the characters alive through his words. It raises question about society, about religion, about the breakdown of our world and it's eventual conclusion but all this is contained in what I found to be a real page-turner.

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LibraryThing member Clurb

I loved the first half of this book. The protagonist, Makepeace, is complex and likeable and Theroux's account of Makepeace's solitary existence was deeply interesting. Unfortunately, the second half of the book didn't hold my interest as well as the first and I found the plot to be less

interesting than Theroux's individual characters.

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LibraryThing member booklove2

"There's so many things worse than a solitary life." An apocalypse survivor, believing they are alone in the world, is given new hope when a plane falls from the sky. Makepeace eventually wishes to have never discovered where that plane came from. Makepeace's parents decided to leave city life in

Chicago and "start over" in the wilderness, go back to the land, by leasing it from Russia. This apocalypse happens from climate change and overpopulation. Humans essentially become storms of locusts, roving around looking for anything to eat. The cities obviously were the first to collapse and the city dwellers tried to find food where they could, including Makepeace's town. 'Far North' speaks of the impending deterioration of the planet. I can only think of the Gulf oil spill disaster: more oil needed = more drilling = more accidents = more negative affects. Just like the world's reliance on the weather to stay the perfect climate so the farms can feed everyone. This book may sound too depressing to read, but Makepeace is a character you want to follow from page one and makes the subject matter worth it. You are captivated with Makepeace even more when the story of how the world ended starts to unravel.

One disappointment: when Makepeace begins the journey to find the origins of the plane, it seems like a couple weeks journey but really surprised me after mentioning months have passed. What did Makepeace see in those months? The biggest disappointment in 'Far North' is the amount of simple typos, misplaced words, probably the most I've seen in a book that is an actual edition and not an advance reader's copy. The editing does a disservice to the writing of Marcel Theroux. If these typos weren't in the first edition, this is a definite example of how a book can change over time, just by having it republished.

I have read many post-apocalypse books. This one has a classic and beautifully simple writing style, yet at the same time, not being too overly brutal. (Then again, I just finished reading Margaret Atwood's 'Oryx & Crake' which had a new depressing idea on every page, so maybe 'Far North' just seemed tamer than that one.) The image of Makepeace traveling while spring is arriving with the slushy snow clumps falling out of the trees is amazing. Add 'Far North' to the list of amazing post-apocalypse novels. I'm looking forward to what Marcel Theroux thinks up next.

This book reminded me of many others. If you liked any of these, try 'Far North' (and if you like 'Far North', try these):
Ishmael trilogy - Daniel Quinn (have a gorilla explain to you what could happen to the world)
Drop City - T.C. Boyle (Makepeace and Drop City's Cecil Harder and Pamela are similar characters - also live in the wilderness)
City of Thieves - David Benioff (journey to find a dozen eggs in WWII Russia)

Post-apocalypse novels:
Oryx & Crake - Margaret Atwood
The Stand - Stephen King
Dark Tower series - Stephen King (Makepeace reminds me of Roland)
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Alas, Babylon - Pat Frank
Swan Song - Robert R. McCammon
Amnesia Moon - Jonathan Lethem

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LibraryThing member sturlington

Makepeace's family originally moved to a settlement in Siberia to remove themselves from the modern world. But now, due to climate change, modern civilization has collapsed, and Makepeace patrols the frontier alone, where the greatest danger is from other people.

This was a simply written book, but

the narrator has such a unique voice that I found it very compelling. Essentially, this story is a Western. Even though the setting is unusual, it is still the wild frontier, and Makepeace's guns are her most important possession. Makepeace herself is a self-appointed sheriff who patrols her deserted town and tries to deny her loneliness and her longing for some sign that civilization has not broken down completely. When she gets that sign--a plane crashing in the woods nearby as she is on the verge of committing suicide--she leaves her home and embarks on a journey, but where she ends up is entirely unexpected. Makepeace is a subtle and fascinating character, marked by lye burns on her face, androgynous, self-reliant, so closed that even in her own narrative she doesn't reveal everything about herself, at least not directly. This book is a musing on the world that humankind is making, whether such a world is inevitable, and how it might be salvaged. Despite its bleakness, I found it quite beautiful.

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LibraryThing member wandering_star

This book takes place sometime towards the end of the current century, in the final decline of a small community which was set up in Siberia by a group of idealistic North American "settlers", round about now, who were sickened by the greed and materialism they saw around them and who wanted to

return to more natural and simple ways of life. However, the world outside their community declined, and they were not allowed to live quietly, maintaining their principles of generosity, openness and non-violence. When the book starts, one sole remaining representative of that community, Makepeace, is patrolling the deserted city. Makepeace has lived alone in the city for several years But a sequence of unusual occurrences leads to the start of a trip to discover just what else is out there - has the rest of the world also gone to hell, or are there people still living quiet, normal lives?

I should probably caveat my review by noting that I started the book not feeling particularly favourable towards it, having just seen Marcel Theroux's well-meaning but fatuous documentary about Japan, In search of wabi sabi. That said, it read to me like the first draft of a novel, where the author knows the theme and the broad story arc, but hasn't quite worked the details out yet. What do I mean? Well, partly I felt that Theroux wasn't completely clear about what the situation was that triggered the apocalypse - there were references to every one of the possible four horsemen. Also, sometimes literary value trumped realism - I know Theroux was trying to disguise the backstory, but if people were leaving early 21-century Chicago for a life on the land in Siberia, would they really end up with a pianola? (You can get away with oddities like this if you're writing pure sci-fi, but the meditative pacing of this book betrays its lit-fic ambitions). Worst, though, was the bizarre and hurried ending - rather at odds with everything which came before, and with absolutely no set-up through the rest of the story.

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LibraryThing member nbmars

The world has become a very dreary, dangerous place by the time we meet Makepeace Hatfield on horseback patrolling a deserted town in the far north that is home. The town is deserted because of apocalyptic events to the south that have brought civilization to an end. Makepeace was once the

constable of the town, but now is the only permanent resident. While on patrol, Makepeace encounters another human being with a shaved head, apparently stealing books from the town library, probably to burn for warmth. When the thief drops the books and reaches for what might be a gun, Makepeace shoots him, only to discover that the “gun” was a dull knife “that you’d struggle to cut cheese with.” Makepeace nurses the thief, named Ping, back to health, and then the surprises start coming.

We learn that both Makepeace and Ping are not who they seem. Further, we learn just how tough Makepeace is during a trade deal with some Tungus - caribou herders – who live five days ride to the north. After Makepeace’s guns and ammunition get stolen, Makepeace tracks down the thieving herder and sets his tent on fire when he sleeps. He survives the fire, but finds himself in -40 degree weather with no coat. It takes him 2 hours to freeze to death, but Makepeace gets the guns back.

Makepeace and Ping develop a strong friendship even though they do not speak each other’s language, but after awhile, Makepeace is alone again. The rest of the book covers Makepeace’s efforts to make contact with other humans. The search is not very productive in that Makepeace is soon captured by slavers and wastes years in debilitating servitude. The outlook for slaves is bleak, and the reader cannot be sure of Makepeace’s continuing survival.

Jim’s Evaluation: Theroux's writing is terse and clear. However, the plot is very reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, and that’s a very tough act to follow. This book is not as concise and not nearly as scary as The Road. In addition, Theroux’s work contains two story line cheats in the form of scientifically unexplained impossible technology, one of which is only tangentially necessary for the plot.

The book contains some implied observations about religion: the Evangelical “preachers” are phony and the Muslims are sincere, but benighted. All in all, this is a pretty grim book with a pretty grim view of human nature. Perhaps most of us are as beastly as Theroux portrays us when we are in circumstances as adverse as he describes. In The Road, the terror comes from the anticipation of the bad things that threaten to happen; in Far North, those bad things actually happen (enslavement, beatings, friends die, etc.), but that just isn't as scary. Nonetheless, the final message is uplifting—Makepeace is a mensch, in spite of everything.

Jill’s Evaluation: I would rename the main character (and also the narrator) Meh-kepeace. The character was sort of blah and not really well developed. Subjects that might have revealed more about Makepeace were dispensed with by sentences like: "I can't dwell on what happened next, because it pains me too much to write it…” You’ve got to be kidding! Moreover, that was about as close as the character ever came to expressing any emotions. "Far North" was far too one-dimensional for me, and the quality of the writing wasn't sufficient to compensate.

Further, as Jim noted, there were some never-explained references - such as the mysterious blue flasks - that really played no big role in the story other than to serve as red herrings. For that matter, we don’t even know what caused this apocalypse, or even its extent.

In the end, we get one final surprise that seems yet again to me to demonstrate cheating on the part of the author: cheap tricks to titillate the reader. I can’t see Makepeace not elaborating on this [surprise] earlier.

Unlike Jim, I did not find the book uplifting; on the contrary, the message I got was that even generosity is more likely to inspire resentment than gratitude, and that the majority of people are basically evil. Bah, humbug.

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LibraryThing member chrystal

Post apocalyptic novel told from a womans point of view. I enjoyed this book and found it thought provoking- different from Cormac's The Road, less heartwrenching. The main character- Makepeace- takes a while to get to know but it is worth it.

LibraryThing member katlb82

Far North was on my wishlist for about two years when it came up as a Group Read for a group on Goodreads that I belong to. It was the perfect excuse to finally buy it and I was really looking forward to it – post-apocalyptic, a solitary character who decides to reconnect with the remnants of

humanity and set in harsh landscape. Should have been my cup of tea.

This book is beautifully written in a bleak, harsh and short way, full of twists that I didn’t see coming, and gradually reveals its secrets at the right parts of the story.

Without giving away too many twists and secrets, I just found this book a pretty hard slog – I didn’t find the character of Makepeace interesting in the least, the secondary characters seemed two-dimensional with little substance to even make me curious about them and found the ending unsatisfactory apart from the fact that it meant I was finally finished.

As I said at the beginning, perhaps I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for this book. Of course that does not make it a bad book, and as one friend said ‘it’s written like a western’ (thanks Alison!), which is spot-on – so if that type of writing appeals to you, then you should just ignore me and try it for yourself.

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LibraryThing member JaneSteen

Where I got the book: my own selection, from the library.

Makepeace is a survivor in an age where drought and famine have wiped out most of the population. A remnant of a religious community that settled the farthest northern reaches of Asia, Makepeace struggles with the choice between isolated

self-sufficiency and reaching out to other humans in an age where brutality is the norm.

Far North is a compelling book. I've always loved end-of-days novels, and if you've ever read John Wyndham's 1950s classic The Chrysalids (and if you haven't, you're missing out on a great book) you would probably, as I did, place Makepeace's society a couple of hundred years before the farming communities of that story, and find an echo of the older book in Theroux's novel.

What kept me turning the pages of Far North was the writing. Theroux's descriptions are wonderfully evocative, his writing crisp and unadorned. This keeps the story moving along at a fast pace, and I stayed up late because I just had to finish the last hundred pages.

Far North is a little short on plot, in my opinion, and the narrative takes sudden, unexpected turns that are both frustrating and intriguing. So if you're the sort of reader that likes all loose ends woven in and tied with a neat bow, you won't find that here. If you're of the camp that believes a novel should reflect life's untidiness, you'll love the meandering action. I hope that, like me, you'll grow fond of the unlovely Makepeace and find yourself projecting the character into the future.

I'm giving Far North four stars for the writing and the author's imagination. It stopped short of rocking my world, but I'll be looking out for more books by this author.

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LibraryThing member Twink

Stunning. Stark. Riveting. Powerful. Plausible.

Oh, I could come up with many more adjectives to describe this new release from Harper Collins Canada.

Far North by British author Marcel Theroux captured me from the first page, threw me for a loop on page 23 and held on to me 'til the last page. I'm

still thinking about it.

Far North takes place up near the Arctic Circle in Siberia. Years before, when many were tired of the way the world was headed, they chose to build a new lives and new cities in this frontier. Makepeace was born here to Quaker parents and knows no other world. But Makepeace is the last one standing. The city has emptied, with others killed by violence and disease or making a desperate run to survive. The details are left to us to imagine to a great degree, but the implication is that civilization has collapsed. The logistics of the collapse are secondary in this story. It is more about the people.

Makepeace was the local sheriff and still patrols the city on horseback, saving books, cleaning guns and marking time.

"There were times when I wondered if I had done the right thing staying behind when everyone else had left or died."

When a plane flies over and crashes nearby, Makepeace is stunned. Could there be others alive? Could technology have been saved? The Sheriff decides to strike out and look beyond the confines of the dead city of Evangeline for the rest of humanity.

What Makepeace finds may be worse than than being alone - fortified villages, suspicion, slavery and a world trying to understand the old technology. And The Zone.

Makepeace is a compelling character and narrator, offering up a unique and thoughtful perspective on whatever presents itself. Rolling with the punches, considering, contemplating, enduring. It is the unveiling of Makepeaces's stoic character and past that had me quickly turning pages.

Theroux quietly inserts many surprises that catch you unawares and completely change the direction your thinking was headed. I love being unable to predict a novel.

Although this is set in the future, I don't know how far ahead we could say. The scenario presented is all too possible. A five star read for me.

Read an excerpt of Far North.

Fans of Matheson's I am Legend, McCarthy's The Road and even King's The Stand will enjoy this book.

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LibraryThing member stang50logan

I enjoyed this book very much and really didnt want to put the book down. I had one major problem with the book and that is the author didnt elaborate on why the population has demisished other than some flooding and warming. Really could have spent some more time with that area.

LibraryThing member readaholic12

A quick read with a northern twist on the post-apocalyptic novel. The setting and main characters are interesting, there were many beautifully crafted passages in the narrative. While there were several surpises in the plot, there were too many unlikely coincidences or predictable twists for me to

rate it higher. Perhaps if I had read Far North before The Passage and A Canticle for Leibowitz, I might have been less critical.

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LibraryThing member jessicariddoch

This was an interesting book with a character that I could really relate to. It seems unusual to me to find a main character (Makepeace) that is female and does not have the securing of a husband/family as the centre of thier life.
This book was in direct contrast to that last book that i read in

that the world in which this tale is taking place is only explaned to us in terms of what the main character sees and understand of the world in which she finds herself. This is a very small part of the world as she has little contact with the outside world and has withdrawen into herself. she is living on her own until the arrival of another woman "ping" and then sighting a plane leads her to wonder what the rest of the world is doing.
As the story unfolds her understanding of the world situation expands letting our understanding also to grow.
Although it is not essential to the story we never do get to know what went wrong and this irks me, makepeace does not care, she does not ask why and so the question is never answered. though I have to admit at least this way I am not sneering at the denise the author has chosen as to why it is not possible or likely.
this book had me hooked from beginning to end and I would suggest it as a good read to practially anyone.

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LibraryThing member mckall08

Interesting post-apocalyptic epic set in the "far north" as the title suggests. Reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road", in that there's plenty of traveling in search of what has happened. The plot moves along but without much of a reward. The character development never gets deep enough to

engender much sympathy for the characters. The writing style would be more sutiable for a travelogue.

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LibraryThing member BillPilgrim

I almost gave up on this book very early on. It was not catching my interest, and I had other things here I could read that I thought would be more engaging. But, I decided to stick with it and it grew on me. The author creates a post-apocalyptic world. People had moved to areas in Siberia to

escape from society, and its frivolities. Then, they are overcome with refugees from the world who are fleeing from war and environmental degradation. Eventually, they destroy themselves. But, this is all in the past. We see a solitary woman who is living alone in a former city established by the settlers in the Far North. She appears to be the sole survivor, at first. She finds some comfort for awhile with an escapee from slavery. Just as she is about to kill herself, she sees an airplane and has hope for something better. She sets out in search of it. Definitely a bad move. She ends up suffering incredibly, both from the elements and from other people she finds on her journey. One odd thing about this book, is that is contains many more typos than any other book that I have read recently, and by a long shot – missing words and extra words, that kind of thing.

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LibraryThing member RBeffa

To talk about this book at all I have to be a little spoilery. Makepeace was a child born to Quakers who resettled in the far north, in Siberia. How this happened is told within the novel in a non-linear fashion. Thus, any details I mention spoil a little. Our story is a memoir from the future told

primarily as a first-person narrative. I thought for a time that this might be an alternate history, but decided not. This is a sometimes beautifully written novel of a sad dystopian future set in the "Far North" and our 'heroine' is Makepeace. Sad might be an understatement. The story can't be described as a happy one, although post collapse stories rarely are. Every glint of something better gets trashed or twisted. Society has collapsed fairly recently, within the lifetime of our main character. What happened is slowly revealed, although why, who knows exactly, although global warming, overpopulation, pestilence, plagues and globalization seems to be part of it. The very few people who remain must try to live off the land as much as possible. I found it unusual that our lead character is a woman, which is not the norm for these types of stories. When the story begins Makepeace is the sole remaining resident of her town, a once thriving Quaker settlement of 30,000 residents in Siberia. She is not the dainty helpless sort, not a girly girl and never was.

The story is lacking in some details when told that were surprises when later revealed. The strength here is the main character, our narrator. There were quite a few secrets, twists and surprises in this book that some readers may or may not enjoy. There is also something of a stoic, flat affect present.

Overall this was probably worth the read but I hesitate to give it an endorsement. I liked a lot of the writing especially the descriptions of the landscape and habitat of Siberia, and some of the thoughtful contemplations that arise from time to time, but to my mind there are some problems with this story. The story never really got going for me, continuously losing momentum. I felt like I was doing a jigsaw puzzle with some missing pieces. On the other hand, some things were right because I really cared for the main character - the story itself is what failed to deliver on it's promise.

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LibraryThing member justablondemoment

Almost a five star so very very close. Why wasn't it? Honestly..I don't know. There were parts that just didn't do it for me. Not very many but a 5 star book has NO yawns in it for me and this one did. I think it would make a real good movie though.

LibraryThing member mkunruh

Extremely tight, well plotted and thoughtful post-apocalypse novel.

LibraryThing member hayduke

This beautifully written post-apocalyptic tale tends to get lost among the tales of cannibals and zombies, but I would rank it right up there with McCarthy's The Road or Crace's The Pesthouse. One refreshing difference in this novel is that the main character, Makepeace -- sheriff of a dead town --

is a woman. Her trials and travails are harsh, but her will to survive and sense of hope brighten an otherwise dark landscape.

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Publication

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2009), Hardcover, 320 pages

Description

Fiction. Literature. Science Fiction. HTML: Far North is a 2009 National Book Award Finalist for Fiction. My father had an expression for a thing that turned out bad. He'd say it had gone west. But going west always sounded pretty good to me. After all, westwards is the path of the sun. And through as much history as I know of, people have moved west to settle and find freedom. But our world had gone north, truly gone north, and just how far north I was beginning to learn. Out on the frontier of a failed state, Makepeace�??sheriff and perhaps last citizen�??patrols a city's ruins, salvaging books but keeping the guns in good repair. Into this cold land comes shocking evidence that life might be flourishing elsewhere: a refugee emerges from the vast emptiness of forest, whose existence inspires Makepeace to reconnect with human society and take to the road, armed with rough humor and an unlikely ration of optimism. What Makepeace finds is a world unraveling: stockaded villages enforcing an uncertain justice and hidden work camps laboring to harness the little-understood technologies of a vanished civilization. But Makepeace's journey�??rife with danger�??also leads to an unexpected redemption. Far North takes the reader on a quest through an unforgettable arctic landscape, from humanity's origins to its possible end. Haunting, spare, yet stubbornly hopeful, the novel is suffused with an ecstatic awareness of the world's fragility and beauty, and its ability to recover from our worst tres… (more)

Media reviews

The New York Times Book Review

Deep into this unbearably sad yet often sublime novel, Makepeace says: “Everyone expects to be at the end of something. What no one expects is to be at the end of everything.” There’s nothing left to say after that — yet Makepeace keeps going, and the reader follows her, if not hopefully

then in the hope that she will win out and that her life will have meaning to someone, somewhere.

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