Review: Palimpsest, by Catherynne M. Valente

[sihaya09]

Palimpsest, by Catherynne M. Valente

The book says:
Between life and death, dreaming and waking, at the train stop beyond the end of the world is the city of Palimpsest. To get there is a miracle, a mystery, a gift, and a curse-a voyage permitted only to those who’ve always believed there’s another world than the one that meets the eye. Those

Comments

[wordswoman]

How sophomoric am I for giggling at "cream-filled canals"?

Definitely must read, though. The fantastical premise sounds marvelous.

[kazoogrrl]

Came back to this post as I just finished the book. I liked it, though I found the construction a little chunky, that is, how the chapters were laid out. I think if the order had been mixed up a bit it would have added to the sense of things unfolding to the end.

I'm still a little fuzzy on the veterans, why people got animal parts. I thought at first it was to replace injured limbs but then some of them elected to have the surgery and it was all muddled up in my head.

I was also the least interested in Sei's experiences, they seemed, hmm, too out there to fit in, if that's possible in a fantasy novel. Too dream within a dream, I guess. On the other hand, I loved the Palimpsest trains, and the idea of sport commuters.