That said, this was truly and excellent book. Recommended to me by my good friend and Librarian extraordinaire, I also received this one for Christmas. It tells the story of the collapse of society after an epidemic that kills 99% of the population. Going back and forth through time to before the outbreak and after through the eyes of about a half dozen different characters, it examines how people survive and thrive.
The book centres around the heart attack and death of a famous actor performing King Lear in Toronto, on outbreak day one. From there, we are taken to twenty years later and a band of roving artists performing shakespeare across the wasteland and their experience with a village of extreme religious fundamentalists. Back and forth, it jumps through various points of time through a few perspectives as they all move to pull together a final portrait of a dead man.
This book was both a delight to read but also made me want to tell everyone about it - and let me tell you, I don't do that all the time (I read some embarrassing crap). I think I have awkwardly promised to pass my copy on to a few different people, which should prove to be awkward as they all come calling over the next few days.
I'd give this book five out of five post-apocalyptic car-corpses. If the end times come, I am going to not do too well, I like my conveniences I have learned.
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