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A review by mediaevalmuse
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
4.0
I've heard a lot of buzz about this novella so I finally decided to check it out. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but by the end of the novella, I was equal parts comforted and wanting a little more. This book does a lovely job painting a view of a utopic world, removing material struggles so as to focus on the more "spiritual" needs of humanity (and life more generally). However, I also think it could have pushed some of its themes further, so it gets 4 stars from me.
WRITING: Chambers's prose is generally pretty well-constructed. It's clear and easy to follow, and though it has a tendency to focus on some mundane details, I think that was the point: we're supposed to linger in these moments in order to feel the protagonist's equal sense of satisfaction in simplicity but also frustration at mundanity.
Chambers's prose also feels fairly casual in places, especially in dialogue where characters feel like they're speaking in ways familiar to our world. This isn't a bad thing, but it is a taste thing.
Overall, I do think this book is well-written, and I like the matter-of-fact way it describes the world. Maybe personally I would have liked the settings of city vs forest to be a little more distinguished, maybe the religion to feel more ingrained in the way Dex moves through the world, but those are personal taste things.
PLOT: The plot of this book follows Dex, a non-binary/agender monk as they set out to find purpose. For years, Dex has worked as a sort of gardener, but decides to switch vocations and become a tea monk (someone who travels and offers comfort and companionship over a nice cup of tea). However, even as Dex excels at their new vocation, they continue to feel as if something is missing, so they venture into the forest where they meet a robot named Mosscap. Together, they journey to an abandoned monastery and discover some truths about life and its purpose along the way.
The world in which this book is set is very interesting in that it feels like a solar-punk utopia. Humans have abandoned their dependence on oil and exploitation and have reorganized their society around sustainability and meeting the needs of all. As a result, this book is free to focus not on how human behavior is influenced by material need, but on the more spiritual or intangible aspects of purpose. In that, I think the world does a good job of supporting the thematic interests of this story.
I also, to an extent, think the robots and their lore are a good way of thinking about purpose. In this world, robots spontaneously gained consciousness and left centuries ago to live in the forest; thus, Mosscap is an interesting figure for exploring what it means to have been built for one thing but embracing one's own sense of fulfillment or value.
I do think, however, that this book could have pushed some of its themes further. This may be a personal taste thing or it may be something that is explored in future books, but I think it could have done more with the aspects of religion and vocation. As it stands, the religion didn't quite feel quite ingrained as I thought it would be, but again, maybe that's personal bias.
CHARACTERS: Dex, our protagonist, is interesting in that they are materially fulfilled but spiritually lacking. I liked the idea pf focusing on a character who has everything they need yet still feels something missing, and I think portraying them as trying to meet this need by switching vocations will resonate with many people. I do wish a little more was done to explore Dex's seeming distrust of Mosscap, as it sometimes seemed to contradict their compassionate nature. I didn't get the sense that Dex was inherently wary of technology or had strong feelings regarding robots, so their annoyance with Mosscap felt a little jarring.
Mosscap, as charming as it was, could be a little too over-enthusiastic for my tastes. I love a curious robot, but when it acts a little too much like an over-caffeinated millennial, I bristle.
There were some supporting characters, but they weren't around long enough to be really integral to the plot. Most of the focus is on Dex and Mosscap, and I think that scope was appropriate given the length of this novella.
TL;DR: A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a charming sci fi novella about finding purpose given the absence of material need. While there are some things I personally wish had been pushed more, this was ultimately a lovely read with the optimistic hopefulness of a solar-punk utopia.
WRITING: Chambers's prose is generally pretty well-constructed. It's clear and easy to follow, and though it has a tendency to focus on some mundane details, I think that was the point: we're supposed to linger in these moments in order to feel the protagonist's equal sense of satisfaction in simplicity but also frustration at mundanity.
Chambers's prose also feels fairly casual in places, especially in dialogue where characters feel like they're speaking in ways familiar to our world. This isn't a bad thing, but it is a taste thing.
Overall, I do think this book is well-written, and I like the matter-of-fact way it describes the world. Maybe personally I would have liked the settings of city vs forest to be a little more distinguished, maybe the religion to feel more ingrained in the way Dex moves through the world, but those are personal taste things.
PLOT: The plot of this book follows Dex, a non-binary/agender monk as they set out to find purpose. For years, Dex has worked as a sort of gardener, but decides to switch vocations and become a tea monk (someone who travels and offers comfort and companionship over a nice cup of tea). However, even as Dex excels at their new vocation, they continue to feel as if something is missing, so they venture into the forest where they meet a robot named Mosscap. Together, they journey to an abandoned monastery and discover some truths about life and its purpose along the way.
The world in which this book is set is very interesting in that it feels like a solar-punk utopia. Humans have abandoned their dependence on oil and exploitation and have reorganized their society around sustainability and meeting the needs of all. As a result, this book is free to focus not on how human behavior is influenced by material need, but on the more spiritual or intangible aspects of purpose. In that, I think the world does a good job of supporting the thematic interests of this story.
I also, to an extent, think the robots and their lore are a good way of thinking about purpose. In this world, robots spontaneously gained consciousness and left centuries ago to live in the forest; thus, Mosscap is an interesting figure for exploring what it means to have been built for one thing but embracing one's own sense of fulfillment or value.
I do think, however, that this book could have pushed some of its themes further. This may be a personal taste thing or it may be something that is explored in future books, but I think it could have done more with the aspects of religion and vocation. As it stands, the religion didn't quite feel quite ingrained as I thought it would be, but again, maybe that's personal bias.
CHARACTERS: Dex, our protagonist, is interesting in that they are materially fulfilled but spiritually lacking. I liked the idea pf focusing on a character who has everything they need yet still feels something missing, and I think portraying them as trying to meet this need by switching vocations will resonate with many people. I do wish a little more was done to explore Dex's seeming distrust of Mosscap, as it sometimes seemed to contradict their compassionate nature. I didn't get the sense that Dex was inherently wary of technology or had strong feelings regarding robots, so their annoyance with Mosscap felt a little jarring.
Mosscap, as charming as it was, could be a little too over-enthusiastic for my tastes. I love a curious robot, but when it acts a little too much like an over-caffeinated millennial, I bristle.
There were some supporting characters, but they weren't around long enough to be really integral to the plot. Most of the focus is on Dex and Mosscap, and I think that scope was appropriate given the length of this novella.
TL;DR: A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a charming sci fi novella about finding purpose given the absence of material need. While there are some things I personally wish had been pushed more, this was ultimately a lovely read with the optimistic hopefulness of a solar-punk utopia.