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A review by mediaevalmuse
The Fourth Mode by N.P. Figgis
4.0
More nuclear war reading - but this time, the novel isn’t so widely known. A friend gifted me a copy of this book, claiming that it had things in it I was sure to like - and he was right. The Fourth Mode has lyrical prose, a wide cast of characters, and complex relationships. It was wholly different than many other nuclear war novels I’ve read, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the lead-up to a disaster.
Things I Liked
1. Prose: Figgis’ prose is very dense and poetic, with a lot of focus on feelings rather than on describing the plot. The style of prose makes everything very indirect - as a reader, you have to piece together what is happening rather than relying on the author to tell you outright. In some sense, then, it’s almost like reading an epic: very heightened style with an excess of poetic imagery.
2. Focus: This novel isn’t so much about the political decisions that lead up to nuclear war as it is about ordinary people of various backgrounds. There’s a woman who has multiple lovers across time, a woman in an abusive relationship, a man who takes in a wandering girl, and others. The novel moves back and forth between perspectives so we get a sense of the world through each of their eyes, making the plot as a whole more concerned with individuals.
3. Ensemble: This novel isn’t just about one person, so there isn’t a protagonist or limited set of protagonists. Instead, it reads more like an ensemble piece, with characters interacting with each other while also acting on their own. If a reader isn’t particularly interested in the emotions of one character, the narrative will soon shift.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Exposition: It took me a little while to actually get a handle on how the book worked, since the exposition didn’t really help. I was lost for the first 30 pages or so, without much of an idea of what was happening, but once it clicked, I was able to follow just fine.
2. Stephen’s Perspective: Ugh... you know the tone of every book written by a pretentious mediocre white man? And how those books describe women? That’s how Stephen’s perspective is written.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in nuclear war,
lyrical prose, emotions, and relationships.
Things I Liked
1. Prose: Figgis’ prose is very dense and poetic, with a lot of focus on feelings rather than on describing the plot. The style of prose makes everything very indirect - as a reader, you have to piece together what is happening rather than relying on the author to tell you outright. In some sense, then, it’s almost like reading an epic: very heightened style with an excess of poetic imagery.
2. Focus: This novel isn’t so much about the political decisions that lead up to nuclear war as it is about ordinary people of various backgrounds. There’s a woman who has multiple lovers across time, a woman in an abusive relationship, a man who takes in a wandering girl, and others. The novel moves back and forth between perspectives so we get a sense of the world through each of their eyes, making the plot as a whole more concerned with individuals.
3. Ensemble: This novel isn’t just about one person, so there isn’t a protagonist or limited set of protagonists. Instead, it reads more like an ensemble piece, with characters interacting with each other while also acting on their own. If a reader isn’t particularly interested in the emotions of one character, the narrative will soon shift.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Exposition: It took me a little while to actually get a handle on how the book worked, since the exposition didn’t really help. I was lost for the first 30 pages or so, without much of an idea of what was happening, but once it clicked, I was able to follow just fine.
2. Stephen’s Perspective: Ugh... you know the tone of every book written by a pretentious mediocre white man? And how those books describe women? That’s how Stephen’s perspective is written.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in nuclear war,
lyrical prose, emotions, and relationships.