One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever
Ecclesiastes 1:4
Was re-reading Brooklyn for book club. Also re-reading Harry Potter since the new movie is coming out. Then picked up Earth Abides which Jim had requested from the library.
Ish is a loner working on his graduate thesis "The Ecology of the Black Creek Area". He is out in the wilderness studying the relationship of men, plants and animals in the region. When he finally discovers that a disease has wiped out most of the human population, he feels that his anti-social tendencies and his field of study will help him succeed in this new world.
Earth Abides follows Ish through the rest of his life. It is interesting to see the survival and adaptation of all life forms on earth through Ish's eyes. Not to give too much away but he learns to help his new "tribe" survive and thrive, although not in the way he originally intended.
It is an amazing post-apocalyptic story which is extremely well-written. The characters and story will stay with me for a long time. The book cover likens the story to Robinson Crusoe. I kept comparing it to The Road, but with more positive life-affirming images.
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