The British writer Patrick Ness is not very well known in Ukraine. At home, he is the winner of many prestigious awards and even several Carnegie Medals. Ness’s works have also become New York Times bestsellers more than once. But you’re probably familiar with his works in one way or another if you’ve seen the movies «Monster’s Voice» or «Chaos Walking». The latest sci-fi movie starring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley is based on the novel «The Knife That Would Not Let Go» — the beginning of the trilogy «Chaos Walking», which is published in Ukraine by «ACCA». It is about this book that we are going to talk about today. Because these are the books that as many people as possible should know.
Author Patrick Ness
Translator Ostap Ukrainets
Publisher Assa
Language Ukrainian
Number of pages 464, 512, 562
Cover Solid
Year of publication 2023
Size 130×205 mm
Website acca.ua
On a distant planet barely inhabited by old human colonies, there is a town called Prentisstown. It is abandoned, but people live here. More precisely, only men. And there are no women at all because they were killed by the Noise Virus — a strange local disease that makes men’s thoughts audible to everyone else, and women die from it. At least that’s what the others say. This infection also spreads to animals, so they can also talk a little «».
A boy — Todd Hewitt lives with the men in Prentisstown. He is thirteen years old and about to become a man. One day in the woods, Todd finds Silence — a girl named Viola, who has no Noise. She has come to the planet on a scout ship, and others will follow — a new wave of colonizers from the nearly destroyed Earth. But now Todd and Viola have to run away because the men of his town want to hurt the girl for some reason, and the mayor, Mr. Prentiss, has some very ugly plans of his own for Todd.
The trilogy includes the novels «The Knife You Can’t Let Go of», «Q&A», and «Monsters of Men». The books belong to teenage literature, but probably only nominally. Because this is serious science fiction and psychological literature that is worth reading not only for high school students, but for people of all ages.
The «Chaos Walking» — trilogy is a vivid and touching novel about growing up and learning about the world, about trust and betrayal, about racism and arrogance, about hopes and not meeting the expectations of others, about fighting one’s own demons, about dictatorship and the thirst for power, about war and revenge, about love and devotion.
The books raise many important issues. Particular attention is paid to personal responsibility and the discussion of shared responsibility. Is a person to blame for his or her cruelty and thirst for war if the environment is the same? Is the society to blame for the war if they have such a leader?
All three novels are eventful and very lively. And the main thing is that the stakes are only increasing from book to book. For example, in the first novel «The Knife You Can’t Let Go» we see Todd as a teenager, and in the third novel we see Todd as a man who has to stop the war.
The «Chaos Walking» trilogy stands out for its fast-paced plot and constant conflicts. It also has incredible and unexpected endings that make you want to know what happens next. I was lucky enough to have all three books in my hands, but I can imagine the state of people who read the first part and then waited for the second book to come out, and then the next.
Although the novels are fantastic, this genre is more for the entourage and background. The main characters are humans and the local population of the planet, who are called speckles. The author carefully describes the psychological state of the characters, their experiences, and conflicts. The author pays minimal attention to the environment, the world, and technology. This does not mean that the books are not genre books, but the emphasis here is on the internal rather than the external.
However, the very fantastic idea of the Noise virus, its consequences for people, its use by the local population, its impact on the plot and events, makes the entire trilogy a full-fledged fiction with a capital F. But it is more social and psychological fiction than space fiction, and there are definitely motifs of a kind of colonial post-apocalypse.
The first novel «A Knife You Can’t Let Go of» has an unusual presentation. The fact is that the school in Prentisstown closed a long time ago, so Todd is poorly educated and cannot read. And because the story is told from his point of view, everything is written with mistakes and in a simple dialect. I think it was very difficult to translate it, but it turned out great. However, it was physically difficult for me to read, especially since my job is related to texts and their correct spelling. But if this is not a problem for you, then this kind of narrative is incredibly immersive in the world of the hero and instantly creates empathy.
In the second novel, it became easier because the story is told by Viola, who is literate, and Todd. Therefore, only part of the book has this style. And the third book is already normal, so to speak because Todd has learned certain things that I won’t spoil, so it allowed him to express himself normally. However, sometimes there are still jargon or mistakes of speech, which is a great way to remind us of the connection we have with the character.
The «Chaos Walking» trilogy is also marked by one of the coolest villains in modern literature — and that’s Mayor Prentiss. Such an antihero and a scoundrel who knows how to charm and conquer people still needs to be able to write, and in my opinion, Patrick Ness did it perfectly. If you constantly want to kill someone until your teeth grind, it means that the author has done an incredible job.
The quality of the edition of the trilogy «Chaos Walking» is good. And these books are made in the latest fashion — we see colorful cuts and an unusual cover style. I don’t like it, but it’s one of the main book designs that has been published around the world. There are others, but they didn’t work for me either, but it’s better than the movie’s supercover. But this is definitely not a disadvantage of books because it’s always a matter of taste. The main thing is what’s inside. I also have to say that the style of the covers conveys the idea of noise and open minds.
