5/20/2023 0 Comments Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban![]() ![]() ![]() It becomes easier to read after the first few chapters, after you become used to the language and rhythm, and it’s worth the effort. Although this makes the book quite hard to read at first, it makes it easier to really throw yourself into Riddley’s mind and his world. What is left is ‘Riddleyspeak’ - a strange mix between a phonetic version of English and a new, made up slang. It is clear that at some point after the nuclear war, language suffered a near complete breakdown. What really makes this novel stand out from other dystopian fantasies is the language used, and it is arguably the most important aspect of the book. Religion has also converted into the worship of ‘Eusa’, which is a mistaken jumble between the story of St Eustace, and half forgotten facts from the nuclear war. Civilisation has reverted back to a second Iron Age where iron is salvaged from the broken machines of the old world. In this future, humanity has deteriorated back to a simple hunter/gatherer lifestyle, and technology no longer exists. ![]() The novel is set in a very desolate future, about two thousand years after a nuclear holocaust. ![]() “Riddley Walker” is one of the most unique books I have ever read, and is also probably the most difficult book I will ever come across. ![]()
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