Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I found this book by a happy accident. The title intrigued me but I am cautious about adding new books to my collection. At first I was worried. Please not another depressing future world. Of course it was that too...with a twist...an apparently perfect utopia--wonderful climate, no unemployment, cradle to grave medical care, etc.-- with a rotten underbelly. It reminded me of my favorite short story by Ursula Le Guin, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. The price for that utopia was the torture of one child. The price for Brandt Legg's perfect world is the loss of our history, our books and other chilling events. Now let me tell you why his story was so uplifting despite all the evil in it. The characters are powerfully presented. They are us. They are weak, greedy, confused, hopeless, terrified, strong, loving, but they continue to struggle. They often fail too. But take one more step and then another. They will make you feel sad and proud at the same time. The other technique Brandt uses to breathtaking effect are all the famous quotes he puts in, under and around his story lines. Each one delights and surprises. By doing this he reminds us of how much we have to lose: from Asimov and Bradbury to Shakespeare and Proust. We lose even more each day as our language deteriorates because too many people Do Not Read. Lop off their heads said the Queen of Hearts in Alice, another lovely totalitarian regime. I imagine those heads being words that are becoming abbreviated and unrecognizable in a .com future. Brandt Legg is shining a light into some very dark corners. I will try to share this book with as many persons as I can. Although it could involve bribery, even torture.