Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

When looking for a literary analogue, The Overstory is almost something of a Dostoevskian novel. The themes are different of course—-Powers is not interested in discussing God or the basis of morality—but one does get the sense in reading the Overstory that the plot, characters and various literary devices are all at the service of the author’s philosophical vision. And by philosophical I don’t mean esoteric fine points of metaphysics but the larger question of the future of life on earth—in both Powers and Dostoevsky there is almost a return to the themes of ancient apocalyptic writings. While Powers certainly doesn’t need authentication of his narrative power—he has already won a National Book Award among many literary prizes—I can vouchsafe that he is an excellent storyteller. Similarly, his ability to create characters that may stretch the bounds of believability but still generate passionate sympathetic feelings in the reader is also beyond doubt. Thus, I found myself reading the Overstory with every free moment I had over two days and loving nearly every page. The overarching philosophy of the work is that human beings, either willfully or not, do not understand the amount of destruction they are causing to the world’s flora. Plants and trees, one of the oldest of the earth’s kingdoms, are only now beginning to be understood as beings that communicate, learn and in some instances even care for their own offspring. The human caused biocide of the world’s flora is a tragedy not only because these trees may have medicinal or other useful properties for humans but also because each one is a beautiful product of nature fashioned over millions of years. In the author’s view, we seem to be destroying some of the most important parts of creation, so that everyone can, so to speak, have a bigger projection screen TV. Nor are biofuels, renewable energy or other technological fixes likely to stem this downward spiral. Even virtual reality is only going to be as interesting as the humans who create it and so cannot be a genuine substitute for the complexity of what nature provides for us gratis in the real world. The author seems to envision only two scenarios: either humankind will wipe itself out and the earth will generate new, unforeseeable solutions to life or artificial intelligence will impose a solution on a humanity which cannot save itself. To those who have read optimistic works like Steven Pinker’s Enlightenment Now or related perspectives such environmental pessimism is somewhat startling. I can’t say that I am fully persuaded by Powers’ perspective but I can appreciate the accuracy of his science, the literary craftsmanship that went into embodying these ideas and the importance of his overall message. So, if you are willing to endure a literary punch to the stomach and put on apocalyptic glasses then you will thoroughly enjoy The Overstory. But, though a love of trees thoroughly permeates the book, it is hardly a walk in the park.