Customer Reviews

Brother in the Land

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"One minute everything was normal, and then it was gone." This is a first person account of life after a nuclear holocaust. The narrator is an English boy called Danny. He recounts all the things that have happened to him since the holocaust and the grim struggle that life has become. This is a good book because it is written by someone who actually experienced what happened. The narrator makes each day feel tense and uncertain. Danny's life is grim, insecure and torturous.

One of the interesting things about this book are the invented names used to describe the various species of survivor: "Goths", "Spacers", "Terminals", "Badgers" and "Purples". It's the beginning of a new language.

Grief and despair pervade this book. Nuclear weapons have utterly destroyed civilization, England has been turned into a poisonous, desolate wasteland. The narrator has written this account to warn future generations (if any) not to do it again.

When you finish reading "Brother in the Land" read "Riddley Walker" by Russell Hoban. That book is also a first person account by a boy in post-holocaust England. Set thousands of years in the future, the people live a primitive life with dim legends of the world as we know it.

Brother in the Land is a novella about the lives of two English brothers after World War III and the effects it has on their lives, the community and the bleak future. Danny is a teenage boy who's World comes to an end when the missiles fall. Confusion and frustration cloud the youngster's mind as he finds himself in an unimaginable and hellish situation. But that is nothing compared to the doom of the impending fallout and harsh winter along with starvation staring at him in the face. What is an English kid gonna do when his life is changed forever?

A found this book so dark, dreary and heartbreaking. But it was entertaining and I wanted to read the entire book in one sitting. Unlike some books that I read, I felt for the characters and sympathized with their situation (even though they were English). Human suffering and it's condition knows no borders. I really enjoyed the book, my only complaint is that I wished it was longer and more in depth. But then I realize that it would even be more depressing. If you are a fan of the nuclear war or post apocalyptic genre then I highly suggest that you find a copy. I wish this book was more widely available. Too bad a lot of these books are out of print.

Highly recommended

I read this book when I was 11 years old. BIG mistake. I had nightmares from it and I couldn't stop crying. So part of me wants to give it 1 star. But it is actually a very good book. It really brings home to you the consequences of nuclear war, especially long-term effects like radiation sickness. I recommend it to people who don't mind a depressing read or who are interested in dystopian novels, but don't read it if you're soft-hearted, or if you're already frightened about the topic. It will just make you worse.

OUR WHOLE CLASS READ THE BOOK AND RAISED ALL OF OUR AWARENESSES ABOUT THE NUCLEAR WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN . WE GOT INTO GROUPS IN OUR CLASS AND DISCUSSED THE PERSONALITY OF THE MAIN CHARACTER "DANNY" . WE ALSO DISCUSSED THAT SWINDELLS , THE AUTHOR , SENT ACROSS MANY MESSAGES ABOUT THE WORLD TODAY . THE WHOLE CLASS AGREED THAT THE BOOK "BROTHER IN THE LAND IS VERY POWERFUL AND WELL WRITTEN.

Brother in the Land is a very good book which is not for the really out going readers. It gets you right into the action almost straight away with the detenation of nucular wareheads. It is a book that reminds us the real danger of nucular wareheads.It reminds us that just because the cold war is over dosen't mean there is no danger. It shows how humans are our worst enemy.

This book gives a very good image of what a nucleur holucast would result in. I like the way that this book describes the survivers, and although the book has no hope, you could nearly always find hope in the hearts of the survivors. I'm dissapointed that this book is out of print, since I think that everybody needs to know the consequences of nucleur war, and then, there mght be a chance of it not happening.

This book examines the consequences of the nuclear holocaust. It's detailed narrative gives a sense of authenticity of the picture presented in the novel. Even though the atmosphere of the book is that of hopelessness and despair, the book is very engaging and hard to put down.

This is about as good as it can get. The visceral and deppressive moments in this book can compare to 1984. Unfortunately, it is out of print because no one is interested in the prospect of nuclear war anymore. They act as if it doesn't exist. It is a good reminder of the holocaust that could always happen.