Genesis by Bernard Beckett - Review
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Publisher's Summary:
Beckett, Bernard. (2006) Genesis. London: Quercus
Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84724-930-2. Author age: young
adult. Litland recommends age 14+.
Publisher Description:
The island Republic has emerged from a ruined world. Its
citizens are safe but not free. Until a man named Adam
Forde rescues a girl from the sea. Fourteen-year-old
Anax thinks she knows her history. She’d better. She’s
sat facing three Examiners and her five-hour examination
has just begun. The subject is close to her heart: Adam
Forde, her long-dead hero. In a series of startling
twists, Anax discovers new things about Adam and her
people that question everything she holds sacred. But
why is the Academy allowing her to open up the enigma at
its heart? Bernard Beckett has written a strikingly
original novel that weaves dazzling ideas into a truly
moving story about a young girl on the brink of her
future.
Respect for self and others: This
includes integrity (adherence to a code of
conduct or value system), honesty vs. manipulation or
lying, compassion, caring for others (characters not
focused on getting their way no matter what) self
respect--main character does not let others
denigrate him or her; use of self control and
self-discipline ; taking charge of own behaviour;
fairness to others (such as taking turns and
avoiding the blame game). Reader should ask themselves
“How does the protagonist depict their peers?” “Would
you want others to treat you this way? Should everyone
act this way?” This includes true friendships
that do not involve regular lying, deceit or
manipulation; considering consequences of actions
prior to acting; owning up to responsibility once
an action has been taken.
This story delves into the intellectual rather than the
relational and so the representation of characters
relating to one another is minimal. As our protagonist,
Anax, reflects upon her schooling and society as a
whole, we see her admiration for characters that
demonstrate compassion and self-control. She herself
demonstrates these qualities as well, particularly in
her relationship with her tutor, Pericles.
Portrayal of Authority
figures: The positive portrayal of parents, teachers, police officers and other “good” authority figures common in a child’s life is a positive influence upon the child’s own moral development. This includes
actively-parenting mother and father figures. Minimization of parental involvement in the character’s activities or the portrayal of authority figures as
inferior present poor role models. Also to be avoided are main characters that
deceive parents and teachers to accomplish goals, and overuse
sarcasm towards authority figures. Ask yourself “Are parents seen as positive or negative influence in the character's life?”
The
hierarchy of this fictional world is different from our
own but inoffensive. Thus children are removed from
families and reared separately. Of primary influence to
the story are the examiners before whom Anax is
presenting her knowledge and life’s work. They are
portrayed as societal judges, stern and rigid but rarely
condemning. Pericles her tutor is respected by her as a
type of authority. Their societal myth of Adam, a hero,
rebukes authority in a typical teen fashion early on but
then in a more mature manner when choosing to save a
life.
Citizenship and
Patriotism: Loyalty to family, team or group, school, community and world; caring for and being considerate of these
groups. Pride to be part of that group or nationality.
Anax
is driven to succeed in her examinations because of her
passion for and loyalty to her society. Her patriotism
and love of her society is strong.
Justice and Balance: A just distribution between good and evil (with
good outweighing evil in the presence of the storyline);
demonstration of right and wrong; making decisions to enact the above values rather than simply choosing from two bad possibilities; Ask yourself “Is the emphasis on the positive elements or negative?”
The reader is left to question what is good and what is
evil; right and wrong. The mythical hero Adam is
imprisoned for a seemingly good act, and much of the
story then involves his imprisonment. The Philosophers
(highest in the societal hierarchy) evolved so as to no
longer distinguish right from wrong (“right is as right
does”). So underlying the main storyline is this sense
of transition from absolute morals to relativism; from
freedom to a controlled society. As often occurs in a
science fiction novel, (SPOILER ALERT) the ending does
leave our heroine as victim; thus one might feel evil
prevails.
Aesthetic aspects Of
life ExperienceLook for a storyline portrayal of
beauty, health, and selfless love vs. hedonistic behaviours (sexuality, selfishness, obsessiveness, materialism),
profanity, gore and violence. Are nature and environment respected or exploited? Look for
dark elements; watch out for humor that is negative, denigrates others excessively, uses metaphors to
denigrate the sacred.
Apocalyptic, yet not overly dark and in some ways life
affirming. A historical figure in society, Adam Forde
was almost “terminated” as a baby because of genetic
imperfections, hinting of genetic testing and genocide.
Adam insists there is a difference between humans and
all other creation, whether natural or man-made.
Consciousness, instinct, and even the “ancient Idea” of
a soul come into consideration. Adam refers to his
created self as a miracle, although confirming the
source of life as similar to the Big Bang theory.
Only
a few instances of profanity occur. Story is clean of
hidden agendas, and description of action and violence
is sufficient to place reader into the event without
undue attention. Although the storyline questions the
essence of humanity, there is no denigration of creation
or things sacred. There is reference to Adam sneaking
out to “have” women but no sexuality.
The
writing quality itself is rich and thought provoking
without being overly complex. Example (p. 65 para. 5) “
The only thing binding individuals together is ideas.
Ideas mutate, and spread; they change their hosts as
much as their hosts change them. “
Other things to
Consider:Other aspects of this book of interest or importance. For example, does it portray Wiccan practices and accurate use of tools of which some parents might object, does it contain
hidden meanings in metaphors that may prove offensive to some families; does it address
personal issues such as puberty or pregnancy.
Due
to the issues addressed in the story line, including
Adam’s womanizing, military guards killing guards,
orders to exterminate outsiders upon site, etc., as well
as the focus on defining what is human, and the
evolution of absolute right/wrong into relativism, the
story itself is intense and so not recommended for
younger advanced readers. Litland.com encourages
parental discretion in accordance with their family
Do-Re-Mi’s.
This book is highly recommended for book clubs, high
school book lists, high school/college philosophy or
literature class, youth/college ministries, and other
situations involving discussion of the story’s meaning.
So what do YOU think? Read our thoughts on the book and join in the discussion:
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