Many arguments found on the internet contain very little evidence in support of a person’s viewpoint,
which ironically is also found in the anti-technology novel, The Age of Earthquakes. The novel presents a
lot of arguments, but it never seems to explain or support these claims with evidence. For example, one
page of the novel simply states, “I miss doing nothing,” which then prompted me, the reader, to ask
myself, “What about nothing do they miss? What was better about nothing? Should we make a shift as a
collective to get back to nothing?” Then I proceeded to the next page to hopefully get an answer, but
no, an entirely new point was brought and the old one forgotten, funnily enough the new point on the
next page was also forgotten about when I continued onto the page after that, and then it happened
again and again, creating a cycle of forgotten arguments. When reading an argumentative novel,
especially one you disagree with, you want the argument to make you reconsider your viewpoint and
recognize misconceptions that you believed beforehand, but in order to do this you need evidence and
reasoning, which The Age of Earthquakes contains very little. The one quality I enjoyed about the
novel was it’s presentation. When I first received the novel I thought to myself, “This is a picture
book?!?” which then prompted me to read the book in its entirety in only mere hours after receiving it.
It’s presentation hooked me and for books that's one of the hardest jobs to do because getting people to
want to sit down and read your novel in its entirety is almost impossible. But once you realize The Age
of Earthquakes is all flash with no substance, the experience is now pointless. The quote, “Don’t Judge
a Book by it’s cover,” famously explains this idea by saying read a book for it’s ideas, not it’s pretty
pictures. The Age of Earthquakes is all cover and no ideas, making it’s one saving grace, meaningless.
which ironically is also found in the anti-technology novel, The Age of Earthquakes. The novel presents a
lot of arguments, but it never seems to explain or support these claims with evidence. For example, one
page of the novel simply states, “I miss doing nothing,” which then prompted me, the reader, to ask
myself, “What about nothing do they miss? What was better about nothing? Should we make a shift as a
collective to get back to nothing?” Then I proceeded to the next page to hopefully get an answer, but
no, an entirely new point was brought and the old one forgotten, funnily enough the new point on the
next page was also forgotten about when I continued onto the page after that, and then it happened
again and again, creating a cycle of forgotten arguments. When reading an argumentative novel,
especially one you disagree with, you want the argument to make you reconsider your viewpoint and
recognize misconceptions that you believed beforehand, but in order to do this you need evidence and
reasoning, which The Age of Earthquakes contains very little. The one quality I enjoyed about the
novel was it’s presentation. When I first received the novel I thought to myself, “This is a picture
book?!?” which then prompted me to read the book in its entirety in only mere hours after receiving it.
It’s presentation hooked me and for books that's one of the hardest jobs to do because getting people to
want to sit down and read your novel in its entirety is almost impossible. But once you realize The Age
of Earthquakes is all flash with no substance, the experience is now pointless. The quote, “Don’t Judge
a Book by it’s cover,” famously explains this idea by saying read a book for it’s ideas, not it’s pretty
pictures. The Age of Earthquakes is all cover and no ideas, making it’s one saving grace, meaningless.
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I think to a certain extent, the book can be praised on its presentation alone. As a stand alone story or even an experiment of written word and images, the book can succeed and be praised in doing so. I think my issue with the book overall is it's tone and presentation of it's ideas. The presentation can be praised in creativity and uniqueness, but also can be condemned for the same thing. In it's presentation and tone, the book manages to present a much more argumentative approach than what may have been originally intended. I think once the book takes the step beyond just an experience or story, and becomes a stricter "guide" (as it describes itself), it reaches outside it's jurisdiction. The book would be excellent without this, as the execution of concept is phenomenal outside of this, which you noted in your blog. I agree with your argument, but I believe the issue is not it's lack of evidence, but it's self image and lack of self awareness the book has that bar it from being something special.
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