The Age of Earthquakes

The format of the book takes on a unique form: an abstract form of literature through the usage of unorthodox text structures and images. The structure is similar to the abstract works of Picasso. The shapes used seem almost random, but were structured to mold the shape of a recognizable whole. Similarly, while The Age of Earthquakes appears to be a collection of random pages at first glance, each represent a sub-theme related to the central theme of the book. Unlike most other books, there are no chapters indicating the division of the different themes the book addresses that are a part of the greater theme of current issues in modern society. The book, similar to enjambment in poetry, addresses the next topic with no clear conclusion to the previous.

I found the seemingly random picture inserts interesting, its recurrence giving it meaning, such as the progress bar. Although seldom appearing, similar to checking the progress one has made on an eBook, a small bar would appear on the bottom of the page. It was also interesting to see how the novel used idioms, twisting the set of words as though correcting them, such as ‘in the wink of an eye’ (Basar, Coupland, and Obrist, 205) instead of ‘in a blink of an eye’.

The Age of Earthquakes poses different perspectives poses through the usage of juxtaposition, eliciting a variety of thoughts rather than arguing a single claim. Although intriguing, I found the potential scenarios presented by this book doubtful regarding the function of technology. It seems to dip into the sci-fi realm of potential situations rather than a scientific hypothetical issue. The book expands on a variety of issues in a unique fashion, specifically addressing the losses and gain we see, of those addressed in modern society.

(Word Count: 294)