In the recent future, Riley is arrested while protesting on the streets against a new law that forbids the assembly of more than ten people in public. She has a choice: either go to prison or get admitted to any one of the recently opened American Renewal Centres for mandatory re-education for six months. Riley chooses the latter, hoping that a quick escape is possible from the psychiatric facility. Little did she realise that she was about to enter a new-age prison that would play every dirty trick to break her and make her snitch. She decides to fight back and expose the secrets of the institution that tie it to a forgotten evil of the Cold War.
The Glass Box is a dystopian novel written by J. Michael Straczynski, an award-winning writer of novels, comic books, television series, and movies. He has been associated with movies like Changeling, Thor, and World War Z, and he is the creator of the series Babylon 5. The book, though set in the future, mirrors the discontent within the present society and the ruling governments' different attempts to suppress its outflow in the form of public protests. It serves as a powerful critic of the current political system, often tending to become oppressors under the guise of benevolent benefactors. I received an advance review copy of the book from its publisher, Blackstone Publishing, through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
It may probably be due to the background of the writer in visual media like comics and movies that The Glass Door follows a style of narration that is very non-descriptive. While reading it, the reader easily visualises the events, compared to other novels. This makes it very engaging, as the reader has to just go with the smooth, flowing narrative to enjoy it. While I loved this aspect of it, it cannot be denied that the novel fails to be immersive. For serious readers who also want their experience to be one of discovery, to form a deeper bond with the book, and to make their reading of it a two-way conversation with its author, the book doesn't offer much.
The protagonist of The Glass Door, Riley, is its biggest strength. The entire plot is narrated from her point of view, and though it is written in the third person, we get occasional peeks inside her chaotic thoughts. Riley is portrayed as a steadfast, strong, and ever-scheming woman who can never compromise with her principles, even when her life depends on them. On first glance, I wondered why she doesn't have a good character arc—the transformation of a hero—that makes readers more relatable to her.
But then it came to me that, though she retains all her characters even in the end, she finishes this episode of her journey with an important lesson. She discovers the importance of cooperation and working together. When every attempt of hers failed, she received help from others, from even unexpected quarters, without which she would have burned herself out. These assistances found her only because of her above-mentioned characteristic qualities, which force her not to compromise even when the entire world stands against her and urges her to accept defeat.
This transformation of Riley is also affecting the portrayal of the other characters. As the novel progresses, we find that the depiction of other characters in the story, who start out as one-noted, uninteresting entities who are always relegated to the peripheries of the plot, just like the protagonist wants them to be, acquires more uniqueness and individuality. Along with Riley, the reader also discovers them, their traits, and their constitution, becoming part of her journey.
The Glass Box by J. Michael Straczynski is dystopian fiction that closely mirrors the systematic oppression imposed on the public by ruling authorities and how society can pay heed to a lonely voice, get inspired, and protest against these attempts. The book is an engaging read that is difficult to put down and has a great plot and a powerful protagonist, though I would wish it to be something more deeper in its storytelling.
No comments:
Post a Comment