I'm thrilled to have discovered this trilogy!
5 steloj
The Madness of Sara Mansfield was a fascinating read for me and one which was scarily plausible given how much of many people's lives are experienced through screens rather than directly. Witnessing the MthR operating system through several interlinked storylines allowed me to gain a good understanding of the effects of such an incredible technological jump, even while I didn't quite grasp the intricate details of how it all worked.
What kept me gripped throughout this novel was seeing each woman's experiences shaped her opinion of - and reactions to - MthR and the resulting society. I could see that for some, the tradeoff was beneficial. MthR's manipulation of their world allowed people to believe they had good lives while being able to ignore the reality of their situation. Others could not accept the loss of personal freedom and chose to try and remain outside MthR's clutches.
One of the …
The Madness of Sara Mansfield was a fascinating read for me and one which was scarily plausible given how much of many people's lives are experienced through screens rather than directly. Witnessing the MthR operating system through several interlinked storylines allowed me to gain a good understanding of the effects of such an incredible technological jump, even while I didn't quite grasp the intricate details of how it all worked.
What kept me gripped throughout this novel was seeing each woman's experiences shaped her opinion of - and reactions to - MthR and the resulting society. I could see that for some, the tradeoff was beneficial. MthR's manipulation of their world allowed people to believe they had good lives while being able to ignore the reality of their situation. Others could not accept the loss of personal freedom and chose to try and remain outside MthR's clutches.
One of the most interesting characters for me was Nneka, a woman physically right at the heart of Mont Blanc, yet who was mentally beginning to question the system. The eponymous Sara also intrigued me although I felt that I wasn't close enough to her to really understand her decisions - much like Nneka perhaps! I also wanted a deeper understanding of Alex, although I am not sure that even Alex understood themselves at this point so I am hoping to develop more clarity in the next book of this trilogy.
I loved how Sophie McKeand incorporated Welsh language and culture into The Madness Of Sara Mansfield, as well as running ideas of the operating system, MthR, alongside the Great Mother, being the natural world and Earth herself. While this novel is an entertaining and gripping read, it is also deeply thought-provoking and I found myself unable to devour the book at my usual fast pace, preferring instead to frequently pause and think over the characters' words and actions. It's not common for a book to capture my attention in this way so I am thrilled to have discovered this one and keen to continue with the trilogy soon.