Book Blog Mod. 10: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation
Anderson, M. T. (2006). The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party. Somerville: Candlewick Press.
This story follows the childhood and adolescence of young Octavian. His mother is a princess in exile, and he is raised in sheltered luxury, given the finest of education, and above all, taught the values of pure reason over petty emotion. However, as the American Revolution approaches, Octavian's life begins to fall apart, and he finds that his status and the reasons for his education are actually much more sinister: he is a human test subject, meant to prove white intellectual superiority over black. He eventually flees the house and finds himself embroiled in the American Revolution.
I didn't expect to like this book, but I did. Maybe it's because I've been reading The Mismeasure of Man, which discusses some of the social experiments of which Octavian Nothing draws inspiration, but I found myself riveted. The depiction of how the search for pure reason and cold logic can quickly veer into horror and cruelty is brilliantly crafted, and sadly, true to history. It also shows how a person can be incredibly biased and prejudiced, and see themselves as perfectly unbiased, and warns of the dangers.
The character of Octavian runs the risk of being an improbable character; Anderson pulls off a narrator who, despite being fluent in classical dead languages and being raised in improbable circumstances, rings truly human. His own thought processes are clear, and the reader uncovers the horrible truth of his life along with him. It is a novel premise, and has elements of mystery, thriller, and social critique. Though it takes place centuries ago, its messages ring true today, and the warning is as foreboding and chilling as any dystopia.
The book has come to great reviews, of course. Jenny Davidson of the New York Times warns about the disturbing content, and applauds Anderson for his "sharp ear for adolescent voices, a sometimes perverse sense of humor and an interest in the corrosive effects of groupthink on the average human’s ability to behave ethically." She argues that Octavian, despite his emotion, remains too logical, "possibly at some cost to the reader’s ability to identify with him." She makes a valid point, and I noticed this too, but I have to argue that since Octavian was raised in an environment where emotional outbursts were not tolerated, that his reactions do make sense, especially to distance himself from the horrors he learns. That said, yes, it may distance him from the reader.
Larry Cooperman of School Library Journal (thanks, Bowker's Books in Print, for all the following review sources) has a very different take on it. He sees the book as crap. "While the idea and the scope of Anderson's novel are fresh, the plot and the prose are so confusing that it becomes difficult to follow the story," he says. I disagree; I had no problem following the book except for the change in narrators for the letters, which I did get used to once I adjusted to the tone. "Only advanced high school students and aficionados of the Enlightenment will be able to wade through the novel," he claims.
I agree that the book can be hard going and probably would only be appropriate to older teens, but I still think it would be worth a shot. Luckily, Cooperman seems to be in the minority here. Teresa Copeland of Voice of Youth Advocates praises the book for being appropriate for "teens looking for a challenge," and Gillian Engberg of Booklist says, "teens need not understand all the historical and literary allusions to connect with Octavian's torment or to debate the novel's questions." Well said, Engberg.
This book would be great on the shelf as a new way of teaching about race relations and the ideas of emotions vs. intellect. Keep it in your library and use it to the scare the kiddies along with Animal Farm.
This story follows the childhood and adolescence of young Octavian. His mother is a princess in exile, and he is raised in sheltered luxury, given the finest of education, and above all, taught the values of pure reason over petty emotion. However, as the American Revolution approaches, Octavian's life begins to fall apart, and he finds that his status and the reasons for his education are actually much more sinister: he is a human test subject, meant to prove white intellectual superiority over black. He eventually flees the house and finds himself embroiled in the American Revolution.
I didn't expect to like this book, but I did. Maybe it's because I've been reading The Mismeasure of Man, which discusses some of the social experiments of which Octavian Nothing draws inspiration, but I found myself riveted. The depiction of how the search for pure reason and cold logic can quickly veer into horror and cruelty is brilliantly crafted, and sadly, true to history. It also shows how a person can be incredibly biased and prejudiced, and see themselves as perfectly unbiased, and warns of the dangers.
The character of Octavian runs the risk of being an improbable character; Anderson pulls off a narrator who, despite being fluent in classical dead languages and being raised in improbable circumstances, rings truly human. His own thought processes are clear, and the reader uncovers the horrible truth of his life along with him. It is a novel premise, and has elements of mystery, thriller, and social critique. Though it takes place centuries ago, its messages ring true today, and the warning is as foreboding and chilling as any dystopia.
The book has come to great reviews, of course. Jenny Davidson of the New York Times warns about the disturbing content, and applauds Anderson for his "sharp ear for adolescent voices, a sometimes perverse sense of humor and an interest in the corrosive effects of groupthink on the average human’s ability to behave ethically." She argues that Octavian, despite his emotion, remains too logical, "possibly at some cost to the reader’s ability to identify with him." She makes a valid point, and I noticed this too, but I have to argue that since Octavian was raised in an environment where emotional outbursts were not tolerated, that his reactions do make sense, especially to distance himself from the horrors he learns. That said, yes, it may distance him from the reader.
Larry Cooperman of School Library Journal (thanks, Bowker's Books in Print, for all the following review sources) has a very different take on it. He sees the book as crap. "While the idea and the scope of Anderson's novel are fresh, the plot and the prose are so confusing that it becomes difficult to follow the story," he says. I disagree; I had no problem following the book except for the change in narrators for the letters, which I did get used to once I adjusted to the tone. "Only advanced high school students and aficionados of the Enlightenment will be able to wade through the novel," he claims.
I agree that the book can be hard going and probably would only be appropriate to older teens, but I still think it would be worth a shot. Luckily, Cooperman seems to be in the minority here. Teresa Copeland of Voice of Youth Advocates praises the book for being appropriate for "teens looking for a challenge," and Gillian Engberg of Booklist says, "teens need not understand all the historical and literary allusions to connect with Octavian's torment or to debate the novel's questions." Well said, Engberg.
This book would be great on the shelf as a new way of teaching about race relations and the ideas of emotions vs. intellect. Keep it in your library and use it to the scare the kiddies along with Animal Farm.