Dianne's Reviews > The Wall

This book is long-listed for the 2019 Booker Prize, so that made it a must read for me. I try to read all the Booker long-list novels every year. Reviewers have not been kind to this one, so I was not expecting to like it - but I did! Do I think it’s Booker-worthy? No. It was (for me) an interesting but lightweight dystopian look at a possible future where walls abound to keep immigrants (called “Others” here) out and where climate change (called “The Change”) has flooded the landscape.

The problem with this book is it is very paltry on character development and world-building, and is missing that deep, impactful wallop that makes you think hard about the message the author is trying to send. In a boxing match of Booker candidates, this would definitely be a featherweight.

“Booker-worthiness” aside, I found it entertaining and suspenseful. The novel has a very spare, dreamy and remote feel to it, a certain rhythm that worked for me. The book is divided into three sections - The Wall, The Others and The Sea. The narrator is a young man who is serving his mandatory two year assignment on The Wall. His job is to prevent The Others from breaching The Wall that protects his island home. If The Others successfully breach The Wall and escape onto the island, any defenders who were on The Wall at the time are punished by being put out to sea in a boat. Banishment. You are now......The Other.

So....yes, I enjoyed it! 🤷🏼‍♀️ If you can shake off the weighty expectations of a Booker-nominated novel, you may enjoy it, too.