Part 8 of our winter “Staff Picks” series
Full disclosure. I did not read Playground, Richard Powers’ new novel. I listened to it (twice) in audiobook format. I find myself listening to a lot of books these days, being on the road going from preserve to preserve. The second time I listened, I caught onto the fact that the audiobook has an element that is different from the physical version. It is hard to say much more than that without any spoilers.
On to the book. For those of you who read and enjoyed The Overstory, you probably need very little convincing to give Playground a chance. The storytelling style mirrors The Overstory, as does the way everything unfolds—but with a twist. Just as those separate lives were all tied together in various ways by trees or a connection to trees, the characters in Playground are bound by water and more specifically, the oceans. And for those of you who read his novel, Bewilderment, Powers’ focus on conservation, environmentalism, and technology will no doubt sound familiar.
If you haven’t read (or listened to) either of those books, you are still in for a treat and will likely want to visit some of his earlier work. Powers does an incredible job of introducing the reader to a cast of characters that come from different backgrounds yet end up being bound to each other through various connections as the story builds.
Conservation and the ecological importance of sensitive ecosystems are overarching themes throughout this novel, which is why I selected it for this review. The Pacific Ocean plays a central role in the story. Though the setting is far from Indiana, the challenges of development and the management (or mismanagement) of natural resources can easily be applied to the Midwest. The author masterfully addresses these challenges, not by taking a side, but demonstrating that these issues can be viewed very differently depending on your background.
The book dives into fascinating questions about what it means to be human with the rise of artificial intelligence. Will computers be better at “being human” as AI becomes more integrated into our daily lives, whether we want that or not? It also touches on very human topics, like play, fascination with the natural world, and how we are all interconnected, despite our geography and backgrounds.
This wonderful book will make you want to read (or listen) again as soon as you finish the last page.
Jamison Hutchins
Stewardship Director