Far North is a 2009 National Book Award Finalist for Fiction. My father had an expression for a thing that turned out bad. He'd say it had gone west. But going west always sounded pretty good to me. After all, westwards is the path of the sun. And through as much history as I know of, people have moved west to settle and find freedom. But our world had gone north, truly gone north, and just how far north I was beginning to learn. Out on the frontier of a failed state, Makepeace—sheriff and perhaps last citizen—patrols a city's ruins, salvaging books but keeping the guns in good repair. Into this cold land comes shocking evidence that life might be flourishing elsewhere: a refugee emerges from the vast emptiness of forest, whose existence inspires Makepeace to reconnect with human society and take to the road, armed with rough humor and an unlikely ration of optimism. What Makepeace finds is a world unraveling: stockaded villages enforcing an uncertain justice and hidden work camps laboring to harness the little-understood technologies of a vanished civilization. But Makepeace's journey—rife with danger—also leads to an unexpected redemption. Far North takes the reader on a quest through an unforgettable arctic landscape, from humanity's origins to its possible end. Haunting, spare, yet stubbornly hopeful, the novel is suffused with an ecstatic awareness of the world's fragility and beauty, and its ability to recover from our worst trespasses.
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"I need to take a moment after reading this. It was a lot to take in. Theroux throws a few curves at the reader starting in about the third chapter. The dystopian, post-apocalypse story stirs up emotion, challenges assumptions, and--best of all--tells a darn good story. "
— Renee (5 out of 5 stars)
“Sublime…There is a satisfying sadness and finality to Theroux’s vision.”
— New York Times Book Review“The first great cautionary fable of climate change. Marcel Theroux’s homespun tale about a solitary frontier survivor conjures up a monolithic world that's ominous and deeply memorable.”
— Washington Post“A suspenseful, gripping vision of catastrophe wrought by the warring human impulses of greed and imagination.”
— Dallas Morning News“Imaginative and extremely well written.”
— Times (London)“An absorbing end-of-days fable.”
— GQ“An atmospheric tale of a near-future dystopia…One for fans of Margaret Atwood.”
— Evening Standard (London)“Theroux is a master storyteller, and the narrative is as full of surprises as it is of murders. And in Makepeace he’s created the moral center of a heartless world: hardened by…experiences [yet] capable of great courage, friendship, and loyalty, so that the bleak vision of this novel contains a glint of consolation.”
— Independent on Sunday (starred review)“Theroux has managed to pull off a macho novel that would appeal to both male and female readers…Who would have thought that a novel of doom could be so interesting…so…enjoyable?…A surprising romp beyond despair.”
— Globe and Mail (Toronto)“Theroux’s post-apocalyptic road novel will inevitably be compared to that other post-apocalyptic road novel Oprah liked, and while Theroux…is not the existential stylist McCarthy is, he is a superior plotter…Theroux succeeds in crafting a wildly eccentric and intelligent [novel] that’s ultimately and strangely hopeful.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)Theroux's postapocalyptic road novel will inevitably be compared to that other postapocalyptic road novel Oprah liked, and while Theroux . . . is not the existential stylist McCarthy is, he is a superior plotter . . . Theroux succeeds in crafting a wildly eccentric and intelligent page-turner that's ultimately and strangely hopeful.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)Marcel Theroux delivers a masterly sleight-of-hand . . . and after the third chapter deftly pulls the rug from under the reader's feet. I was completely duped. It is set in a cruel Siberian landscape that is dotted with slave camps and where ‘human beings are rat-cunning and will happily kill you twice over for a hot meal.' This is an action-packed, dystopian adventure story with cracking set pieces.
— Sebastian Shakespeare, TatlerImaginative and extremely well written.
— Kate Saunders, The Times (London)It's a great pleasure to fall into the pages of a natural-born storyteller. If you're looking for an unforgettable character, your search ends here.
— Russell Hoban, author of Riddley WalkerAn absorbing end-of-days fable.
— GQTheroux is a master storyteller, and the narrative is as full of surprises as it is of murders. And in Makepeace he's created the moral centre of a heartless world: hardened by . . . experiences [yet] capable of great courage, friendship and loyalty, so that the bleak vision of this novel contains a glint of consolation.
— Brandon Robshaw, The Independent on Sunday (five stars)How refreshing to meet Makepeace Hatfield, who faces a world gone wild with hope, humor, and a scrappy tenacity that manages to find beauty in a ravaged arctic landscape, and hangs on to humanity against all odds.
— Pam Houston, author of Cowboys Are My Weakness“Narrator Yelena Schmulenson escorts the listener on Makepeace's remarkable journey as she ventures beyond her vacant city to explore the tundra, searching for any life besides her own...Schmulenson interprets Makepeace's intelligence and fortitude with compassion, providing a rhythmic pace that bridges the heroine's insightful thoughts and brutal experiences.
— AudioFileAn atmospheric tale of a near-future dystopia . . . One for fans of Margaret Atwood.
— Evening Standard" Easily the best post-apocalyptic novel I've read since Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Bleak, haunting, and beautiful, with an unforgettable heroine. "
— cassie, 4/15/2011" Not at all what I had expected but a wonderful post-apocalypse novel. "
— Phillip, 3/15/2011" If you enjoyed the grizzled survival march aspect of McCarthy's The Road but were as troubled as I was by the Women are Evil/Faulkner in the Thunderome/Messianc machismo thing he had going on, this will probably be right up your alley. "
— Alison, 3/7/2011" Loaned to me and recommended by a co-worker who interviews authors and reviews books for Sci-fi London. Fantastic story, really enjoyed it. Didn't want to put it down. If I were independently wealthy, I would have skipped working to finish this book. "
— Tracy, 1/30/2011" Intriguing story. Superb writing style.. Unexpected storyline and an amazing ending. Typically not the subject matter I generally read, but I have a feeling it's a book that I would re-read time and time again as the world continues to change. "
— Katy, 1/9/2011Marcel Theroux is a British American novelist and broadcaster who studied English literature at Cambridge University and international relations at Yale University. He is the author of several novels, including Far North, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and the Arthur C. Clarke Award. He is the son of novelist Paul Theroux and brother of journalist Louis Theroux.
Yelena Shmulenson is an actress and Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. She emigrated to the United States with her family in 1993 from Ukraine. Her theater credits include five seasons with the Folksbiene, two seasons at the Ellis Island Theatre, Enemies: A Love Story in Russian, and The Essence: A Yiddish Theater Dim Sum. On film, she can be seen in The Good Shepherd, Romeo & Juliet in Yiddish, Fire at the Triangle, and A Serious Man.