I got a note from Marcelo stating that he had found my website through Good Old Rock(run by our mutual friend Matt Stratton) and that he had a few recommendations for me, Little Brother
Now, the writing I felt could have been a little more refined but it read well as being told by a teenage boy. Ultimately, the story is that of the early days leading up to Orwellian society where people keep their head down and give up rights and privacy bit by bit in hopes of greater security (I’d like to follow up by re-reading 1984 for comparison). The flip side is that of utilizing the same technology used to track and spy on citizens to disrupt the control wielded by the powers that be. Protagonist Marcus is a questionable hero and raises questions about the fine line between revolutionary, dissonant, and terrorist. The book is intense and only gets more so as the reader goes along, questions popping up repeatedly about individual rights vs that of society as a whole, what role people play in shaping their government. I found myself pausing between chapters to contemplate privacy and interpretation of the Constitution. In the end I realized that there is no clear answer and everyone must personally answer where their comfort level is in terms of compromise and that freedom requires trust. Without that trust we live in fear giving others power to control us and strip us further of our rights. I could talk more about the notes I took about the good and evil of technology and privacy, but I don’t feel going further into undeveloped thoughts belongs here. What does belong here is my recommendation that you go out and read this book – online or buy it and let it open your mind – question what you believe and what you think is right, and if need be do something about your conclusions.
Doctorow takes some unique approaches with his book as well. Each chapter starts with a dedication to various bookstores that have shaped his reading habits and interest in books over the years. He begins with a long prologue explaining his reasoning for making the book available for free on-line – reasoning that ties into the message his story tells. The story is wrapped up with two afterwards, one by Bruce Schneier – a security technologist (author of Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World) and Andrew Huang – X-box hacker (author of Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to Reverse Engineering). Both talk about their work in relation to the story and have inspired me to read more about what it is they do.
*post to come with my thoughts on reading ebooks – I wanted to focus this post on just reviewing Little Brother.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I too couldn’t put it down once I started.
I think my absolute favorite thing about the book is that it’s written for and marketed towards a teenage audience. I can totally see the ways that this book can inspire a teenager’s mind and give them something to be passionate about for years to come. I love that it teaches kids not to be afraid to rebel against something they think is wrong, and I love that it empowers the hero to hack black boxes and do things with technology by himself instead of just accepting the closed-off systems adults make for him.
I read LB after Marce recommended it too. It rocked. I sent it on to my little sister to read, but I don’t think she ever did. (although if my mother found out I was sending her subversive literature, I’d probably be disowned, so it’s probably just as well ;-) )