Rating: 
Summary: One sitting Profound Read
Review: Nissenson has written a passionate work that reminds me of great epic poems. Art, literature, imagination, and a profound interest in our deepest philosophical concerns illuminates this unbelievably interesting and valuable novel. Do yourself a big favor and give Nissenson a few hours of your time.
Rating:
Summary: High-concept work of great originality and verve.
Review: Not exactly what you might call a conventional novel, this is a haunting, near-future portrait of an artist as a young man in the 21st century. Johnny Firth Baker's life is in danger, even before his birth, because his mother has illegally endowed her fertilized egg with genes that will give her son the potential to become a visual artist. Born in 2038, John Firth Baker is the first genetically engineered artist, who then, at the age of nineteen, and at the threshold of his career, is tragically murdered. Now, ten years after his death, Baker has become famous. An art curator has organized a show of his work, and his biography -- culled from journals, e-mails, and interviews with those who knew him best -- is published: The Song of the Earth. Nissenson presents a world transformed by technology: genetic profiles, space travel, and controlled housing communities are commonplace. Global warming has altered the environment. A planetary gender war is raging, familial structures are shattered, and new religions contend with the old. Yet human needs remain the same: the search for love, the desire for approval, the longing for fame, and the quest for knowledge. With prose, poetry, and full-color inserts (of JHB's art/original pieces by Nissenson himself, which have an outsider art quality), Nissenson tells an original tale that brilliantly captures the experience of another time and place. This is a high-concept work of great originality and verve -- precisely why this will fall into the oblivion of obscurity, unless you read it and pass it on.
Rating: 
Summary: Needs Some Research
Review: This book has an interesting premise. Unfortunately, much of the genetics is inaccurate. While a gene implicated in IQ has been found, it was responsible for a grand total of two points. Thus, it's very hard to believe that the Jeanette could have much of an idea of what his IQ would be simply by getting a genetic profile. It's even harder to buy the idea that inserting certain genes into his genome will turn him into a stellar artist. (Francis Collins recently wrote a rather interesting piece on genes and environment and genes interacting with other genes.) Unfortunately, this belief in genetic determinism is very widespread. The one part of the novel that I did actually like was the interaction between John and his mother. The later interactions are better, and this tension between the mother who wanted a son with talent, and the son who feels like a tool, an extension of the mother's ambition are very telling. That is a theme that deserves to be explored, especially today. In the end, the inaccuracies undermine the book fatally.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Clever By Half
Review: This is a dificult book to like, primarily because the principal characters are so distinctly unlovable. Also, the book is dependent upon a gimmick which really doesn't quite come off. It is quite possible to suspend one's disbelief to accept the author's contention that the subject of the book is a great and innovative artist only if one is not presented with his art; alas, we are so presented and it doesn't convince. I was gravely disappointed in the book and the illustrations were insufficiently deft to convey the author's intention.
Rating:
Summary: Future Shock
Review: This is the second novel I've tackled by Hugh Nissenson. The first, "The Tree of Life: A Novel," is a remarkable work of imaginary historical fact, blended with reality (for example, Johnny Appleseed is a key character). That deceptively simple story, told through a series of journal entries and sketches, has a power far beyond its simplicity. Nissenson takes the artificial reality concept a huge leap forward in "The Song of the Earth." Also presented as "historical fact," down to footnotes from works "published" in the future, this novel paints a riveting, unsettling portrait of culture and life in the 22nd century. The story is told through a series of short "factoids" presented by a number of players in the tale. There are no shocking plot twists; we are told from the beginning that the main character, John Firth Baker, is dead. Bit by bit we learn the remarkable story of this genetically-engineered artist. It is fascinating to see Nissenson's future-word view. He artfully blends imagined geographic, political, religious, gender, sociological, technological, artistic, sexual, and poetic visions into a rather chilling world. I love the "non gender biased" grammar that peppers the work ("wimin" for "women") and the non-standard turned standard ("She was like..." and "She went..." used in place of "She said..."). John Firth Baker is used and abused from the moment of his conception. He is in many ways despicable, yet I found myself caring deeply for this young, lost talent. His life is tragic and his loss is heartbreaking. The bombardment of perspectives (imagined e-mails, web info, diaries, interviews, etc.) works for me, and fits the world culture Nissenson has imagined. Integral to plot is the art of John Firth Baker, all created by Nissenson. Through the art, the evolution, development, and maturing of the young artist takes place before your eyes. And in the tragic tale of John Firth Baker, even his art is used and abused. I highly recommend this book. Hats off to Hugh Nissenson for creating an innovative, compelling, haunting masterpiece of art.
Rating:
Summary: Future Shock
Review: This is the second novel I've tackled by Hugh Nissenson. The first, "The Tree of Life: A Novel," is a remarkable work of imaginary historical fact, blended with reality (for example, Johnny Appleseed is a key character). That deceptively simple story, told through a series of journal entries and sketches, has a power far beyond its simplicity. Nissenson takes the artificial reality concept a huge leap forward in "The Song of the Earth." Also presented as "historical fact," down to footnotes from works "published" in the future, this novel paints a riveting, unsettling portrait of culture and life in the 22nd century. The story is told through a series of short "factoids" presented by a number of players in the tale. There are no shocking plot twists; we are told from the beginning that the main character, John Firth Baker, is dead. Bit by bit we learn the remarkable story of this genetically-engineered artist. It is fascinating to see Nissenson's future-word view. He artfully blends imagined geographic, political, religious, gender, sociological, technological, artistic, sexual, and poetic visions into a rather chilling world. I love the "non gender biased" grammar that peppers the work ("wimin" for "women") and the non-standard turned standard ("She was like..." and "She went..." used in place of "She said..."). John Firth Baker is used and abused from the moment of his conception. He is in many ways despicable, yet I found myself caring deeply for this young, lost talent. His life is tragic and his loss is heartbreaking. The bombardment of perspectives (imagined e-mails, web info, diaries, interviews, etc.) works for me, and fits the world culture Nissenson has imagined. Integral to plot is the art of John Firth Baker, all created by Nissenson. Through the art, the evolution, development, and maturing of the young artist takes place before your eyes. And in the tragic tale of John Firth Baker, even his art is used and abused. I highly recommend this book. Hats off to Hugh Nissenson for creating an innovative, compelling, haunting masterpiece of art.
Rating: 
Summary: Style & Thought
Review: Where the PW review states the style, one of culled ficticious emails, web page posts, historical records & interviews as eventually becomming "distracting," I felt that the style was the main thrust of Hugh Nissenson's "The Song of the Earth." This style helped keep the story fresh & moving quickly, as I could see a "straight" narrative covering the same subject matter drone on & be quite preachy. Nissenson's style never approaches this & yet is quite chilling & a fantastic warning of where our collective gobal village future is headed. I was initially drawn to the book due to its haunting cover & Cynthia Ozick's strong review who stated: "Any reader who believes that, after Joyce, the novel can no longer give rise to the absolutely innovative and the absolutely astonishing will be shocked into revelation by...Song of the Earth." Indeed, the one quip I have is that there is a lot of homosexual content, something you do not get from the jacket and something I was not expecting due to that fact. In retrospect, I believe it served me better as I quickly became enveloped by Nissenson's world and the various plots at hand. In all, from a tried & true Gene Wolfe lover, I really enjoyed this book. I love books that inspire new thinking & this is one. Its engaging & spirited and better yet, "light" and "dark" at the same time. A true song of earth's not-so-distant future.
Rating:
Summary: It is great because of its normalness
Review: You would think because of global warming, gentic malipulations, gender wars and everything else that the world a century from now would be much more exciting. Hugh Nissenson, however, realizes that we are all just human and in his writings and presentation he makes it all seem so utterly normal and boring. Great job.
Rating:
Summary: It is great because of its normalness
Review: You would think because of global warming, gentic malipulations, gender wars and everything else that the world a century from now would be much more exciting. Hugh Nissenson, however, realizes that we are all just human and in his writings and presentation he makes it all seem so utterly normal and boring. Great job.
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