The community in which Jonas lives is perfect. The Elders oversee the smooth running of society, organising people into family units and deciding which occupation best suits an individual. Transgressions are dealt with swiftly. The community is a happy one, full of politeness and respect. When Jonas becomes a Twelve he is singled out to be the new Receiver. The Receiver holds all memories, and they are transmitted one by one from The Giver; memories of sunlight, snow, Christmas. But also memories of war, cruelty and pain. And for the first time, Jonas sees the truth about his perfect community.Not since I read The Road have I been so emotionally affected by a book. The Giver contains only a tiny fraction of the horror contained in Cormac McCarthy's bleak exploration of a "godless" landscape, but like The Road, The Giver directs the reader to consider the fate of a single boy.
The Giver is told with childlike naivety from Jonas's viewpoint. It is a joy to read a dystopian novel in which the author leaves, breadcrumb-like, clues about the society for the reader to follow. Too often lately I have read books in which things are stated baldly: this is like this, and we are persecuted because of this et cetera et cetera. The community does seem like a perfect place to live. The care, respect and love of the Old, for instance, I found particularly touching, and the closeness of each family unit. The idea that everyone's profession is handpicked for them based on their aptitude, while overbearing, seems almost a legitimate way for a society to function. There is the sense that society reached a breaking point making such intervention necessary.
It is because of this childlike voice that when Jonas (and the reader) becomes privy to the sacrifice that must be made by one individual in order to make this "perfect" society function, it is all the more horrifying. The Giver is a story about the ills and joys of choosing ones own path and whether individuals should be protected from unpleasant truths. But ultimately, this book questions whether the comfort of many can justify the suffering of one.
The Giver broke my heart. It is an excellent novel.
The Giver has been a favorite of mine for years. I use to teach it when I taught seventh grade and often use it to point out elements of fiction to my eighth graders since they read it last year. Great review of a fantastic book. You should also read Gathering Blue and then The Messenger as these are companion books.
ReplyDeleteI have loved The Giver forever. Your post made me want to reread it. The audio is excellent as well. I love the cover! When did they make a new one? I almost like it more than the original.
ReplyDeletebrenda (proseandkahn)
I love the Giver - it's one of my all-time faves. I read it aloud to my classes a lot. It has so many layers in it - the kids love it. :)
ReplyDeleteI have never read The Giver but it is a HUGE school reading list title here. (Not that I ever had a class that put it on the curriculum.) I remember how we had to order a ton of copies every August/September when I worked at the bookstore.
ReplyDeleteOddly it's never been a book to interest me. Did not know it was dystopian!
Jan--I'm so pleased it gets taught in schools over there. I WISH we'd had it here in Australia. It's unknown here.
ReplyDeleteBrenda--I've heard good things about the audio too.
Jemi and Cat--Yay for The Giver in schools! I'm so glad that teenagers get to read this one. I did hear it's an often challenged book in the states, which is ridiculous as the themes are such important ones to consider. It's confronting in a very good way.
Great book. I read it years ago and, though I'm not a huge fan of dystopian fiction, I really liked this one.
ReplyDeleteAs others have said, The Giver is one of my all-time favorite books. Every time I read it, I'm even more in awe of how well-crafted it is. I'm glad you connected with it too.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading and loving this as a child. I didn't even know that there was a genre called dystopian. I should do a re-read soon to see what I think of the book as an adult.
ReplyDeleteI've wanted to read this one for a long time. I love Lois Lowry, but have still never read it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read this one in school, but it still broke my heart when I finally found it in college. Really moving, regardless of age. Loved your review - to the point and beautiful.
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