#1494. The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin is not from our blog’s usual murder mystery/thriller genre. Rather, this is a novel about a future society which has been created on three islands somewhere in an idyllic island setting. The mysterious founder of this culture was referred to as The Designer. The outside world is deteriorating, but this entire group is protected from that. The first and most important island is Prospero where people lead a mostly long and trouble-free life. It’s an intelligent and creative group. When the physical and psychological health of the citizens of Prospero begins to wear out, they are taken to the Nursery island where their bodies are conditioned, their memories are erased, and they are released to begin their lives anew.

 

The protagonist in the story is Proctor Bennett, and his story begins in his mid-teenage years when he is newly released from the Nursery, and at the dock of Prospera, he meets the people who have been designated as his parents. It’s an awkward awakening for him and his parents, but they eventually learn enough about one another to carry on. The relationship seems rather emotionless, more of something the parents just wanted to try out. Meanwhile the group who lives on the third island are the laborers, ordinary people who keep Prospera operating.

 

However, there is dissension building among the laborers about their station in life relative to the privileged life of those on Prospera. As he continues his education and ages, Proctor lands a job as the ferryman. He gathers the people who are ready for retirement, and he takes them back to the Nursery. Typically, the ferrying goes smoothly. The story is complicated by Proctor getting the assignment to take his father into retirement. His father is resistant to the usual process and slips his son a strange and brief message before he is forced onto the ferry. Also, Proctor is aware that his own level of functioning is rapidly deteriorating, and he is dreaming, something that is supposed to be impossible for Prospera people, a sign that they probably should be retired from service. With the note from his father and his dreams, as well as the social unrest of the laborers, Proctor wants to find out the truth about his supposed paradise.

 

I did finish this book, actually read it twice to see if I was missing something, but the dystopian future society just did not catch my interest, so I can’t give this novel a recommendation.

 West Coast Don