Book Review: Alas, Babylon

After finishing the Far Pavilions, I had a little bit of a hard time getting started on another book. I really like a book to suck me in -- I want to have a hard time putting it down. If a book doesn't grab me right away, I struggle to get into it. Just when I was about to give up hope on finding a book that would keep me interested, it happened. Bryan and I were in a bookstore at the Salt Lake Airport on our way home from our Christmas vacation, and Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank just jumped off the shelf at me. I was hooked from the first page.

First published in 1959, Alas, Babylon is a post-apocalyptic novel about life in Fort Repose, a fictional small town in Florida that miraculously survives a nuclear holocaust. The story follows Randy Bragg, a Korean War vet and a resident of Fort Repose. Bragg is a playboy, an unmotivated underachiever, living on the estate his family has owned for generations, and doing just enough work as an attorney to get by. That all changes after the nuclear war. Bragg steps into the void left by the total breakdown of government and authority, finding strength and ability inside himself he never suspected -- or sought.

Frank does a masterful job of capturing all of the little absurdities and inconsequential triumphs that make us human. Over and over again, I was struck with how genuine the people and their conflicts seemed, like the spinster librarian who, thanks to the loss of electricity and the extreme isolation brought by the nuclear war, feels more needed and fulfilled than she ever imagined. Frank describes human emotions in a way that is universal and relatable.

I loved this book, though I admit it caused me a great deal of anxiety related to our food storage and emergency preparedness. One of our New Year's resolutions is to get our year supply, and I fully admit this book inspired that goal. Read it.