Book Review: Bad Nature by Ariel Courage
When I first stumbled upon Bad Nature, I was drawn in by its audacious premise: a terminally ill corporate lawyer decides to traverse America, not just to confront her estranged father, but to dig deep into the muck of personal and environmental decay. Ariel Courage’s debut novel promised to be a darkly comic exploration of mortality, trauma, and the messy intersections of life and landscape. I found myself excited yet cautious, eager to see how Courage would weave themes of familial estrangement and ecological destruction into what could easily be a typical revenge narrative.
At the center of this journey is Hester, a protagonist who’s as chilling as she is captivating. Her first-person narration is laced with a detachment that makes her razor-sharp observations all the more piercing. Lines like, "I occasionally sought out gruesome snuff or quasi snuff online to be able to imagine this [my skull exploding] in more realistic detail," send shivers down the spine, framing Hester as a woman profoundly alienated from normalcy. Yet, it’s this very alienation that renders her story magnetic. Courage has crafted a character whose flaws are so comprehensive that they translate into a twisted form of integrity.
As Hester picks up John, a naïve yet earnest environmental activist, the dynamic between these two characters evolves in ways that kept me engaged. John’s moral center starkly contrasts Hester’s often detached worldview, helping to highlight the complexities of both personal trauma and environmental catastrophe. Their journey through America’s Superfund sites isn’t merely about Hester’s quest for vengeance; it becomes a deeper meditation on the scars that our landscapes bear, echoing the scars within Hester herself.
The novel vividly depicts America as a site of contamination—both ecological and emotional. The haunting imagery, such as “a rainbow sheen of biofilm floated on its surface,” makes each location they visit feel palpably real yet disturbingly distorted. This intriguing fusion of Hester’s internal decay with the poisoned landscapes offers a fresh take on the narrative. It’s a reflection that lingers, a haunting reminder that our collective pasts seep into our present.
Courage’s writing shines with a stylistic precision that blends detachment and lyricism beautifully. Her sentences often dance between stark observation and poetic imagery, creating moments that are strikingly memorable. One line that resonated with me was Hester’s recollection of a traumatic childhood memory: “…the dizzying swirl of cherry tops that were the only lights but the stars and moon.” Such vivid depictions draw the reader into Hester’s fragmented psyche while illuminating the broader themes of decay and hope.
While Bad Nature navigates heavy themes, its dark humor offers necessary relief. Hester’s retorts, like her deadpan response to John’s environmental concerns regarding murder, inject surprising moments of levity into an otherwise bleak narrative, making it a rollercoaster of emotional experiences.
If I had any criticisms, they would revolve around the emotional distance that Hester’s character sometimes creates—it can render parts of the story feeling cold. Additionally, some readers may find the resolution unsatisfying in the conventional sense, as Hester’s confrontation with her father becomes a messy, morally ambiguous encounter that refuses to adhere to the tidy formulas we’ve come to expect. Yet, I found this ambiguity intentional, compelling us to dwell in the gray areas of life and morality.
In conclusion, Bad Nature is not just a tale of vengeance—it’s a remarkable, unsettling exploration of America both ecologically and emotionally. It appeals to readers who appreciate a profound character study intertwined with a critique of environmental degradation. This journey with Hester and John leaves one pondering the murky complexities of trauma, connection, and the long shadows of our pasts. If you’re ready to navigate a world where personal and ecological poisons intertwine, this book is one you’ll want on your shelf. It lingers long after the last page is turned, inviting reflection and perhaps even glimpses of hope amid the darkness.
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