Playground

by Richard Powers
Playground cover
Good Books rating 3.75
Buy online
Waterstones
Hardback • £20.00
Amazon
Format/Price Check
Technical
  • ID: 10
  • Added: 2025-08-02
  • Updated: 2025-09-10
  • Formats: 36
  • Reviews: 4
Reviews
simonmustoe.blog · Unknown · 2025-03-14
disappointing 2.50

The reviewer found Richard Powers' 'Playground' disappointing, despite admiring his writing craftsmanship. They felt the book repeated themes from his previous works, had heavy-handed moralizing, and used illness as a manipulative plot device, which they found offensive.

The reviewer has mixed feelings about 'Playground' by Richard Powers. They appreciate Powers' skill as a writer, particularly his descriptions of the natural world and his technical craftsmanship. However, they found the book to be a rehash of themes and tricks from his previous works, especially 'The Overstory'. The reviewer also felt that the book's pacing was glacial and disjointed in the first half, leading to boredom. Additionally, they were critical of the way Powers used illness, grief, and trauma as tools for emotional manipulation, particularly the depiction of Lewy-body dementia as a plot device. They found this approach offensive and felt it did not do justice to the seriousness of these conditions. Overall, the reviewer found the book's moralizing tone and heavy-handed themes off-putting.

Quick quotes

    The world was bigger, stranger, richer, and wilder than I had a right to ask for.

    I’m usually able to tell why a widely popular book is popular, even if I personally didn’t like it. with this one, I’m slightly baffled and I honestly question whether I’ve actually read the same book as other people did.

    The way these slogans are thrown around (by a very privileged, extremely rich man himself) comes across as very moralizing, virtue-signaling and at times even patronizing to the reader.

thefictionfox.com · Unknown · 2024-11-26
brilliant 4.50

Richard Powers' 'Playground' is a brilliant and electrifying novel that beautifully blends themes of technology, ocean life, and postcolonialism. The reviewer praises its rich, sensory descriptions and profound exploration of AI, making it a standout work that ascends to true greatness.

Richard Powers' 'Playground' is a multifaceted novel that seamlessly weaves together themes of technology, ocean life, and postcolonialism. The reviewer highlights the novel's stunning underwater scenes, which are described with such vivid detail that they feel like an Imax experience. The novel's exploration of AI and its potential impacts is both disquieting and thought-provoking, adding depth to the story. The reviewer also appreciates the novel's portrayal of friendship and its critique of human exceptionalism, making it a profound and humbling read. The novel's clever structure and unexpected twist at the end elevate it to a plane of true greatness, leaving the reader reeling.

Quick quotes

    Some of the underwater scenes are so limpid and sensorially rich, it’s like watching an oceanic feature in Imax

    This is a novel that seeks to humble the Anthropos, even as it fitts, wonders and worries — about the health, temperature and rising levels of our seas; about poaching, plastic, and global toxicity.

    That Powers is an outstanding writer is hardly news. But with Playground, he proves himself a wizard.

theguardian.com · Unknown · 2024-09-29
enjoyable 3.50

The reviewer enjoyed 'Playground' by Richard Powers but found it derivative of 'The Overstory', with a slow start and a somewhat caricatured portrayal of a black character. However, the ending tied everything together, offering a new perspective that might justify the earlier issues.

The reviewer appreciated 'Playground' for its themes and connections to 'The Overstory', though they felt the first half was slow and the character of Rafi was poorly written, almost like a caricature. The ending, however, provided a significant shift in perspective that made the book more cohesive. They suggest that the ending might excuse some of the earlier issues, as it changes the way the entire book should be viewed. Overall, the reviewer found the book enjoyable but with some notable flaws.

Quick quotes

    The first half or so was pretty slow. I wasn't particularly invested in Keane and Rafi's friendship. I also felt like Rafi (a black man) was written poorly, almost like a caricature.

    But then the last few pages hit and it all tied together, and I might need a re-read, because I think it changes the perspective of everything in the book.

    I think it also (maybe) excuses Powers writing the caricature, because it's not really 'him' writing as an author but Keane's recollection and education of the AI.

thenationalbookreview.com · Unknown · 2024-09-23
thought-provoking 4.50

Richard Powers' novel 'Playground' explores human fragility in the face of AI and disconnection from nature. The story follows two academic elites whose lives diverge due to their differing commitments to people and technology, ultimately questioning the impact of AI on human relationships and nature.

Richard Powers' 'Playground' is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the complexities of human fragility amidst the rise of AI and our growing disconnect from nature. The story centers around two young academic elites who share a passion for the ancient game 'Go'. One studies literature and poetry, while the other is a computer programmer. Their intellectual and spiritual growth is nurtured through their play until their relationship fractures due to differing commitments to people and technology. The narrative subtly revolves around themes of life and death, exploring how AI might cheat death and the consequences of such advancements on human relationships and our connection to nature. The characters eventually intersect on the island of Makatea, where the impact of foreign investment and AI on the local community is a central theme. The novel raises profound questions about wisdom versus knowledge, the role of AI in decision-making, and the ethical implications of technological advancements.

Quick quotes

    And if the digital creature did not quite smell the smells and taste the fruits, it … formed new theories on what the island needed from the future. But it could not see below the surface of the waves.

    Recently, I’ve been preoccupied with the differences between wisdom and knowledge. Wisdom is steadfast. It takes the form of principles. Knowledge changes with the wind and becomes obsolete with shifts in our environment, since the two are intimately connected.

    Can AI make wise choices or is it just an encyclopaedia?

Appears in Lists