Ice

by Anna Kavan
Ice cover
Good Books rating 3.5
Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic
Technical:
  • ID: 1911
  • Added: 2025-10-11
  • Updated: 2025-10-11
  • ISBN: 9781805330981
  • Publisher: Steerforth Press
  • Published: 2025-04-29
  • Formats: 5
  • Reviews: 3
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Waterstones
Paperback • £8.99–£9.99 Hardback • £9.99
Bookshop
Format • £9.49–£12.34

Anna Kavan's dystopian classic 'Ice' presents a haunting vision of a world slowly consumed by glacial ice, where society crumbles and the boundaries between reality and nightmare blur. The nameless narrator's obsessive pursuit of a white-haired girl he once loved—or perhaps seeks to destroy—leads him through a shifting, nightmarish landscape. His journey is fraught with danger, as he faces off against the enigmatic Warden and a cruel older woman, all while the ice threatens to consume everything in its path./n/nThe novel's propulsive, oneiric prose captures the psychological and environmental devastation of its world, making it a prescient work of climate fiction. Kavan's exploration of possessive violence and the fragility of human connection adds depth to this chilling tale, which has garnered praise from literary figures like Doris Lessing and J.G. Ballard.

Reviews
Radhika's Reading Retreat · 2018-03-17
unique 4.00

The book is praised for its disorienting and dreamlike quality, which is seen as its strength. It defies logic in a way that enhances the reading experience.

The reviewer finds the book's disorienting and dreamlike quality to be its greatest strength. They appreciate how the novel defies logic, creating a sense of being in a dream where anything can seem real. This surreal aspect is seen as a powerful tool that enhances the overall reading experience, making it a unique and memorable read. The reviewer enjoys the strangeness and the way it challenges the reader's perceptions.

Quick quotes

    It's a book that is disorienting and defies logic and that is precisely its strength.

    It's as if we are in a dream where anything can seem real.

    The strangeness and dreamlike quality of the book are its greatest strengths.

The Rumpus · 2017-11-29
thoughtful 3.00

The novel is seen as a critique of violence, with a fatalistic attitude towards it. It explores themes of control and possession.

The reviewer notes that the novel is suffused with a fatalistic attitude towards violence, which it critiques while acknowledging the inevitability of many forms of violence. The story's focus on themes of control and possession is highlighted, particularly in how the girl is objectified and seen as something to be controlled. The reviewer appreciates the novel's depth and its exploration of these dark themes.

Quick quotes

    The novel is suffused with a fatalistic attitude towards violence while it critiques it.

    The girl is only seen by the narrator and the warden as a desirable object, something for them to control and possess.

    Many forms of violence are beyond redemption.

The Guardian · 2011-12-21
compelling 3.50

The book is described as a raw and brutal tale set in a frozen post-nuclear dystopia. It is compelling but not uplifting.

The reviewer highlights the bleak and intense atmosphere of the book, noting its raw and brutal portrayal of a frozen post-nuclear world. They suggest that while it may not be a cheerful read, it is compelling and will hold the reader's attention. The narrative's starkness is seen as a strength, making it a powerful and thought-provoking experience.

Quick quotes

    A frozen post-nuclear dystopia is the setting for this raw, brutal tale.

    It may not cheer you up, but it will compel your attention.

    The novel's starkness is its strength.

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