Cage, The
Jones, LloydOnce upon a time two strangers seeking refuge arrive in a small town where they are made welcome and are cared for by the townsfolk ... or so you would hope. Displaced by circumstances that they cannot describe to the satisfaction of their hosts, 'Doc' and 'Mole' find themselves, after an initial flurry of compassion, at the mercy of a committee established to find answers.
A fable for our time, this is a thought-provoking and disquieting story that cleverly confronts us with our treatment of others when we have the upper hand. [Larger font]
Pages
262
262
Year
2018
2018
Reviews
13-03-2023
Clever and well-written, but so bleak that we can't say we enjoyed it.
11-04-2022
Clever and well-written, but so bleak that we can't say we enjoyed it.
24-02-2022
What a challenge as our first book for 2022! There is little doubt Lloyd Jones is one of NZs better known writers. This allegory is in every way clever, however its brutal in terms of the questions we are confronted to consider. Our ability to dehumanise the other is evident throughout history. Discussion centred on what would I do The current Wellington protest with the concrete barricades may not be a literal cage but did we like it No! Then again, we accepted its good to take oneself out of ones comfort zone. An uplifting read required next book!
05-11-2021
It was a hard read. It challenged our sensibilities and our comfortable lives. It was a profound eye-opening story that prompted much discussion.
24-06-2021
This book was described as confrontational, challenging and depressing. Half the group did not finish reading it. The most difficult book we've had in six years, would not recommend it except to groups that really like a challenge.
09-03-2021
Found book very hard to read and some members chose not to finish it. We felt discussion questions missed the point of the novel. It's an allegory about people and the loss of humanity but questions were trite, superficial, situational and focussed on minutia instead of examining the overarching themes and intention of the author. Footnotes and the interview transcript from the blog were very helpful to further understand the author's intent.
08-03-2021
A very challenging but worthwhile read. Stimulated a lot of discussion.
16-12-2020
The group found this to be a very challenging and gruelling read, and no-one really enjoyed it. However, it prompted a very lively and interesting discussion about the issues raised by the book. Difficult reading but a great discussion.
05-10-2020
A book that evoked strong reaction in readers. Some couldn't read more than a few pages. Those who read it understood the 'message' Jones was delivering. That of society and how we treat outsiders such as refugees; the stark language was chilling. Others found the writing beautiful - not a word wasted. Some elements felt a little contrived, some felt the scenario not realistic. Difficult to rate really.
22-09-2020
A disturbing book.
02-09-2020
Changed the way some of us think - all thought it was interesting, and will stay with us long after the book has been sent back.
27-05-2020
A couple enjoyed reading this as an intellectual exercise, but everyone used words like dire, confronting, cold, clinical and challenging, while noting it was an allegory. Not an enjoyable read, clever but no emotional connection.
10-05-2020
This is not anything like Mr Pip. Difficult read. Confronting, but that's the whole point - we should feel uncomfortable with the idea that we look the other way far too often. And it's well written, of course. Hard to score - feel like it's a 'should read' not a 'nice read'.
29-04-2020
Thought provoking, uncomfortable reading - hard to score.
29-04-2020
Only 3 group members read the entire book. We struggled with the bleak, stark nature of the allegory of refugees, populations on the move, etc. But we thought it was a brave move on Lloyd Jones' part to tackle this topic. We still think he's a very good writer.