Richard Powers has crafted an epic tale of friendship, ambition, activism, marriage and community while slyly teaching us about the wonders of the oceans and a multitude of other subjects. Trying to put this book into a tidy little genre is like crabbing blindfolded as you are constantly enraptured by early oceanographer's explorations, the beginnings of A.I. , the ancient game of Go and warnings of climate change. A wide range of characters, each with a unique voice, grace the pages with the main story being about two childhood friends who take different paths and an oceanographer who felt more at ease under the water than above it. They and others will meet again on a the little resilient island nation of Makatea who once again face foreigners trying to use the island to "make life better" only to see their way of life and island paradise stripped. The cover is stunning but not as much as the picture Richard Powers paints of the ocean and its inhabitants. It is a subtle call to activism, a love letter to oceans and to the people with the smallest voice who thrive within them. For anyone who lives for National Geographic documentaries, happily looks for life on every watery horizon and also enjoys a variety of well developed characters. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Richard Power’s newest book, Playground, may have the words “A Novel” on the cover but don’t be fooled — it’s more a manifesto on 21st-century technology, climate destruction, and society in general with a little plot thrown in for good measure. Todd and Rafi become unlikely friends in high school who bond over a shared love of games. They attend the University of Illinois together, where Todd studies the burgeoning field of computer coding while Rafi follows his dreams of writing and studying literature and poetry. At U of I, they meet Ina, a Pacific Islander artist who they both fall for, but she only has eyes for Rafi. When philosophical differences and a misunderstanding come between them all, years pass where Todd becomes the famous billionaire behind the super website, Playground, and Rafi and Ina end up raising orphaned siblings on the tiny island of Makatea. For good measure, throw in Evie, one of the earliest scuba divers and world-renowned ocean scientists who also ends up on Makatea. It sounds like a lot of plot, but most of the 400 pages consist of Todd’s internal discourse as he tells us more of the story than we actually see happen. Despite my whining, there’s plenty to like including Power’s compelling writing, significant themes, and the parts when we escape from Todd’s monologuing to Makatea or the Evie sections where we learn to love the ocean with her. Like many books these days, an edit of 50 to 100 pages would have done wonders, and a lot less of Todd’s interior life and more action would have made it more readable. Those things aside, Powers still manages to produce a deep book about contemporary issues that many literary readers will enjoy.

Richard Powers has once again outdone himself in "Playground". This is a sweeping novel that plumbs the depths of our humanity and relationships. I was impressed by the depth of thought, the quality of the writing, the drawing of the characters, and the themes that play out. This is a book to be savored and explored.

There are interesting nuances to his writing and great wording. The story kept me interested and he has a nice flow to his writing. However, there are huge chasms in the continuity that affected negatively on the character development and story.

The jump of 30-50+/- years from new adult to later years with little explanation of character evolution was frustrating. I’m not a writer or creative person and I prefer for a complete story to be told instead of me making it up and filling in those blanks.

I was left wanting for the most interesting POV, a pioneering female diver; how did her relationship with her children eventually grow into or heal? She had huge spaces in showing her character development, 50 years +/-. Yet I guess this wasn’t necessary as she seemed to function as the reader’s glimpse into the magnificence of sea life.

Rafi was a tiresome, angry narcissist, with his self centeredness, and exaggerated sense of self importance, while expecting others to recognize his greatness, inhibiting relationships. Because of this, I found it hard to remember to empathize with him. That’s why I wish the author would have elucidated his transformation during those 30 some odd years that included a reconciliation with Ina and becoming a loving parent with ties to the small community. In contradiction to that, I disliked his character so much I was fine having fewer Rafi POVs.

I found it hard to believe Todd developed no relationships in building the infinite ‘game’ that was the PLAYGROUND framework. I’ve worked with awkward and isolating developers in the past, yet that camaraderie of achieving a common goal creates bonds, yet I’m to believe Todd developed no close relationships over the 30 years that he was no longer friends with Rafi.

I won’t be providing links as I prefer not to leave negative reviews on Goodreads. I appreciate his writing. Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was quite a book. Incredibly ambitious. It was a solid five stars for me up through the end, which knocked it back to a 4.5, but I’m going to round up because the prose is so beautiful and the four main characters are so richly drawn. I do wish the ending had been a bit more satisfying though.

We meet the four main characters at different points I. Theirs lives. Evie Beaulieu is a twelve year old in Montreal when her father has her try a prototype of the world’s first aqualung. This sets the course for her entire life.

Ina Avoila, part Pacific Islander, has grown up on naval bases throughout the Pacific. She comes to America for art and finds love.

Rafi Young and Todd Keane are two very different students at a Chicago private school. Their love of games creates a lifelong bond between them. Rafi later studies literature while Todd make his fortune in computers, then has an AI breakthrough.

And that’s it. Except for the lives of the four, plus the residents of Makatea an island in French Polynesia, which has been pillaged once before and now its residents must decide if it will serve as home to proposed “”seatenders,” floating, autonomous cities in the ocean.

There’s just so much here. Really enjoyed this.

This is an Oceanic version of The Overstory and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. There are two parallel stories. Both characters and stories are multilayered. They are interwoven with the story moving backward and forward in time.
The first is Evelyn, the first ever woman research diver. We see her journey from child to old women. Her love of the ocean, her immense drive and what she has to do and give up to be that woman researcher. To record the wonders of the playground of the deep. I could taste the brine and feel the velvet of the rays. The heartbreak of global warming and extinction of species was powerful. Powers wrote a wonderfully visual book and taught me about ocean life like he opened the world of trees to me in The Overstory.
The second is between two boys in Chicago. Todd is boy in St. Ignacius prep school who meets Rafi, a boy from the wrong side of Chicago, who is there on a scholarship. Probably the two smartest boys in the school, they become chess partners, Go partners and fast friends. It exams their different lives, poor vs. rich, white vs. black. Like Evelyn, they both are driven. What are they willing to give up to achieve their dreams? We follow them to college where we meet Ina and then the story branches onto another journey. One to Silicon Valley success, the other to French Polynesia.
Then, of course, he pulls them together.
Powers brings you from coding and gaming to AI. He brings you from coral blooms to dying coral beds due to global warming. Playground delves into the richness of the characters but also the richness of the planet. We are not only introduced to the beauty of Chess and Go but also the beauty of literature and art. He brings the heartache of loneliness and dementia. Another tour de force, he leaves nothing on the table. Love this book. One of the best this year!! Can not recommend enough. 5 stars
Great thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for an advance copy of this amazing book. Much appreciated.