Playground
Playground ~ Richard Powers
Todd Keane is a middle-aged white tech billionaire diagnosed with dementia. He had a privileged childhood in Illinois, and develops an extremely popular online app, Playground.
Rafi Young is a worker with an NGO who went to prep-school and college with Todd. He is a black man from a poor neighborhood, whose parents sacrifice in order to give him the education he clearly craves, as his is a gifted mind.
Ina Aroita is a sculptor from the South Pacific who meets Todd and Rafi in college. She and Rafi fall in love and start a tumultuous relationship.
Evelyne Beaulieu is a gifted deep sea diver who writes a book for young adults about the wonders of the ocean, with wonderful pictures, which nonetheless discusses the impacts that global warming and plastic waste are having on the ocean’s biodiversity.
Rafi and Ina are living on Makatea, a Polynesian island with a population of 81 people, with their two young children, when the residents of the island are offered the opportunity to allow the island to be used for the construction of floating cities by tech billionaires in a Libertarian’s dream.
Playground switches between different points of view and timelines, and is sometimes confusing. I loved the intricate stories and how they came together, and Evelyne’s stories of the deep sea are lyrical and breathtaking. Having said that, I wasn’t thrilled by the ending. I’m still glad I read it, I really enjoyed most of it, and for that reason, I recommend it.
14 Comments
Margaret
This is one of the books under consideration for Book Club. It sounds like it would be good for discussion.
J
I think it would be! Lots of characters though, if that is an issue for some folks.
Ernie
I do like a book that weaves many stories together. Sounds interesting.
J
I liked it, if you give it a try I hope you do too!
Sarah
I WANTED to love this because I have loved his other books, but I found it sort of meh. Like, I was not interested enough in all the stories to care all the way about the weaving, you know?
J
Yeah, I’ve been there. I read a review that said this is not his best work. I’ve never read anything by him though, so it’s new for me!
Lisa’s Yarns
This was one of the books we voted on for our 2025 book club but it did not win. The group read ‘Overstory’ last year and loved it, though. I couldn’t attend so I didn’t read that one but heard it was quite good!!
J
I’ve heard that one is really good.
Alexandra
Probably not something I would necessarily read.
J
Not for everyone, for sure. Thanks for reading my blog review though!
NGS
Overstory was very popular in our book club, too. The first 150 pages of that book are sheer pefection! I might put this on my TBR because I was so impressed with Overstory.
J
I think I’m going to need to put Overstory on my TBD, everyone says how wonderful it is.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
What a beautiful cover.
Not sure it is my kind of ook though.
J
I really enjoyed it, but the only other blogger I know that read it (Sarah) wasn’t a fan.