A story that takes place in the context of a pandemic might not, at first glance, seem to be the most appealing read. However, to immediately judge Sequoia Nagamatsu’s debut novel How High We Go in the Dark based on this characteristic would greatly minimize its scope. This book extends far beyond your typical apocalyptic plague novel, and is much more a reflection of the human spirit than anything else.
The story begins in the year 2030 when Cliff Miyashiro, an archaeologist grieving the recent loss of his daughter, visits a research center in the Arctic Circle in order to continue his daughter’s work and obtain a level of closure about her death. One of the newest finds unearthed from the melting permafrost is the corpse of a girl that appears to have perished from an ancient virus. The story unfolds when this Arctic plague begins to infect members of the research team and ultimately spreads across the globe. As stated before, such a plotline might seem slightly exploitative or insensitive, given our current circumstances. However, it is made clear from the beginning that this disease is far different from COVID-19, or any other illness that we have encountered for that matter. Additionally, the sheer extent of Nagamatsu’s novel, spanning over thousands of years and venturing into space and alternate dimensions, greatly outshines the existence of the plague and even makes it an afterthought in the latter parts of the book.
The following chapters take the form of short stories that vary in their length, style, and narrators. This structure is a defining feature of the novel and can either make it or break it for the reader. While there is some overlap in the cast of characters, someone who lives for extensive plot or character development might be disappointed in this regard. For those who enjoy short stories, however, this mosaic of narrative voices proves to be extremely powerful. While some sections might fall short in their delivery, Nagamatsu’s imaginative writing style and somber tone shine throughout the majority of the chapters and provide valuable reflections on the process of mourning.
A notable example of what provides the novel with its fantastical, futuristic feel is the numerous descriptions of the commercialization of death- whether that be through the creation of euthenasia amusement parks or robo-dogs that preserve memories of the deceased. Along with these outlandish and somewhat cynical sections, Nagamatsu also includes extremely poignant narratives of individuals mourning for loved ones in more simple and raw ways. These sections, for me, were the most impactful. Without an imaginative setting or enticing plot to entertain the reader, chapters like these truly have the opportunity to delve into experiences of guilt, death, or grief as well as the power of human connections.
Nagamatsu could have easily stopped with the chapters that describe individuals who have been directly affected by the plague. Nevertheless, as was hinted at before, his novel veers off course towards the second half when it includes plots such as a journey in search of a new planet to call home or the discovery of a black hole located inside a scientist’s brain. This shift is somewhat jarring, and the latter story in particular admittedly left me a bit confused. After some consideration, I am still unsure if this risk on Nagamatsu’s part was worth it or simply too ambitious. The novel would still have been effective without this addition, and, on a holistic level, would have also appeared more unified and coherent. Even so, I can see value in including these narratives that have little or nothing to do with the pandemic. In this way, Nagamatsu makes it clear that the Arctic plague is not the central focus of his book. Instead these stories are connected by their shared examination of loss, whether that be of a loved one or of one’s home planet.
Nagamatsu makes this common thread clear at the conclusion of his novel when he yet again strays from the confines of reality in order to emphasize the timelessness and universality of loss. His attempt to tie together the previous chapters with this final narrative is certainly creative and does leave the reader with something new, even if it might not feel as if it realizes its full potential or satisfies all doubts.
Overall, I would recommend this novel, particularly because of its unique style. It is undeniably a heavy and somber read, nevertheless, its “genre-bending” structure adds an almost refreshing aspect to the novel, albeit odd, by introducing a mix of different literary styles and traditions.
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