Why The Lord of Opium is a Disappointment
In 2002 Nancy Farmer wrote the book “The House of the Scorpion,” which
takes place over fourteen years, the sequel takes place over only one year, and
this short timeline compared to the first book could be the reason the sequel, “The Lord of Opium,” is
a bit of a disappointment. In “The House of the Scorpion” the main character,
Matt is created as a clone of a drug lord El Patron who is over 140 years old.
Matt is created for the sole purpose of having his organs harvested for when El
Patron needs new organs. For the first six years of his life, Matt is raised by El Patron’s cook
Celia. The book begins the very moment
Matt is created in a science lab, the book ends when Matt is fourteen. Because
the book takes place over such a lengthy period, it is no surprise there are
many obstacles Matt has to overcome. From the moment Matt realizes there is a
small world outside of the house he lived in for the first six years of his
life, to being trapped in a jail cell, possibly having his organs harvested,
illegally fleeing the country, and be forced into child labor, the book
explores various adventures that happen in the moment as a surprise rather than being planned or expected.
For example, in the second book “The Lord of Opium,” Matt explores his land and
takes trips to new places around the country of Opium. The events are
interesting, however the book is not all that exciting at most places. There is
only one conflict which is how to become the new Lord of Opium in El Patrons
place. The entire book revolves around Matt making the transition and
attempting to hold his grasp over the position so he can eventually bring it to
a halt and transition the land from drug country to a farm and safe haven for
animals. Matt has a goal in the second book and the goal is essentially overcoming one conflict, in the first book Matt is discovering and adventuring and even though the main conflict has been brewing in the background, Matt does not learn really learn about it until towards the end. Even when he learns about the conflict, Matt is aided by many people and he does not quite know whats happening. That element of surprise which the second book does not have is what makes the first book so great. “The House of the Scorpion” was more exciting as
readers experienced a multitude of settings and characters, the main
character faced several small issues he had to overcome within one large
plot and main issue. The second book “The Lord of Opium” was not as
exciting because although Matt had many adventures, they were all connected to
him progressing in his goal to learn more about the country of Opium so he
could gain control over it. Matt has almost complete control over what happens because he owns the entire country and can keep it locked down for however long he wants. Generally, the book depends on Matt's choices and so the book is not as surprising which disappoints readers as "The House of the Scorpion" has such a whirlwind of events. In conclusion, both books by Nancy Farmer are exciting and interesting, but "The Lord of Opium" is a disappointment because there are not as many surprises within the book.
I feel the exact same way. I read the book myself, and I liked "The House of the Scorpion" much better than its sequel. I think that the first book had much more suspense, whereas the second book pretty much gave Matt unlimited power. This is a good post; it has a lot of detail and is very insightful.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this series before but it sounds very interesting so I will be sure to check it out. I liked your detailed summary of the books and how you showed your opinion in a clear, easy to understand way.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I read the "House of the Scorpion" too, but haven't read "The Lord of Opium". I can agree that the first book contained a lot of action and excitement. Your review is very insightful and has made me reconsider reading the sequel.
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to read the sequel for a long time because I enjoyed the first book a lot. From my experience with reading, the first book will almost always be the best one. I like how you describe the book and the characters. You're opinion on the book is easy to understand and sticks to the guidelines of a review without becoming a complete rant. Good job, this was a great review!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read either of these books, and the first one seems interesting from the summary you provided. However, I'd like to hear a little bit more about the style the book contains, like what kind of book is it? Also, it'd be helpful to the reader for you to break up the review into shorter paragraphs. (Right now it's all a single paragraph and it's a little confused to read). Anyways yeah I liked the comparison between the two books, but I'd prefer to hear a little more elaboration about why the difference makes the sequel disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI have read both books, and I definitely agree with your comparison of them. I loved the first book and was excited to read the second book, but it was a disappointment. As you said, the fact that the book revolves mainly around Matt's decisions makes it more boring, as the outcome of the story is more predictable. Your review was very thoughtful, and I enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read either of these books, but I understand that the plot being driven by the main character's choices, rather than by some outside force can be disappointing. That being said, however, I think this type of story can be good, because it can better show character development. I would have to read the books to say weather I agree or disagree, but I'm not fully convinced that the book is as bad as you say it is.
ReplyDeleteI really like this review because it can warn readers about the quality of the book without spoiling the story! This also told us as readers that although the sequel is disappointing, the first book is worth reading.
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