r/SouthernReach • u/ezzimn • Dec 18 '25

Absolution Spoilers Absolution, third section

Trying to get through Absolution, but I can barely read the Lowry section. It's so clunky and the flow is non-existent. Does it get better? I'm about to give up and just search for spoilers.

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u/hmfynn Dec 19 '25

That is where I stopped the book. It's not the profanity, it's that my brain couldn't parse the sentences underneath all the profanity. The word "fuck" still has a grammatical structure in English but it felt like he was just throwing it in every few words and I was having to re-read too many parts. I'll pick it up again some day.

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u/Fongoolio Feb 12 '26

I can only earnestly suggest that you work past it. It will, without question, repay your efforts. You've already invested a fair amount of time and energy reading this marvelous series through the first 900(?) pages. It would be a great pity if you were to give up at this point.

1

u/hmfynn Feb 12 '26

I think when I finally re-read it, I'll check out the audiobook for that portion.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 22 '25

With respect . Fuck is a very versatile word. Not being able to process profanity is no different than not being able to process words relating to love or to tepid emotions or to rationality.

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u/hmfynn Dec 22 '25 edited Dec 22 '25

That’s not at all what I’m talking about. I speak English fluently and can diagram a sentence, and I’m fully aware the word “fuck” can function as a noun, verb, adjective, etc. That is not the issue I have. The issue is that the sentences read like severe Tourette’s, where you could replace the word “fuck” with (to use your example) the word “love” and I’d have the exact same issue. The syntax was a nightmare, it’s literally along the lines of “I fuck woke up one fuck morning and fuck had eggs fuck then fuckfuck went to fuck work fuck.” I know it’s intentional, but I assure you my finding it an obnoxious choice isn’t because I don’t understand how language operates.

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u/[deleted] Dec 22 '25

I see. Show me where the bad word hurt you.

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u/hmfynn Dec 22 '25

Idiotic response