Reviews

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

egavett's review

hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

monal8822's review against another edition

adventurous informative fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

mkpatt2024's review against another edition

5.0

Wow, a great read

Its easy to see why this novel won Hugo and Nebula awards. What I can't figure out is why, in over five decades of reading science fiction and fantasy books, I hadn't read this book until now. A very enjoyable book.

michaelbtice's review against another edition

5.0

There is a direct line that can easily be drawn from Starship Troopers, through The Forever War, on to Old Man's War, seeing how changing society, and the views of people at those times, change our overall views of war and what it means to fight.

However, of the 3, I feel that this one is the most poignant. Having been written by a Viet Nam vet, who was obviously disillusioned with his place in the wise, and trying to find his place once again in society; we see the same sorts of problems playing out in William here.

This book, more than anything I've ever read, shows us the horrors of the military industrial complex, and being caught in a society that feeds on it and needs it to survive. A path that seems all to real for the USA in modern times.

Perhaps, as we are on the eve of the final drawdown of troops in Afghanistan after 20 years there, and seeing in stark relief the absurdity of war, that the is the reason I find this particular book so very relevant.

nurullahdogan's review

slow-paced

0.5

Another book I pushed myself so hard to finish. I now even think I should have DNF'd it... I guess I will never understand why Joe Haldeman's books are so overrated... And oh man is he obsessed with homosexuality! No offense to his fans, but I don't think I will be reading anything from him ever again... 

krumanda's review against another edition

4.0

There were a couple of things in this book that made me angry. Both of them were only mentioned once in a short sentence. Relating to misogyny and homophobia, but both of them were challenged or turned on their heads as the centuries passed.
The rest of the book was fascinating and wonderful. I loved it.

vemana's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes

3.5

An expansive yet personal anti-war book. The action is not glorified and that is great. I really liked how time and travel are so interlinked on a galactic level. However I wish I the characters had arcs. Unchanging over the time frames like that in this book is kinda annoying. I know it is too much asking from a book from 50 years ago. Cute romance embedded within which I had more time. Overall while it was a single narrator. i wish it had more ups and downs on a personal level. 

sledge_hm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

smithh65's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

tanya_the_spack's review against another edition

4.0

I never really got into the story (though it's well written), but I did enjoy the peripherals: realistic portrayal of time consequences of near-light travel and shifting culture over the large time period.