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theaurochs's review against another edition
4.0
A scathing and honest look at the human species, and a philosophical ideal of how we could live better lives within the world, rather than against it. This book may come across as on-the-nose, but it bloody well deserves to; humans are pieces of shit and we are murdering the planet. We deserve the full force of the scorn this whale aims at us.
It's also pretty cool to get pretty much the archetypical hero's journey, as experienced by a whale.
It's also pretty cool to get pretty much the archetypical hero's journey, as experienced by a whale.
slim_oysterhiatus's review against another edition
5.0
A fiction that demonstrates the truth of what humans are doing to the natural world, but from a totally unique perspective which forces the reader to consider the thoughts, feelings, and actions of non-human beings. Told from the point of view of Arjuna, an orca once captured and made to preform at an aquarium, who learns to communicate with humans in an attempt to understand why they are destroying the world, to convince them to change their ways, and to live in harmony with other animals, this book is desperately sad, deeply philosophical, breathtaking, bewildering, and beautiful.
grudgemental's review against another edition
2.0
The only critic review on the back cover on the book praised the world building. Only got through the first 1/4 of the book and that would be the only praise I could have for this too.
mocaxe's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very beautiful tale. Though it took a couple tries to get into it (the language can be overly flowery and difficult to swallow before you get used to it), once I got over that initial bump I was entirely sucked into the story and finished it very quickly. It is told purely from the point of view of Arjuna the orca, and the pacing was perfect for me as he embarked on a classic hero's journey filled with gods and monsters alike. The book is highly philosophical and, in case it wasn't obvious from the get go, the author has a very clear message to send to his fellow humans through Arjuna's story. It was easy to get invested in Arjuna's character, and the various humans also compelled me, though the other orcas seemed to just serve as props for Arjuna's journey and were harder to enjoy as characters. You could follow Arjuna's feelings and logic very well, even when his perspective would be quite alien to us. There is one passage towards the end where I am tempted to write it out somewhere and save it, because somehow amidst the despair of a great part of the book, a few passages shone like gems and filled me with an endless hope for humanity that I needed a reminder of. Beautifully put, a lot of quoteable sentences. My biggest issue with the book is that there are a lot of facets of human experience that the author treats with a surprising naiveté and even is quite blaisé about. Sometimes this speaks to Arjuna's own naiveté which I could accept, but sometimes a perspective that is obviously quite uninformed is treated as objective fact and is casually tossed out. The biggest example that took me out of the story was when a shooter was described as having "narcissism, and various personality disorders", and this is treated as just the natural, factual reason for people to commit mass shootings. It was unnecessary and felt like tossing in a topic that requires a lot of depth, without then exploring it as much as it deserves (or at all). Some of the darker parts of humanity seemed to be placed in the book for shock value, and were not given the depth I expected them to be given. Asides from this, I was well immersed in this book the whole time, and thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it.
diesmali's review against another edition
4.0
Premise: Is the legacy of humanity the destruction of the earth, and must they be killed before they bring it about? That is the question Arjuna the orca must ask of himself and the Ocean world.
I get how some might find this book moralising, and I definitely get it's not for everyone, but I greatly enjoyed this philosophical sf. We get to follow Arjuna as he witnesses three signs of human destruction, and how he loses his ability to quenge (a sort of state of zen/love/essence of being). Then he gets captured by humans to be trained to do feats, but instead he starts to communicate with them, and learn about humanity.
For me this book is as much about language and communication as it is about a creature of higher intelligence bringing down the judgement on humanity (think Encounter at Farpoint). We delve deep into the dark side of civilization/humanity, but also get to see the beauty therein.
And then there's the whole discussion about intelligence in humans vs other creatures of the world. Very interesting.
Warmly recommended if you want to dig deeper into these issues. But there's also a really great epic story!
I get how some might find this book moralising, and I definitely get it's not for everyone, but I greatly enjoyed this philosophical sf. We get to follow Arjuna as he witnesses three signs of human destruction, and how he loses his ability to quenge (a sort of state of zen/love/essence of being). Then he gets captured by humans to be trained to do feats, but instead he starts to communicate with them, and learn about humanity.
For me this book is as much about language and communication as it is about a creature of higher intelligence bringing down the judgement on humanity (think Encounter at Farpoint). We delve deep into the dark side of civilization/humanity, but also get to see the beauty therein.
And then there's the whole discussion about intelligence in humans vs other creatures of the world. Very interesting.
Warmly recommended if you want to dig deeper into these issues. But there's also a really great epic story!
trish204's review against another edition
2.0
From GR's blurp:
Quite simply the best book about a whale since Moby Dick.
FYI: That book wasn't about a whale which goes to show what the writer of the blurp knows ... and which, strangely, sets the tone for this entire novel. Slight rant ahead.
Ok, so I know by now (after googling Zindell) that the author is all about "spiritual understanding". The problem with that? It's horseshit. *clears throat* Sorry, but it is. Pseudo-intellectual stuff meant to make you understand the world. Here's the thing: it's not rocket science! Humans can do beautiful things and they can do terrible things. Ironically, so can orcas.
The largest dolphin on this planet is incredibly smart and can be heartwarmingly kind - but they also have sadistic hunting techniques where they unnecessarily toy with their prey for hours. Just like bottlenose dolphins sometimes help swimmers when sharks are around and almost always brutally rape their fellow males (younger, weaker ones) if they don't get females.
What I'm trying to say is that no species is just one thing.
Though animals, in general, are definitely not quite as bad as humans. Maybe how close they get to being as bad as humans (see the two aforementioned examples) depends on the same form of intellect (no, not the same "level" as many call it because I will never believe that there are "dumb animals").
This author, however, tried to paint the old picture of everything human = absolutely bad vs everything animals = absolutely rainbows-and-unicorns.
Don't get me wrong, the book's premise was fantastic: the world seen through the eyes of an orca, the orca trying to help humans become better despite what was done to him.
Arjuna, the orca, is captured for "Sea Circus" (we all know what that stands for) when eagerly making "first contact" with homo sapiens. Eventually, after lots of torture, some humans help him escape and he learns several human languages as well as a lot of literature (though most of the presented reading material was also pompous if you ask me because those authors didn't have the answers to life, the universe and everything either).
And many examinations, or questions, were indeed interesting. However, the author has a propensity for babbling and continuing on and on and on when he's already made his point.
At first I did like that he shows good humans along with the bad ones and I certainly loved Arjuna taking on that Christian fundamentalist asshole, but that whole trip around the ocean to go from hatred to attempting to save us humans? It could and should have been much shorter if you ask me.
On top of this having been a densely philosophical book (not in a good way), the author was also trying to use actual science, probably in an attempt to make this book look nerdy. However, he's doing it in a forced way, which then made me roll my eyes even more.
The observations in this book are nothing new: pollution of nature, torture of animals for humans' amusement etc. I agree that those are the worst sides of humans (together with one or two other things). The "why" behind it all might also be a great way to start a conversation and/or introduce some ideas about how to be better in the future. But like I said: the author clubbed the conversation to death, then stomped on it before setting it on fire and then pissing on it to put out the flames. *sighs*
So now we're coming to the core problem I had with this book and indeed its author: he's heavily promoting the idea that saving someone, whether human or animal, is merely exerting power over them and therefore demeaning. *bangs head against the wall*
Moreover, the entire book screams of the author's hatred for himself and especially his species (or he took the wrong kind of drugs and got too immersed in his characters' POVs) as if we were only capable of hatred, murder and destruction (oh, the irony).
Until Arjuna eventually wants to help us change - which would also be demeaning (and maybe even impossible) by the author's logic, but he seemed to have forgotten that by that point. *doh*
Some call this author "beautifully poetic" - I don't see it. Instead, his writing comes off as pretentious and while his personal convictions shouldn't be any of my business, he made them my business by drowning me in a flood of hate that almost turned to self-pity. Meh. Me no likey.
So yeah, it wasn't the worst thing ever due to some of the presented musings about a couple of linguistic aspects but it was infuriatingly arduous.
Quite simply the best book about a whale since Moby Dick.
FYI: That book wasn't about a whale which goes to show what the writer of the blurp knows ... and which, strangely, sets the tone for this entire novel. Slight rant ahead.
Ok, so I know by now (after googling Zindell) that the author is all about "spiritual understanding". The problem with that? It's horseshit. *clears throat* Sorry, but it is. Pseudo-intellectual stuff meant to make you understand the world. Here's the thing: it's not rocket science! Humans can do beautiful things and they can do terrible things. Ironically, so can orcas.
The largest dolphin on this planet is incredibly smart and can be heartwarmingly kind - but they also have sadistic hunting techniques where they unnecessarily toy with their prey for hours. Just like bottlenose dolphins sometimes help swimmers when sharks are around and almost always brutally rape their fellow males (younger, weaker ones) if they don't get females.
What I'm trying to say is that no species is just one thing.
Though animals, in general, are definitely not quite as bad as humans. Maybe how close they get to being as bad as humans (see the two aforementioned examples) depends on the same form of intellect (no, not the same "level" as many call it because I will never believe that there are "dumb animals").
This author, however, tried to paint the old picture of everything human = absolutely bad vs everything animals = absolutely rainbows-and-unicorns.
Don't get me wrong, the book's premise was fantastic: the world seen through the eyes of an orca, the orca trying to help humans become better despite what was done to him.
Arjuna, the orca, is captured for "Sea Circus" (we all know what that stands for) when eagerly making "first contact" with homo sapiens. Eventually, after lots of torture, some humans help him escape and he learns several human languages as well as a lot of literature (though most of the presented reading material was also pompous if you ask me because those authors didn't have the answers to life, the universe and everything either).
And many examinations, or questions, were indeed interesting. However, the author has a propensity for babbling and continuing on and on and on when he's already made his point.
At first I did like that he shows good humans along with the bad ones and I certainly loved Arjuna taking on that Christian fundamentalist asshole, but that whole trip around the ocean to go from hatred to attempting to save us humans? It could and should have been much shorter if you ask me.
On top of this having been a densely philosophical book (not in a good way), the author was also trying to use actual science, probably in an attempt to make this book look nerdy. However, he's doing it in a forced way, which then made me roll my eyes even more.
The observations in this book are nothing new: pollution of nature, torture of animals for humans' amusement etc. I agree that those are the worst sides of humans (together with one or two other things). The "why" behind it all might also be a great way to start a conversation and/or introduce some ideas about how to be better in the future. But like I said: the author clubbed the conversation to death, then stomped on it before setting it on fire and then pissing on it to put out the flames. *sighs*
So now we're coming to the core problem I had with this book and indeed its author: he's heavily promoting the idea that saving someone, whether human or animal, is merely exerting power over them and therefore demeaning. *bangs head against the wall*
Moreover, the entire book screams of the author's hatred for himself and especially his species (or he took the wrong kind of drugs and got too immersed in his characters' POVs) as if we were only capable of hatred, murder and destruction (oh, the irony).
Until Arjuna eventually wants to help us change - which would also be demeaning (and maybe even impossible) by the author's logic, but he seemed to have forgotten that by that point. *doh*
Some call this author "beautifully poetic" - I don't see it. Instead, his writing comes off as pretentious and while his personal convictions shouldn't be any of my business, he made them my business by drowning me in a flood of hate that almost turned to self-pity. Meh. Me no likey.
So yeah, it wasn't the worst thing ever due to some of the presented musings about a couple of linguistic aspects but it was infuriatingly arduous.
xenotundra's review
Reached the end of the second act and was whiplash by the most half-assed shock scene half the cast killed in a few pages by a villain introduced the chapter prior. Not to mention the wonderful resurgence of the battered and used trope of "bury your gays". I really enjoyed the deep introspection and animal persective/ alternative conciousness, but the insult to the reader's time and intelligence that is the last three chapters of the third act made me want to rip a book in half for the first time in my life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Confinement, Gore, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child death
Moderate: Sexual content and Grief
Bury your gays, existentialism, general depressive nihilism.ameliakfulton's review against another edition
5.0
Stunning story. A bit slow to progress but I enjoyed the meandering ponderings of this beautiful whale's mind. Highly reflective, it forces you to look abstractly and critically at the world and your own ethos. Really beautiful.
moki000's review against another edition
4.0
4/5 stars
What a powerful book! I have never read anything like it. It portrays humanity for what it is, leaving no stone unturned. It is poetic. It is ruthless.
This is my first David Zindell and I was completely blown away! I loved the way he created his world and gave beauty to orcas.
Great book for those who want a reality check on the consequences of human action.
What a powerful book! I have never read anything like it. It portrays humanity for what it is, leaving no stone unturned. It is poetic. It is ruthless.
This is my first David Zindell and I was completely blown away! I loved the way he created his world and gave beauty to orcas.
Great book for those who want a reality check on the consequences of human action.