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merrysociopath's review against another edition
3.0
La storia di questo libro è interessante, purtroppo non è raccontata in un modo altrettanto interessante.
acaskoftroutwine's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I have constantly heard this book referred to as the Strugatsky brother's masterpiece, but of the books that I have read by the brother's I have found this one to be my least favorite.
The Doomed City is about people in relation to society, and how a civilization based on nebulous ideals eventually falls victim to authoritarianism. Taking place in a city that exists in an unknown location, either an alien world or some kind of pocket dimension, with a bottomless void on one side and a impossibly high wall on the other, The Doomed City follows several characters who have been plucked from history who have been gathered for an unknown 'Experiment'.
While the novel starts off interesting enough, I don't find that any of it's conclusions about morality and human nature are all that deep. Despite the ability of the two authors, I feel that the book doesn't really have much new that its trying to say. While it makes sense that the brothers would hide this book for so many years, given the critical view that they cast on the development of the Soviet Union after WWII, I feel that the subject might have been too close for the brothers. The characters lack depth, and the 'shocking' comparisons and political commentary feel almost quaint reading it in 2023. The novel lacks the compassion and humanism that I found in Roadside Picnic and Hard to be a God, both of which cover similar subjects with more nuance and compassion for the human condition.
While those novels confront the struggles that we all deal with and the failures of society or ideology to protect us, and questions the ethics of inaction or the moral cost of surviving, The Doomed City creates a moral void for the character and treats it as maturation when he gives up any moral framework he might have had. He is presented at his most foolish when he is fully dedicated to a communist frame of mind, being both incredibly judgemental of others morality or intelligence as well as foolishly naive about the cities material conditions and leadership, and the novel follows him as he gradually falls further and further into authoritarian and reactionary thinking, until eventually finding himself believing in nothing more than the perpetuation of human culture and belief above all else, which is treated as the more enlightened view.
Nobody in this book has any real level of depth to them, or any real self awareness. They exist as caricatures of different modes of political or philosophical thought, but in a way that feels too didactic to really provoke much thought. I don't find any of the situations that they find themselves in or their responses to be engaging.
I'm going to read their other books, obviously, even if this one left me cold.
2 or 3 out of 10.
The Doomed City is about people in relation to society, and how a civilization based on nebulous ideals eventually falls victim to authoritarianism. Taking place in a city that exists in an unknown location, either an alien world or some kind of pocket dimension, with a bottomless void on one side and a impossibly high wall on the other, The Doomed City follows several characters who have been plucked from history who have been gathered for an unknown 'Experiment'.
While the novel starts off interesting enough, I don't find that any of it's conclusions about morality and human nature are all that deep. Despite the ability of the two authors, I feel that the book doesn't really have much new that its trying to say. While it makes sense that the brothers would hide this book for so many years, given the critical view that they cast on the development of the Soviet Union after WWII, I feel that the subject might have been too close for the brothers. The characters lack depth, and the 'shocking' comparisons and political commentary feel almost quaint reading it in 2023. The novel lacks the compassion and humanism that I found in Roadside Picnic and Hard to be a God, both of which cover similar subjects with more nuance and compassion for the human condition.
While those novels confront the struggles that we all deal with and the failures of society or ideology to protect us, and questions the ethics of inaction or the moral cost of surviving, The Doomed City creates a moral void for the character and treats it as maturation when he gives up any moral framework he might have had. He is presented at his most foolish when he is fully dedicated to a communist frame of mind, being both incredibly judgemental of others morality or intelligence as well as foolishly naive about the cities material conditions and leadership, and the novel follows him as he gradually falls further and further into authoritarian and reactionary thinking, until eventually finding himself believing in nothing more than the perpetuation of human culture and belief above all else, which is treated as the more enlightened view.
Nobody in this book has any real level of depth to them, or any real self awareness. They exist as caricatures of different modes of political or philosophical thought, but in a way that feels too didactic to really provoke much thought. I don't find any of the situations that they find themselves in or their responses to be engaging.
I'm going to read their other books, obviously, even if this one left me cold.
2 or 3 out of 10.
critical_hit's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
myrmidex's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
pecan7561's review
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The focus is on how individuals reason with the meaning of life. It's intriguing, mysterious, and thought provoking. Humor bubbles up here and there, but the search for meaning is paramount.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Racial slurs, Rape, Police brutality, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Antisemitism, Hate crime, and Suicidal thoughts
paskendus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Gun violence, Alcohol, Death, and Murder
apocryphal_goose's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
4.75
flpvsk's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Pretentious, stereotyping and misogynistic. Strugatsky do approach important subjects, that are still relevant in 2023: state and community organization, short vs long term thinking, personal values vs ability to adapt. At the same time every decent thought comes coated in slime: lack of self-reflection, shallowness, stereotypes. Sad mainstream intellectualism.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Xenophobia
Minor: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Rape
sashkello's review against another edition
4.0
Like with all the other Strugatskys books I've read (at this point, almost all of them), this one left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I did enjoy the ride, the writing is good as usual and the plot is intriguing. On the other hand, again, the most interesting parts are left for the reader's imagination, which is equivalent to the authors simply being too lazy to actually connect the loose ends... As they often do, the plot jumps over important events from one chapter to another, leaving great opportunities to dig deeper completely unexplored. Characters are, again as always with Strugatskys, seem to be suffering from some kind of neurological disorders and mood swings. Towards the end there is a lot of ranting which I suppose was meant to be philosophical, but it got really tiring at some point... Nevertheless, the setup is very intriguing and engaging. The resolution never comes, again, as usual, even though the journey was quite fun. Probably this one is my favourite Strugatsky's book so far, however it's still quite underwhelming...