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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...
pixelorchid's review against another edition
4.0
A unique and fascinating exploration of society and personal responsibility told through the eyes of cold war Russia that is still surprisingly relevant. Rich characters who manage to mostly transcend their stereotypical origins take part in an experiment that challenges their ideals. The only downsides are a depressing lack of developed/independent female characters and an unfulfilling non-ending that leaves more questions than it answers.
thwacko's review
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
Imagine writing a book like this pre perestroika. The chutzpah
wincher2031's review against another edition
3.0
PROS
- The social and political satire is funny and on the nose, providing good contrast to the bleak atmosphere which permeates the book.
- The supporting characters are well written and enjoyable to read about, from Andrei's mysterious Mentor to the delightful and equally despicable antics of Izya Katzman.
- The world building is rich and achieves immersion in both subtle and grand scale moments.
CONS
- The story leaves much to be desired, there is so much promise but by the end, what is actually achieved in its telling is disappointing. There's so much more the authors could have explored, the ambiguity here often feels more lazy than intriguing.
- What plot there is progresses at a snail's pace (and this is coming from someone who prefers slow pacing). It's about 3/4ths into the book when the characters enact any kind of substantial agency or plan. I found the main character Andrei to be incredibly dull, with one dimensional cliched dialogue and no interesting backstory to speak of, unlike the other characters.
- The novel starts off strong, with original ideas and conflicts abound, yet it eventually grows tiresome. I couldn't shake the thought that it could've been half as long without losing any of its meaning, many of the middle chapters read like filler. Unfortunately then by the time I'd finished, the message was far less impactful than it could've been, I had become numb to it.
CONCLUSION
To say The Doomed City is a mixed bag would be an understatement. I laughed, then I was bored, then I was moved and then, ultimately, I was disappointed.
- The social and political satire is funny and on the nose, providing good contrast to the bleak atmosphere which permeates the book.
- The supporting characters are well written and enjoyable to read about, from Andrei's mysterious Mentor to the delightful and equally despicable antics of Izya Katzman.
- The world building is rich and achieves immersion in both subtle and grand scale moments.
CONS
- The story leaves much to be desired, there is so much promise but by the end, what is actually achieved in its telling is disappointing. There's so much more the authors could have explored, the ambiguity here often feels more lazy than intriguing.
- What plot there is progresses at a snail's pace (and this is coming from someone who prefers slow pacing). It's about 3/4ths into the book when the characters enact any kind of substantial agency or plan. I found the main character Andrei to be incredibly dull, with one dimensional cliched dialogue and no interesting backstory to speak of, unlike the other characters.
- The novel starts off strong, with original ideas and conflicts abound, yet it eventually grows tiresome. I couldn't shake the thought that it could've been half as long without losing any of its meaning, many of the middle chapters read like filler. Unfortunately then by the time I'd finished, the message was far less impactful than it could've been, I had become numb to it.
CONCLUSION
To say The Doomed City is a mixed bag would be an understatement. I laughed, then I was bored, then I was moved and then, ultimately, I was disappointed.
dzengota's review against another edition
1.0
Like most highly political sci fi, Doomed City has occasional moments of brilliant insight and clever metaphor. Also like most highly political sci fi, Doomed City is intent on bashing you over the head for the rest of the duration.
urtencija's review against another edition
4.0
Daugiaprasmė knyga, sunku ją įtalpinti į kažkokius rėmus. Pradžioje man ji buvo pasakojimas apie socializmo beprasmiškumą (sovietinės gyvenimo realybės man patirti neteko, bet tai, kas pateikiama knygoje, atitiko mano susikurtą įvaizdį), bet po truputį knyga vis labiau darėsi apie vieno asmens (Andrejaus) gyvenimo kelią, apie tai, kaip kito jo požiūris į aplinką bei aplinkinius.
Man tai buvo sunki knyga - ne tik dėl didžiulio beprasmiškumo kiekio veikėjų gyvenimuose, bet ir pats rašymo stilius tarpais atrodė tiek suveltas, kad buvo sunku prisiversti skaityti toliau.
Man tai buvo sunki knyga - ne tik dėl didžiulio beprasmiškumo kiekio veikėjų gyvenimuose, bet ir pats rašymo stilius tarpais atrodė tiek suveltas, kad buvo sunku prisiversti skaityti toliau.
merricatct's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know how much I enjoyed reading this, but it was certainly interesting. Imagine if Dhalgren was written by Kafka, and maybe that gives an idea of what this book is like.
2016 reading challenge: a book originally written in another language
2016 reading challenge: a book originally written in another language
brandolini's review
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
termith's review against another edition
3.0
Книги Стругацких для меня делятся на 2 простые категории - понятные и не очень.
К первой относятся "Пикник на обочине", "Трудно быть богом", недавно прочитанная "Отель "У погибшего альпиниста"" итд, ко второй - "Жук в муравейнике", "Улитка на склоне".
Этот роман остался где-то посередине. Первые 4 части были понятны и интересны, в 5й и 6й я понимал уже все меньше и меньше и даже стал пропускать некоторые места (речь Андрея в зале со статуями, например). Финал тоже остался открытым для меня. В целом - интересное чтение, но сложилось впечатление, что до Стругацких я еще не окончательно дорос.
К первой относятся "Пикник на обочине", "Трудно быть богом", недавно прочитанная "Отель "У погибшего альпиниста"" итд, ко второй - "Жук в муравейнике", "Улитка на склоне".
Этот роман остался где-то посередине. Первые 4 части были понятны и интересны, в 5й и 6й я понимал уже все меньше и меньше и даже стал пропускать некоторые места (речь Андрея в зале со статуями, например). Финал тоже остался открытым для меня. В целом - интересное чтение, но сложилось впечатление, что до Стругацких я еще не окончательно дорос.