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cdbaker's review
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I understand that this is a “classic” of sci-fi and I tried to appreciate it from that perspective. But it’s just terrible and so damned sexist. The “big dumb object” isn’t that interesting and all of the characters are just so unlikeable that it’s difficult to care about what’s happening to them. The central conceit of the book (about luck) is incredibly irritating. As my partner put it, it’s neither magic nor science, it’s just bad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, and Sexism
mar's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
sorry cant write a proper review bc every time i think about how Niven writes women in this book i start seeing red
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape, Racism, and Slavery
weird eugenics shitdeadsearisen's review
I was recommended this book as a classic work of sci-fi by a few friends - while I can certainly see the importance of Ringworld within the genre (I believe it was the first to come up with the ringworld concept), I wouldn’t recommend anyone read this. It certainly started out strong, to me - beginning with a 200-year-old protagonist hopping through transport booths to follow the midnight line and extend his 200th birthday as long as possible, before realizing he was already bored with his life yet again. However, interesting concepts and beats are quickly ruined - Niven is apparently unable to resist lacing the text with racism and misogyny. I saw someone else describe their experience with the text as Niven dry heaving his misogyny onto the page, and I certainly agree. The descriptions of the main character, Louis Wu, are racist (I believe in Ch. 2 his skin is literally described as “Fu Manchu yellow” or something along those lines), Teela’s entire character is reeking of misogyny, not one but two alien species have “nonsentient females”; the interesting moments and concepts are, bluntly, not enough to propel this book through Niven’s racism & misogyny, and his middling writing style didn’t help much at all either. Niven’s personal misogyny & racism (as well as, in a few instances, homophobia and cissexism) rendered this text, for me, too much to slog through.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Racism
Colonization & eugenics are in the book as well.
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