Reviews

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.

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krisheiney's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-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? It's complicated

2.75

I enjoyed this book well enough, but it also dragged at times. Entertaining humor, especially in the first novella. By the third, it felt like the author was trying to make too much of a point about the virtue of life in the face of suffering, and this didn’t feel like the right vehicle for such a message—plus it’s not a message I’m particularly fond of. I liked the musings on the nature of knowledge and language and how much knowledge can really be preserved when the symbols in which they are written lose their meaning.

genizah's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

mw_baker's review against another edition

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slow-paced

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

5.0

eli_abroad's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

The novel comprises 3 separate stories set in a post-nuclear-apocalyptic world that clearly reflect the greatest fears of the time in which they were written. The stories are set hundreds of years apart, but all involve an order of monks dedicated to secretly preserving scientific knowledge in a world where knowledge and education are seen as the root cause of humanity's destruction. The positives include convincing world building, witty humor, the positioning of science as a religion, ideas about how remnants of the past are interpreted, and reflections on the self-destructive nature of humanity. However, the stories are told in such a meandering ramble that I struggled to appreciate those merits and was unable to maintain any sort of engagement. As a precursor for discussion, the novel is worthwhile, but is definitely no pleasure to read.