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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
The first part, with the early hominids felt a little silly, it made more sense when I found it it was adapted from a separate story.
The main narrative adventures of the two astronauts on their way to Saturn felt a little tedious, but balanced with enough tension and sense of wonder to keep it interesting.
The end, when things are finally explained is pretty great and wonderous. You can see the influence it had on later works—especially Contact by Carl Sagan.
The main narrative adventures of the two astronauts on their way to Saturn felt a little tedious, but balanced with enough tension and sense of wonder to keep it interesting.
The end, when things are finally explained is pretty great and wonderous. You can see the influence it had on later works—especially Contact by Carl Sagan.
adventurous
reflective
this took longer than i expected to read bc i got a little bored half way through, as i already knew what would happen. however, the last section was interesting, as it’s presented differently than the films ending, which was cool to see the different interpretations of clarke and kubrick. the monolith is scarier in the novel.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you've seen the Kubrick film you'll be happy to know this is much more fast paced and fun. Very interesting and at times exciting classic sci-fi. By today's standards there isn't much action, but there is some. Clark is more interested in speculating a) where humanity will be with technological progress and the ability to explore our solar system and b) what potential alien life may look like and accomplish. This feels a lot like Project Hail Mary in its focus on discovery and survival.
There isn't much character development or really any insight into the human condition so it was a bit disappointing in that regard.
There isn't much character development or really any insight into the human condition so it was a bit disappointing in that regard.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If you have watched the movie and loved it, you would love this book too. If you couldn't last more than 10 minutes, just like me, you would still love the book. The author has gone into details, yet not bogged you down with them. The plot is crisp and moves ahead at a steady pace, which makes it a wonderful 6 hour read :3
What took me so long to read this book? It was far more enjoyable, nuanced, and beautiful than the movie. I loved the story and the voyage through the solar system aboard the Discovery, seeing the fiery ring of Saturn illuminated by the sun, and gazing in awe at the majestic view of Jupiter.
What was that ending and why did it remind me of Akira?
This book was amazing and is easily one of the best science fiction books out there. Extremely ground-breaking, and thought-provoking. I’m a huge fan of the movie, and was very interested in Arthur C. Clarke’s original take on the story. I highly recommend reading this, especially if the movie confused you, since Clarke wrote the book at the same time as the script for the film. To actually understand what the movie is explaining, this book is plainly necessary. That being said, the novel is much slower, and it does drag a bit in the middle. But very enjoyable, and a great staple of science fiction. Highly recommend.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Perhaps I'm biased because I love the film so much - but much as I enjoyed this I can't shake the feeling this story is just so much better suited to the cinema. In novel form it's too detailed, too precise, too easy to understand. The sense of mystery and majesty and scale and alienness is diminished. BUT ☝️ we still have hal and he's the funniest bitch alive