777 reviews for:

The Machine Stops

E.M. Forster

4.01 AVERAGE


HOW WAS THIS PUBLISHED IN 1909

لم أجد العبارات الكافية لأصف عبقرية فروستر و حدة تبصره بما يخفيه تطور البشرية لنا. قصة خطها فورستر في عام 1909 و كأنها تحكي واقعنا مع التكنولوجيا الآن.
من شدة اعجابي بهذه الرواية، وصل بي الأمر أني أزعجت من حولي. فأحكي لهم عنها دون خوض في تفاصيلها لكن من باب مشاركة ما تطرب إليه النفس. لكل من يستهويه مستقبل البشرية، قد تكون هذه القصة بداية شيقة.
I did not find enough words to describe Froster's genius and the sharpness of his insight into what human evolution hides for us. A story written by Forster in 1909 as if it tells our reality with technology now. Because of my great admiration for this novel, it came to the point that I annoyed those around me. So I tell them about it without going into its details, but for the sake of sharing what the soul desires. For anyone interested in the future of humanity, this story could be an interesting start.

My husband and I read this novella aloud to one another, when one of our neighbors loaned it to us, telling us we absolutely *had* to read it. The concept is certainly intriguing, depicting a futuristic world in which everyone lives underground, in private rooms in which "the Machine" (which is like the internet sort of, only it's connected to literally everything in the room) does everything for them. It keeps them alive. It manages their food intake, provides their bed, gives them medicine when they need it, maintains their climate, and gives them a medium by which they can interact with other humans without ever leaving their rooms. It's so central to life in this society that it's literally worshipped as God, and the manual of the Machine becomes like the Bible. But what happens when the Machine begins to break down, and when it finally stops?

It's not a happy story, but it didn't end up being too terribly depressing either because it wasn't engaging enough. The ending seemed almost an arbitrary place to stop. I wonder why our neighbor thought we needed to read the book... I assume it's a reference to how people interface with one another largely via zoom and social media? I do see some similarities to our society but I'm not quite sure what I was supposed to get out of it.

The Machine Stops was almost hard to believe it wasn't contemporary. Full of fear for an isolationist future despite the technology making travel so fast. Most pertinent line probably: "there will come a generation that has got beyond facts, beyond impressions". E.M.Forster had our number!

The Celestial Omnibus was short and should have been full of joy but was somewhat disheartening because the boy was already so overshadowed and dampened by parental and general adult "properness". A tale of warning about losing the poetry of the spirit. It deserves to be illustrated to celebrate all the coming together of authors and poets and their characters!

dated but relevant

Interesting to read because it’s dated but the fears it evokes are not. Feels a little quaint and deep at the same time

Fascinating

It is amazing that this story was conceived in1909. The concept is terrifying when you consider our current state of affairs. Imagine if all of a sudden the internet wasn't!

This was such a short but very profound read. E.M Forster was way ahead of his time.

Damn. Most prescient thing I've ever read in my life. Dude predicted the Metaverse and internet-age pandemic self-isolation in 1909. What?!

One of my favorite books that I have had to read for school. Even though it was written in 1909 the themes are still very relevant today. I quick read and a definite nerdy recommendation.

Favorite quotes:
-“Beware of first-hand ideas!” exclaimed one of the most advanced of them. “First-hand ideas do not really exist. They are but the physical impressions produced by love and fear, and on this gross foundation who could erect a philosophy? Let your ideas be second-hand, and if possible tenth-hand, for then they will be far removed from that disturbing element — direct observation.

-Time passed, and they resented the defects no longer. The defects had not been remedied, but the human tissues in that latter day had become so subservient, that they readily adapted themselves to every caprice of the Machine.

-All were bitterly complained of at first, and then acquiesced in and forgotten. Things went from bad to worse unchallenged.

-Man, the flower of all flesh, the noblest of all creatures visible, man who had once made god in his image, and had mirrored his strength on the constellations, beautiful naked man was dying, strangled in the garments that he had woven.