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amiewg's review against another edition
4.0
I watched the show first. So when I heard Gaal was a he and Salvor was a he and actually everyone in this book was a he, I was shocked. I promise I feel like there are 2 women in total in the whole book that get screen time. I didn't even hear about a sister or a wife. It started to feel echoey. Where are the girlies?? Where are the babes??
That being said, Isaac is a fantastic writer. There is so much wisdom in this book. And as someone who loves psychology, psychohistory is something I had a great time exploring.
At the beginning of the book, Hari says that the future would take over 100,000 people over 300 years to reduce the amount of demise caused by the end of an era, implying that the book isn't about the individual, it's all about society and the greater good. But that isn't how I read it.
Fine, the book is basically short stories published at different times, and we have like 5 timelines, 5 main characters, and 5 different plots, and the whole thing is about averting crisis so that the Foundation can survive. Each of those main characters was so well written, that I knew their hopes and dreams, their fears. I dissected their personalities in the short time we had with them. Even tho the problem and the universe were so big, someone has to do something for it to be done. Who they are matters.
It was kinda like reading history. Caesar did this, then Nero did that, then Marcus Aurelius did this, and so on. Each of their influence had an impact whether for good or evil. Do we know everything they ever did?? No, yet males are still thinking about them and the Roman Empire daily.
After getting over the no women thing, I realized the show expanded Asimov's work instead of "putting words in his mouth" for lack of a better phrase lol. The books are what if Gaal was a white man?? The show is what if Gaal was a black girl from a dying planet?? What would the future look like if Gaal was a different person?? Because it matters.
Instead of making me feel like "The world is so big, what's the point?" I felt like "The world is so big, that's the point!"
Some of the cheapest therapy I've ever gotten. And it fueled my vanity too.
That being said, Isaac is a fantastic writer. There is so much wisdom in this book. And as someone who loves psychology, psychohistory is something I had a great time exploring.
At the beginning of the book, Hari says that the future would take over 100,000 people over 300 years to reduce the amount of demise caused by the end of an era, implying that the book isn't about the individual, it's all about society and the greater good. But that isn't how I read it.
Fine, the book is basically short stories published at different times, and we have like 5 timelines, 5 main characters, and 5 different plots, and the whole thing is about averting crisis so that the Foundation can survive. Each of those main characters was so well written, that I knew their hopes and dreams, their fears. I dissected their personalities in the short time we had with them. Even tho the problem and the universe were so big, someone has to do something for it to be done. Who they are matters.
It was kinda like reading history. Caesar did this, then Nero did that, then Marcus Aurelius did this, and so on. Each of their influence had an impact whether for good or evil. Do we know everything they ever did?? No, yet males are still thinking about them and the Roman Empire daily.
After getting over the no women thing, I realized the show expanded Asimov's work instead of "putting words in his mouth" for lack of a better phrase lol. The books are what if Gaal was a white man?? The show is what if Gaal was a black girl from a dying planet?? What would the future look like if Gaal was a different person?? Because it matters.
Instead of making me feel like "The world is so big, what's the point?" I felt like "The world is so big, that's the point!"
Some of the cheapest therapy I've ever gotten. And it fueled my vanity too.
casual's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jtrogers1992's review against another edition
2.0
Not quite as engrossing as I hoped it would be. Lots of very clever plot writing but it was more a series of vignettes than a larger story for me. I’m interested in the world building but I don’t know if I’m interested enough to grab the next book in the series. Still, on the whole a fairly enjoyable vacation read for me.
gwit's review against another edition
4.0
Sweeping in scope. As standalone book, not 5 stars for me. Sets stage for remainder of the series.
marianakelley's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
soben's review against another edition
5.0
I blew through this book. Very reminiscent of Dune, to me, with epic high level storylines taking place over wide swathes of time. I was captivated and it was difficult to put down
goosedollaz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
stuff4bd's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
Audio is the wrong format for this book. It reads like a rather dull economic history lesson. My mind drifted easily and I didn’t care much about the political dealings.
codyarrasmith's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75