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dmbarnham's review
3.0
I rate his one a high 3-star. It was enjoyable, but not 4 star "I loved it" enjoyable.
I must say though, I get a small impression that this is van Vogt playing out a sexual fantasy: I can't think that terribly much from a character that happily rapes women and does what he wants with them and is rewarded in the end by being given so many mates that he would end up having sex at least twice a day to satisfy their agreement. It is the ultimate sex fantasy for a man and is the biggest let down in the entire story, pretty low and pathetic now I think about it some more.
But there was one part of the story I did find fascinating. The Character did evolve a bit, he was still a d*** in the end, but not that much time had past from the first page to the last, and the last chapter did show he had evolved enough to show us; the reader, that he would/could continue to do so. I liked that aspect of it, that it wasn't a completely and redemption-fied character metamorphosis. The other part I really liked is that when he switched people he was still himself with his own memories and ideals, but he felt the subtle differences, and they were subtle, but still recognisable. He was more reluctant to violence in his first body, had a calm about him. He was more contemplative in another. He felt the small differences that only a brain wired in such a way could show. It was interesting.
And the ending does resolve the books title, which seemed to be nothing more than a fancy name for most of the novel. So glad that was proven wrong, I hate it when books do that.
I must say though, I get a small impression that this is van Vogt playing out a sexual fantasy: I can't think that terribly much from a character that happily rapes women and does what he wants with them and is rewarded in the end by being given so many mates that he would end up having sex at least twice a day to satisfy their agreement. It is the ultimate sex fantasy for a man and is the biggest let down in the entire story, pretty low and pathetic now I think about it some more.
But there was one part of the story I did find fascinating. The Character did evolve a bit, he was still a d*** in the end, but not that much time had past from the first page to the last, and the last chapter did show he had evolved enough to show us; the reader, that he would/could continue to do so. I liked that aspect of it, that it wasn't a completely and redemption-fied character metamorphosis. The other part I really liked is that when he switched people he was still himself with his own memories and ideals, but he felt the subtle differences, and they were subtle, but still recognisable. He was more reluctant to violence in his first body, had a calm about him. He was more contemplative in another. He felt the small differences that only a brain wired in such a way could show. It was interesting.
And the ending does resolve the books title, which seemed to be nothing more than a fancy name for most of the novel. So glad that was proven wrong, I hate it when books do that.
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