Reviews

We Who Are About To... by Joanna Russ

Only show reviews with written explanations

wincher2031's review against another edition

One of the most harrowing stories I've ever read.
Bleak, hopeless and desolate, the inevitable death of its characters permeates every page.
To take a page from Roger Ebert, I'm giving a zero star rating to this space adventure where the stars don't shine.
I both love and hate this one, an instant favourite.

cheezvshcrvst's review against another edition

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5.0

This quiet little novel has certainly made it to my list of books I'm infinitely impressed by. It's quick, it will take you by the neck and hang you over the cliff!, and it is fiercely intelligent, witty, believable psychology, brief but thorough in its world-building, and somehow does a brilliant job of both an intriguingly morbid, surprising narrator and a supporting cast that never remains as two-dimensional as you anticipate. Definitely worth a read.

spikespiegel's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lithic's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

halieh's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

yrioona's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Starts as a wickedly, bitterly, funny and tragic and unsettling swipe at the "crash landing on an alien planet" trope and develops into something more complex and intimate and artful. It is dense and maybe a bit overwrought, and sometimes I found the stream-of-consciousness style confusing, but she is incredible at voice and characterization, and there are some great (mostly very dark) one-liners in the first half. This feels a bit like a two-act play or a very talky, cerebral, movie. Beautifully bleak and idiosyncratic and character-driven and worth the effort to get through even for its imperfections and welcome and unwelcome weirdnesses.

Content Warnings