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sorina_sfreja's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Great little book, full of thought-provoking ideas.
islandgypsygirl's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I don't know what to make of this.
It had a very ... kind of 50's or 60's vibe, I thought. I could almost picture out the fedoras the men were wearing, even though it was never mentioned. It just had that very mid-century feel about it. The narration and the sort of internal monologue, and the women and their "helplessness."
Even though this is an alien invasion story, it felt that this was more in the horror genre than sci-fi.
It had a very ... kind of 50's or 60's vibe, I thought. I could almost picture out the fedoras the men were wearing, even though it was never mentioned. It just had that very mid-century feel about it. The narration and the sort of internal monologue, and the women and their "helplessness."
Even though this is an alien invasion story, it felt that this was more in the horror genre than sci-fi.
grvhppr's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
radicalmguy's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
richardleis's review against another edition
4.0
There's this moment after watching one of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers movies (there are four and I'll have more to say about them later on in this review) when I think to myself "I really should read the original novel by Jack Finney." Well, after watching all four adaptations again recently, I finally read the book, and what a surprise it turned out to be.
You know the story: seed pods from space arrive in a small town on Earth and begin replacing people while they sleep. What surprised me about the 1955 novel was how faithfully it was followed by the 1956 film adaptation starring Kevin McCarthy as Dr. Miles Bennell and Dana Wynter as Becky Driscoll. The first half is essentially the same between novel and film. About halfway through, details and plot points begin to diverge slightly, leading to a different ending. To be honest, the book's climax seems a little silly, and it's much less horrifying than the fate of the main characters by the end of the film. The film has its only silliness, in the shape of a framing device tacked on when the studio decided the ending was too dark, but what I view as the film's real ending is absolutely bone-chilling.
The novel has more room for exposition than the film, and in general this additional information is really interesting. The novel is told in first person by Dr. Miles Bennell, who is even more cheeky and self-centered in the novel than he is in the film. He's also much more progressive in the novel, which I didn't expect from a male character created in the 1950s. Dr. Bennell makes particularly incisive observations related to race and gender. The novel cannot avoid all stereotypes, though. Becky Driscoll is primarily a passive and emotional damsel in distress, but there are several great moments in the novel when she becomes much more active and heroic, including coming up with a particularly great escape plan from a seemingly impossible situation.
The pod people plot from the movies is one of my favorite delicious terrors from horror and that creepiness and consistently frightening progression is definitely there in the original novel. The only thing that really disappointed me about the novel was the ending. The film adaptions tend to lean toward darker endings and more ambiguity. They make me feel like the horror has only just begun. The book's ending instead is lighter and conclusive. It just doesn't pack the same punch. Until then, though, the book is genuinely creepy and frightening.
You know the story: seed pods from space arrive in a small town on Earth and begin replacing people while they sleep. What surprised me about the 1955 novel was how faithfully it was followed by the 1956 film adaptation starring Kevin McCarthy as Dr. Miles Bennell and Dana Wynter as Becky Driscoll. The first half is essentially the same between novel and film. About halfway through, details and plot points begin to diverge slightly, leading to a different ending. To be honest, the book's climax seems a little silly, and it's much less horrifying than the fate of the main characters by the end of the film. The film has its only silliness, in the shape of a framing device tacked on when the studio decided the ending was too dark, but what I view as the film's real ending is absolutely bone-chilling.
The novel has more room for exposition than the film, and in general this additional information is really interesting. The novel is told in first person by Dr. Miles Bennell, who is even more cheeky and self-centered in the novel than he is in the film. He's also much more progressive in the novel, which I didn't expect from a male character created in the 1950s. Dr. Bennell makes particularly incisive observations related to race and gender. The novel cannot avoid all stereotypes, though. Becky Driscoll is primarily a passive and emotional damsel in distress, but there are several great moments in the novel when she becomes much more active and heroic, including coming up with a particularly great escape plan from a seemingly impossible situation.
The pod people plot from the movies is one of my favorite delicious terrors from horror and that creepiness and consistently frightening progression is definitely there in the original novel. The only thing that really disappointed me about the novel was the ending. The film adaptions tend to lean toward darker endings and more ambiguity. They make me feel like the horror has only just begun. The book's ending instead is lighter and conclusive. It just doesn't pack the same punch. Until then, though, the book is genuinely creepy and frightening.
gunnernat7719's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
The gender dynamics in this book are wild. So exaggerated and I don't quite know if it's intentional or not. Good pulpy sci fi, disappointing ending and not enough devotion to what seems to be it's primary thesis.
zare_i's review against another edition
4.0
This was a surprisingly good horror novel. I have watched the movies and, lets be honest, from the very title reader is aware of what is the main twist here.
But it is in the way story is told that I truly enjoyed it. Told from the perspective of a local physician we follow what at first seems like to be a mass hysteria slowly becomes a palpable danger which unfortunately our heroes cannot fight, let alone defeat because ... they just cannot. They can resist it and they can slow it down but for all means and purposes infiltration is just too good and too thorough to be stopped. Also the very nature of the infiltration is such that not once our heroes start to question themselves - is it what they see and witness real or not.
One of the comments I read for the book commented about one of the discussions in the book where there is mention of the weight of the sun-light but, if we put aside rather clumsiness of the explanation (which again for me is all right because these are discussions between laymen) what is described as a motor that spreads the invasion is nothing more than a form of solar sail. Another great concept here is the way copies are made - pure genius if you ask me. No need for physical contact or drawing blood, no aliens popping up from chest-cavity. The very process is the ultimate horror of all, waking up completely changed, feeling same but also completely different. As I said, excellent idea.
And while narrative flow is at times a little bit slow, novel itself aged more than well. And yes, after reading the novel I have to say no movie did it justice yet, they did capture the paranoia but the novel is much more terrifying than the movies in the sheer level of despair.
Recommended to fans of SF and horror.
But it is in the way story is told that I truly enjoyed it. Told from the perspective of a local physician we follow what at first seems like to be a mass hysteria slowly becomes a palpable danger which unfortunately our heroes cannot fight, let alone defeat because ... they just cannot. They can resist it and they can slow it down but for all means and purposes infiltration is just too good and too thorough to be stopped. Also the very nature of the infiltration is such that not once our heroes start to question themselves - is it what they see and witness real or not.
One of the comments I read for the book commented about one of the discussions in the book where there is mention of the weight of the sun-light but, if we put aside rather clumsiness of the explanation (which again for me is all right because these are discussions between laymen) what is described as a motor that spreads the invasion is nothing more than a form of solar sail. Another great concept here is the way copies are made - pure genius if you ask me. No need for physical contact or drawing blood, no aliens popping up from chest-cavity. The very process is the ultimate horror of all, waking up completely changed, feeling same but also completely different. As I said, excellent idea.
And while narrative flow is at times a little bit slow, novel itself aged more than well. And yes, after reading the novel I have to say no movie did it justice yet, they did capture the paranoia but the novel is much more terrifying than the movies in the sheer level of despair.
Recommended to fans of SF and horror.
jordansimmons's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jeninthebooks08's review against another edition
4.0
3.5*
I went into this book thinking it would be much more action-driven and alien invasion-like based on me watching a movie adaptation of it years ago. However, it turned out to be much more character-driven. I found the ending to be very rushed and underwhelming ? The majority of the book goes through establishing the phenomenon happening, making the first 100 pages or so slow. The interaction with the alien species seems reasonably explained, but contradicts the ending completely.
However, my biggest issue with the book are the descriptions towards women and the misogyny.
Overall, interesting, but meh. Is a product of its time, I suppose.
To end my review, I'll use a quote that sums up humanity in quite an interesting way:
"The human mind searches for cause and effect, always; and we all prefer the weird and thrilling to the dull and commonplace as an answer".
I went into this book thinking it would be much more action-driven and alien invasion-like based on me watching a movie adaptation of it years ago. However, it turned out to be much more character-driven. I found the ending to be very rushed and underwhelming ? The majority of the book goes through establishing the phenomenon happening, making the first 100 pages or so slow. The interaction with the alien species seems reasonably explained, but contradicts the ending completely.
However, my biggest issue with the book are the descriptions towards women and the misogyny.
Overall, interesting, but meh. Is a product of its time, I suppose.
To end my review, I'll use a quote that sums up humanity in quite an interesting way:
"The human mind searches for cause and effect, always; and we all prefer the weird and thrilling to the dull and commonplace as an answer".