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linnybear's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I suppose my decision to read it in english was the first mistake, I always find russian classics thrilling and engaging but this one had no effect on me. Maybe if I read it in my native language (polish) whcih has way more language similarities to russian I'd enjoy it more. I find certain themes of this book, such as main character's alcoholism cliché (as if his whole character is based on stereotypes) but perhaps I shouldn't hold it against it due to the age and the country it was written in (with its certain society problems and literary traditions). I completely understand the impact this novel had on an entire genre, I think the storyline itself had lots of potential and with better execution it could still keep up with time 50 years later but that would require something more than throwing philosophical debates in the last two chapters.
tl;dr it's fine I guess? read Lem instead
tl;dr it's fine I guess? read Lem instead
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fatphobia and Sexism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Pregnancy
kellyofcali's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
3.0
I started out quite liking this, but as it went on, I sort of fell out of interest - it became a bit too twisty and I had a harder time following the writing over time. The authors seems to purposely obfuscate exactly "what is going on," which I did't mind always - they left space for imagining things which I think are too mysterious to really write - but also sometimes led to sort of boring confusion. Still, an interesting stylistic read in the sci-fi genre, for sure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death and Pregnancy
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