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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Amazing combination between sci-fi and psychological/philosophical novel. The best exploration I have ever read of anthropocentrism and human’s subjectivity subliminally working on all of our own endeavors, whether they be scientific/empirical, social, religious, interpersonal, etc.
Its ideas will definitely stay with me for a while.
Its ideas will definitely stay with me for a while.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
A novella much more interested in its concept than forward momentum - but who can blame it, because what a concept. I was never into “hard science” sci-fi, but it’s way easier to swallow in a condensed package like this. Also when the occurrences it’s explaining in dense scientific jargon are really quite wondrous. A really cool contrast of form and vibes!
reflective
slow-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
A dark sci-fi classic with themes of depression, grief and regret. From the first chapter this book is extremely compelling with a super creepy atmosphere.
Once the story opens up you really start to feel for the characters and I really liked the main protagonist.
Once the story opens up you really start to feel for the characters and I really liked the main protagonist.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
I read a clunky translation. A modern Polish to English one would have been better but I read what was on my shelf.
I liked the love story. I didn’t like Kelvin going to the library so he can read all the books to us to info dump. Get on with the action already!
But this isn’t my usual genre so you might like it more if SF is your thing.
I liked the love story. I didn’t like Kelvin going to the library so he can read all the books to us to info dump. Get on with the action already!
But this isn’t my usual genre so you might like it more if SF is your thing.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
[Reading the World Challenge - Poland]
I read the Bill Johnston translation as it was recommended over the original translation. This reminded me a lot of Rendezvous with Rama in that it was exploring a completely foreign structure/landscape and makes you feel tense and uneasy about what is going to happen. I found a lot of the reflections on human nature and science very powerful, with parallels to today. For example: "In some years more than a thousand people took part in the research at the same time; but while the speed at which new material was amassed continued to grow, the spirit that moved the scientists was waning, and there began a period of decline, hard to pinpoint in time, for that still optimistic phase in the exploration of Solaris." I loved that the ending wasn't necessarily predictable. I was also entertained by the descriptions of the technologies used by the scientists and how similar or different they were to the way actual technology has developed. There were times that I had to skim, mostly in the middle, where there were extraordinarily lengthy descriptions of the structures on Solaris and the history of the study of Solaris (which I think the book could have done without), but other than that, it was a really enjoyable read.
I read the Bill Johnston translation as it was recommended over the original translation. This reminded me a lot of Rendezvous with Rama in that it was exploring a completely foreign structure/landscape and makes you feel tense and uneasy about what is going to happen. I found a lot of the reflections on human nature and science very powerful, with parallels to today. For example: "In some years more than a thousand people took part in the research at the same time; but while the speed at which new material was amassed continued to grow, the spirit that moved the scientists was waning, and there began a period of decline, hard to pinpoint in time, for that still optimistic phase in the exploration of Solaris." I loved that the ending wasn't necessarily predictable. I was also entertained by the descriptions of the technologies used by the scientists and how similar or different they were to the way actual technology has developed. There were times that I had to skim, mostly in the middle, where there were extraordinarily lengthy descriptions of the structures on Solaris and the history of the study of Solaris (which I think the book could have done without), but other than that, it was a really enjoyable read.
Man’s wife gets murdered three times so he puts in overtime at work.