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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I'm glad I finally read this. It's not a great book. Way too wordy, with too much science but then weird soap opera bits thrown in () Also, it's pretentious to start chapters with multiple quotations from other works.
It's too bad, because the book is very relevant. Scientists working for the common good in a society trying to deny science. Science vs. religion. A woman scientist faced with sexism and having her ideas dismissed because she is a woman. Government officials with power but no sense.
Also the ending is lame.
Spoiler
Ellie finds out when her mother dies that the father she loved was not her biological father but the stepfather she couldn't stand was?It's too bad, because the book is very relevant. Scientists working for the common good in a society trying to deny science. Science vs. religion. A woman scientist faced with sexism and having her ideas dismissed because she is a woman. Government officials with power but no sense.
Also the ending is lame.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A bit dated now given that the events relate to the millennium, but an excellent story regardless! Great characters and plenty of science references.
Loved it. I can certainly understand why the filmmakers made the choices they did, but the book has a much more satisfying narrative regarding science and religion that plays out it in dialogue the Ellie's journey. Oddly, the one area where I thought the movie excelled over the book was the actual 'contact,' when they met the aliens. In the book, they seemed just a bit chatty. But despite it being the title, that scene isn't necessarily the most important part of the story.
This book should be required reading in schools though I could imagine the backlash (which is stupid) but I do think anyone interested in either scientific or philosophical pursuits should definitely read it. The technical portions of it can get pretty thick but they don't hinder the story and you can Google whatever you want.
This book should be required reading in schools though I could imagine the backlash (which is stupid) but I do think anyone interested in either scientific or philosophical pursuits should definitely read it. The technical portions of it can get pretty thick but they don't hinder the story and you can Google whatever you want.
I have seen the movie many times, so I was curious to see how different the source material was. This was a really good book - not too long, and the pace was brisk. I do like how the ending was slightly different from the movie. I’ve always admired Carl Sagan - so it was great to see how he applied his scientific background to fiction.
I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Jodie Foster - which was a nice touch!
I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Jodie Foster - which was a nice touch!
The first three-quarters I'd rate 2 stars. Last quarter is 3 or so.
My main feeling throughout the book was boredom. I didn't realise it would be so much about the politics and administration of receiving the alien Message. It's quite pedestrian. I pushed on through it even though it wasn't doing much for me, and as expected, it got better once the focus shifted away from Earth. But still.
This book reads like speculative fiction from the 80s in sometimes very naive ways. The USSR is still alive and kicking, but there are holograms. There's no internet, but some people live in low Earth orbit. It's weird. I think it would have aged better had it been set squarely in the 1985 that the book was written in instead of a 1990s that feels jarring in the ways it's inaccurate. (On the other hand, the feminist bent feels refreshingly progressive for its time.)
A lot of time is spent on discussing the social ramifications of finding out we're not alone in the universe. How religions react, how it affects national and global politics, etc etc. I might have found this interesting if I'd read it when it was written but it felt like a wearying retread of established ideas in 2023. It didn't give me a lot to chew on.
The third act and its conclusion was more like what I thought I'd be getting from the book, and veered from its mundane start into true science fiction. The ideas were interesting and I felt that it all tied together pretty nicely. It was a satisfying ending. I guess it was just enough to salvage the book given how I felt about the rest of it.
Probably wouldn't recommend unless you specifically care about what Carl Sagan in the 80s thought might be the outcome of receiving a message from an alien civilisation.
My main feeling throughout the book was boredom. I didn't realise it would be so much about the politics and administration of receiving the alien Message. It's quite pedestrian. I pushed on through it even though it wasn't doing much for me, and as expected, it got better once the focus shifted away from Earth. But still.
This book reads like speculative fiction from the 80s in sometimes very naive ways. The USSR is still alive and kicking, but there are holograms. There's no internet, but some people live in low Earth orbit. It's weird. I think it would have aged better had it been set squarely in the 1985 that the book was written in instead of a 1990s that feels jarring in the ways it's inaccurate. (On the other hand, the feminist bent feels refreshingly progressive for its time.)
A lot of time is spent on discussing the social ramifications of finding out we're not alone in the universe. How religions react, how it affects national and global politics, etc etc. I might have found this interesting if I'd read it when it was written but it felt like a wearying retread of established ideas in 2023. It didn't give me a lot to chew on.
The third act and its conclusion was more like what I thought I'd be getting from the book, and veered from its mundane start into true science fiction. The ideas were interesting and I felt that it all tied together pretty nicely. It was a satisfying ending. I guess it was just enough to salvage the book given how I felt about the rest of it.
Probably wouldn't recommend unless you specifically care about what Carl Sagan in the 80s thought might be the outcome of receiving a message from an alien civilisation.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Ce roman a piqué mon intérêt dès le tout début. Sans que l’écriture soit à se jeter par terre, les personnages sont super bien développés et charmants, ce qui est d’autant plus surprenant comme il s’agit de science-fiction dure.
Je remarque que Sagan a souvent fait détourner l’histoire pour parler de certains sujets qu’il devait avoir à cœur, que ce soit sur le plan politique ou scientifique, mais on y ressent tout l’amour qu’il a versé dans son histoire.
Que ce soit grâce à son protagoniste féminin très bien réussi ou les réflexions que le récit soulève, c’est un de mes romans de SF favori pour l’instant.
Je remarque que Sagan a souvent fait détourner l’histoire pour parler de certains sujets qu’il devait avoir à cœur, que ce soit sur le plan politique ou scientifique, mais on y ressent tout l’amour qu’il a versé dans son histoire.
Que ce soit grâce à son protagoniste féminin très bien réussi ou les réflexions que le récit soulève, c’est un de mes romans de SF favori pour l’instant.
A good hard scifi alien novel. Sagan is a good writer and a sharp guy but this novel does lean a little science heavy for me. An entertaining read, but maybe a better film than novel.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Kontakt bol jeden z prvých scifi, ktoré som kedy videla (veľmi dávno), odvtedy ho mám niekde vzadu v pamäti, tak sa teším, že sa ku mne dostala aj kniha.
Film bol o niečo zjednodušený (neviem čo som čakala), kniha sa niekedy dosť veľa venovala téme veda vs náboženstvo. Ale inak ma to veľmi bavilo a chcem si znovu pozrieť po 100 rokoch film. A chcem začať pracovať v astronomy, čo keď už našli nejaký kontakt a my o tom nevieme??
Film bol o niečo zjednodušený (neviem čo som čakala), kniha sa niekedy dosť veľa venovala téme veda vs náboženstvo. Ale inak ma to veľmi bavilo a chcem si znovu pozrieť po 100 rokoch film. A chcem začať pracovať v astronomy, čo keď už našli nejaký kontakt a my o tom nevieme??
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Possibly the best book i’ve ever read. Captivating story, the premise is pretty drawn out in the middle but the ending is so worth it. Ellie struggled until the very end, until she didn’t