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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a stunning book about the human condition, the universe, and God.
I find myself struggling to form words to describe the multitudes contained within, but here are some thoughts:
- The characters are well-formed and each relatable in their own way.
- The seemingly infinite chasm between pure joy - holy and human - and the depths of sorrow - of the soul and the body - is drawn out in unexpected and heart wrenching ways.
- The choice of Sandoz as the protagonist was bold and inspiring.
I find myself struggling to form words to describe the multitudes contained within, but here are some thoughts:
- The characters are well-formed and each relatable in their own way.
- The seemingly infinite chasm between pure joy - holy and human - and the depths of sorrow - of the soul and the body - is drawn out in unexpected and heart wrenching ways.
- The choice of Sandoz as the protagonist was bold and inspiring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Oh my God this was depressing. Beautifully written, which is what made it so depressing. You knew from the beginning that almost everyone would die, people that the author made you become DEEPLY attached to. Wonderful, fascinating, brilliant people. There was the excitement of first contact, which you couldn't enjoy because you knew it was going to end very very badly. And it did.
Ooh I love dark, sad, scifi with religious elements and this did not disappoint. I have some critiques but they would contain spoilers. Overall, if you are looking for an excellent bummer of a novel and philosophical fun time, here ya go.
Very slow beginning but once it picked up it was hard to put down. Gut-wrenching and tragic yet beautiful. Would be 5 star except for the slow beginning 30% ish of the novel.
First and foremost, I think this gets off to a slow start and has a worthwhile--though I think rushed--payoff at the end.
That said, the science bugs me. Russell seems to have done a minimum of research and gotten a fair amount of it wrong. She vastly overestimates the amount of time dilation on a trip of averaging 1/4 the speed of light. Some of her other math regarding the trip is a bit wonky as well, but I'm not going to get into that in a quick review.
The second science problem relates to the Alpha Centauri system. Russell vastly overestimates the amount of light reaching the planet from the three stars of the system. First, the red light of Proxima Centauri would be almost non-existent. The dim star is .2 light years away and would not be enough to add any significant light to the planet. Of A and B, Rakhat would orbit one and would be brightened at night by the other, but not effectively have two full suns.
That said, the science bugs me. Russell seems to have done a minimum of research and gotten a fair amount of it wrong. She vastly overestimates the amount of time dilation on a trip of averaging 1/4 the speed of light. Some of her other math regarding the trip is a bit wonky as well, but I'm not going to get into that in a quick review.
The second science problem relates to the Alpha Centauri system. Russell vastly overestimates the amount of light reaching the planet from the three stars of the system. First, the red light of Proxima Centauri would be almost non-existent. The dim star is .2 light years away and would not be enough to add any significant light to the planet. Of A and B, Rakhat would orbit one and would be brightened at night by the other, but not effectively have two full suns.
Picked this up as a recommendation from a friend, who called it one of his top five books, and I understand why people love it. It’s a story that makes you think about perspective, culture, strength and resilience, tied with a bow of sci-fi components that seem just the far side of possible. But, it just wasn’t for me.
Fans of "A Canticle for Leibowitz" will definitely enjoy this book, although the stories, as best as I can recall, are pretty different. One part that's the same is that hard-core Catholics are placed in futuristic settings--"Canticle" has monks in a post-apocalyptic setting, this has Jesuit priests travelling to Alpha Centauri.
The story's pace and themes are very cerebral--lots of time inside the protagonists' heads. People who need action will probably find this too dry for their taste. One thing I liked about how the story unfolds is that it really does keep building momentum to virtually the last page--you spend time toward the end both feeling like the story should have climaxed by now, and then thinking it has already when something else is revealed.
The religious aspect to the story and the theme is pleasantly universal--although the characters are priests, the essential struggle is really just the question of how man interacts with and tries to comprehend God. Like the story as a whole, the development of this theme requires some patience to let it unfold, and it continues to gain momentum right to the final paragraphs.
The story's pace and themes are very cerebral--lots of time inside the protagonists' heads. People who need action will probably find this too dry for their taste. One thing I liked about how the story unfolds is that it really does keep building momentum to virtually the last page--you spend time toward the end both feeling like the story should have climaxed by now, and then thinking it has already when something else is revealed.
The religious aspect to the story and the theme is pleasantly universal--although the characters are priests, the essential struggle is really just the question of how man interacts with and tries to comprehend God. Like the story as a whole, the development of this theme requires some patience to let it unfold, and it continues to gain momentum right to the final paragraphs.
Interesting attempt to explore deeper issues of faith in a story overwhelmed with dread and a telegraphed conclusion that disappoints.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes