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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
fast-paced
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Suicide, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not one of Heinlein's better books. I remember enjoying it as a teenager, but it was never a favorite, and it has not worn the test of time well.
It's got a pretty decent (and creepy) alien invasion framework, but the protagonists aren't very fleshed out, the pacing could use some work, and which is a serious no thank for me.
There's also some weird gender stuff- to be fair, it was published in 1951 (though set in 2007), and Heinlein certainly tried much harder than the majority of his contemporaries. Mary is one of the main characters, she's a secret agent operative, she even guards the president for some of the book. But I think it was Jo Walton who said that Heinlein, as much as he wanted to, just couldn't imagine what the future for liberated women could look like. (It's also always funny to me that apparently almost no one in the 50s could imagine a future without smoking, either.)
Despite all that, it does have that readability that Heinlein was so gifted at delivering, so it wasn't a chore to read. If it were by another author, I might even offer up 3 stars. But I expect more of Heinlein, and so it only gets two.
It's got a pretty decent (and creepy) alien invasion framework, but the protagonists aren't very fleshed out, the pacing could use some work, and
Spoiler
he kills off a cat characterThere's also some weird gender stuff- to be fair, it was published in 1951 (though set in 2007), and Heinlein certainly tried much harder than the majority of his contemporaries. Mary is one of the main characters, she's a secret agent operative, she even guards the president for some of the book. But I think it was Jo Walton who said that Heinlein, as much as he wanted to, just couldn't imagine what the future for liberated women could look like. (It's also always funny to me that apparently almost no one in the 50s could imagine a future without smoking, either.)
Despite all that, it does have that readability that Heinlein was so gifted at delivering, so it wasn't a chore to read. If it were by another author, I might even offer up 3 stars. But I expect more of Heinlein, and so it only gets two.
Horribly offensive and unreadable. I had no idea that the much revered Heinlein was so awful, and I couldn't get past page 100.
Notes:
Yay for libraries!
For a book that was written in 1951, the story held up well. A story full of suspense, irrational fears, psychological trauma and hectic defense against an alien invasion. The narration was not the best, but I still managed to envision the story as it unfolded.
Yay for libraries!
For a book that was written in 1951, the story held up well. A story full of suspense, irrational fears, psychological trauma and hectic defense against an alien invasion. The narration was not the best, but I still managed to envision the story as it unfolded.
It was good- I definitely enjoyed the idea of the aliens and how they took over, but the main character was a little hard to take sometimes, and Heinlein's vision of how things would be in the future is part awesome and part funny. I had watched the Donald Sutherland movie quite some time ago, but honestly other than enjoying it, I don't remember how closely it follows the plot. Time for a re-watch!
Heinlein, Robert A. The Puppet Masters. Doubleday, 1951.
Slugs from Titan land on earth and take over people’s brains. At one time or another in the plot all the main characters are in the control of the slugs. The insidiousness of the slug control is the most interesting element of the story. I cannot help but think the slugs are a commentary on communist propaganda which was a hot topic in the news at the time. That even the best of us are not immune to bad ideas is a theme that would have appealed to Heinlein. The slugs are finally dispatched with biological warfare that harkens back to The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. The book has been adapted into movies three times with little success, the last one being a 1994 film with Donald Sutherland. Is it time for another film putting the story int the context of “fake news”?
Slugs from Titan land on earth and take over people’s brains. At one time or another in the plot all the main characters are in the control of the slugs. The insidiousness of the slug control is the most interesting element of the story. I cannot help but think the slugs are a commentary on communist propaganda which was a hot topic in the news at the time. That even the best of us are not immune to bad ideas is a theme that would have appealed to Heinlein. The slugs are finally dispatched with biological warfare that harkens back to The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. The book has been adapted into movies three times with little success, the last one being a 1994 film with Donald Sutherland. Is it time for another film putting the story int the context of “fake news”?