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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
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
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
🛑 possible TW? Mention of R*pe
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein is nothing if not a product of its time. The story has weight, curiosity, and lasting cultural influence. There’s humor, philosophical ambition, plenty to chew on. A lot to grok, if you will. But it often sinks under its own long-winded, preachy tangents. Even when it’s self aware, it’s still a lot. And then there’s that line: “Nine times out of ten, if a woman gets raped, it’s at least partly her fault.” A more accurate version? Nine times out of ten, if a woman is raped, it’s by someone she knows. It’s a reminder that even as literature pushes boundaries, it also carries the burden of the time it was written in.
There’s a lot offered here, ideas, questions, provocations, but it took effort to get through the excess. Sometimes I was intrigued, sometimes exhausted.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein is nothing if not a product of its time. The story has weight, curiosity, and lasting cultural influence. There’s humor, philosophical ambition, plenty to chew on. A lot to grok, if you will. But it often sinks under its own long-winded, preachy tangents. Even when it’s self aware, it’s still a lot. And then there’s that line: “Nine times out of ten, if a woman gets raped, it’s at least partly her fault.” A more accurate version? Nine times out of ten, if a woman is raped, it’s by someone she knows. It’s a reminder that even as literature pushes boundaries, it also carries the burden of the time it was written in.
There’s a lot offered here, ideas, questions, provocations, but it took effort to get through the excess. Sometimes I was intrigued, sometimes exhausted.
quite an extraordinary book, though I can see why it might be polarizing.
I found it a bit difficult at times to read through all of the conversations. But the story is very interesting, it really sparks new thoughts. What also makes the book very special is the amount of influence it has had on the world.
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Misogynistic and homophobic, but the concept of a human raised on Mars was interesting for the first half of the book. Until it became a sex cult and they never even explained how Mike or the Martians got their telekinetic powers.
I’d like to give it 3.5 stars but that’s not an option.
Hm. A lot of problems here: 60s sexist, heteronormative, homophobic, white-only-focused, racist, Christian nonsense throughout. Not to mention that a lot of it felt like a boy’s fantasy about how in a perfect world the babes would wanna bang all the time & not mind banging ALL the dudes and never be jealous when they bang other chicks.
But if I allow it to be a product of its time, the hippie commune, love theme is charming. And there are some thought-provoking ideas, which is the purpose of sci-fi. And it definitely explores themes at the fore during its time: free love, sexual liberation, sex as a way to commune and love (rather than exert power), our relationship to violence and war, humanity’s need to destroy public figures who are working toward peace.
I loved Jubal & for me he saved the book. Grumpy old man with a heart of gold who talks fast and refuses to change? Count me in. My grandpa is here!
I had fun reading a lot of this book. I’d recommend it with some strong caveats and warnings. You’re going to bump into some racial slurs and discussions of rape which took my breath away (in the bad way).
Hm. A lot of problems here: 60s sexist, heteronormative, homophobic, white-only-focused, racist, Christian nonsense throughout. Not to mention that a lot of it felt like a boy’s fantasy about how in a perfect world the babes would wanna bang all the time & not mind banging ALL the dudes and never be jealous when they bang other chicks.
But if I allow it to be a product of its time, the hippie commune, love theme is charming. And there are some thought-provoking ideas, which is the purpose of sci-fi. And it definitely explores themes at the fore during its time: free love, sexual liberation, sex as a way to commune and love (rather than exert power), our relationship to violence and war, humanity’s need to destroy public figures who are working toward peace.
I loved Jubal & for me he saved the book. Grumpy old man with a heart of gold who talks fast and refuses to change? Count me in. My grandpa is here!
I had fun reading a lot of this book. I’d recommend it with some strong caveats and warnings. You’re going to bump into some racial slurs and discussions of rape which took my breath away (in the bad way).
Read it bc of the excellent Leon Russell song and the grok hype in the I.T.
Was unfortunate to get the long version with a lot of philosophizing.
On the technical side, it's the worse kind of SciFi out there. The one with no restrictions, no game rules, the author adds more magic and breaks limits whenever he wants. It's a constant Deus Ex Machina throughout the book.
On the social side, it's a chimera of sexual liberalism with misogyny and homophobia. A mock of religion and at the same time a new testimony loosely mimicking and reinterpreting Christ's life and deeds.
Overall, every topic this book touched was made vulgar and primitive.
P.S. Better just listen to the Leon song.
Was unfortunate to get the long version with a lot of philosophizing.
On the technical side, it's the worse kind of SciFi out there. The one with no restrictions, no game rules, the author adds more magic and breaks limits whenever he wants. It's a constant Deus Ex Machina throughout the book.
On the social side, it's a chimera of sexual liberalism with misogyny and homophobia. A mock of religion and at the same time a new testimony loosely mimicking and reinterpreting Christ's life and deeds.
Overall, every topic this book touched was made vulgar and primitive.
P.S. Better just listen to the Leon song.
10% of this book was amazing. It’s a shame the other 90% was misogynistic, homophobic, self-importance.