Scan barcode
blake921's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0
sandrondo's review against another edition
3.0
It holds a few interesting ideas, but they get lost in a needlessly convoluted story that takes ages to go anywhere.
aidanisaacson's review against another edition
2.0
Doesn't portray any of its female cast as having real agency, and sort of devolves into a sex cult around the 2/3 mark... Fun smut, if you're into that.
gcgulick's review against another edition
1.0
I didn't "grok" this book. I was a bit surprised it was his most famous one.. I enjoyed JOB: A Comedy of Justice a lot more. Some elements of the philosophy I can appreciate, but there was a lot that just didn't resonate well with me. Also every female character was subservient or docile, in one part one of the characters stated something along the lines of "9 times out of 10 women invite rape when it happens to them" I don't know, I just didn't get it.
uranaishi's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I understand why this book and it’s ideas were seminal in it’s time, but it is undeniably outdated in a number of ways now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Confinement, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Self harm, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, War, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Genocide, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Classism, Cursing, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, and Rape
ketutar's review against another edition
3.0
Well... the story is fascinating.
The religion... I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did create real life congregations.
(I went and checked: "In 1968, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart (then Tim Zell) founded the Church of All Worlds, a Neopagan religious organization modeled in many ways after the fictional organization in the novel. This spiritual path included several ideas from the book, including polyamory, non-mainstream family structures, social libertarianism, water-sharing rituals, an acceptance of all religious paths by a single tradition, and the use of several terms such as "grok", "Thou art God", and "Never Thirst". ")
I hate the 1950s and 60s misogyny.
I am bothered by the "men want to look, women want to be looked at" idea. I would say Chippendales and Twilight et al. have very effectively destroyed that myth.
I hate it when adult women are called "children".
I hate the "I love you, adore you, respect you, appreciate you, now go and make me a sandwich, kiddo" BS. Frankly, if you call another human being a child, don't have sex with her. Go talk to your hand, buddy.
"Nine times out often, if a girl gets raped, it's at least partly her own fault."
And women like to be looked at and pose in "naughty pictures", and men like to look and "naughty pictures"... That's "goodness". Sure. But isn't it nice that they are not gay.
"she had explained homosexuality to him, after he had read about it and failed to grok it - and had given him practical rules for avoiding even the appearance thereof and how to keep such passes from being made at him, since she assumed correctly that Mike, pretty as he was, would attract such passes. He had followed her advice and had set about making his face more masculine, instead of the androgynous beauty he had first had. Nevertheless Jill was not sure that Mike would refuse such an invitation from, say, Duke - but fortunately Mike's male water brothers were all decidedly masculine men, just as his others were very female women. Jill hoped that it would stay that way; she suspected that Mike would grok a "wrongness" in the poor in-betweeners anyhow - they would never be offered water."
Mike's death is... disturbing. Makes me hate USonians with their mob lynching mentality. Yes, yes, I know, #notallamericans and #notjustamericans. I don't care. I hate all with mob lynching mentality, but when it happens in some 3rd world country, it is considered barbaric, called with the right name and condemned. Not so when it happens in USA. Then it's suddenly excusable, defendable, understandable, and WE who condemn it as we condemn it where ever it happens, and who does it, it's WE who are the bad guys. Despicable. Yes, I do expect more of a country that is supposed to be democratic, modern and literate.
The religion... I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did create real life congregations.
(I went and checked: "In 1968, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart (then Tim Zell) founded the Church of All Worlds, a Neopagan religious organization modeled in many ways after the fictional organization in the novel. This spiritual path included several ideas from the book, including polyamory, non-mainstream family structures, social libertarianism, water-sharing rituals, an acceptance of all religious paths by a single tradition, and the use of several terms such as "grok", "Thou art God", and "Never Thirst". ")
I hate the 1950s and 60s misogyny.
I am bothered by the "men want to look, women want to be looked at" idea. I would say Chippendales and Twilight et al. have very effectively destroyed that myth.
I hate it when adult women are called "children".
I hate the "I love you, adore you, respect you, appreciate you, now go and make me a sandwich, kiddo" BS. Frankly, if you call another human being a child, don't have sex with her. Go talk to your hand, buddy.
"Nine times out often, if a girl gets raped, it's at least partly her own fault."
And women like to be looked at and pose in "naughty pictures", and men like to look and "naughty pictures"... That's "goodness". Sure. But isn't it nice that they are not gay.
"she had explained homosexuality to him, after he had read about it and failed to grok it - and had given him practical rules for avoiding even the appearance thereof and how to keep such passes from being made at him, since she assumed correctly that Mike, pretty as he was, would attract such passes. He had followed her advice and had set about making his face more masculine, instead of the androgynous beauty he had first had. Nevertheless Jill was not sure that Mike would refuse such an invitation from, say, Duke - but fortunately Mike's male water brothers were all decidedly masculine men, just as his others were very female women. Jill hoped that it would stay that way; she suspected that Mike would grok a "wrongness" in the poor in-betweeners anyhow - they would never be offered water."
Mike's death is... disturbing. Makes me hate USonians with their mob lynching mentality. Yes, yes, I know, #notallamericans and #notjustamericans. I don't care. I hate all with mob lynching mentality, but when it happens in some 3rd world country, it is considered barbaric, called with the right name and condemned. Not so when it happens in USA. Then it's suddenly excusable, defendable, understandable, and WE who condemn it as we condemn it where ever it happens, and who does it, it's WE who are the bad guys. Despicable. Yes, I do expect more of a country that is supposed to be democratic, modern and literate.
ric_'s review against another edition
funny
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
marielcariker's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I do not grok in fullness