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kikuchiyo90's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
cactusson's review
3.0
Good novel about freedom and slavery and about aging of the main hero. Four parts of his lifetime, among different people in in different statuses.
sfrench67's review against another edition
4.0
Audiobook
4.0 to 4.5 Stars
Love these classics, enjoyed my first by the author and it was well narrated. It felt like maybe there was going to be a continuation of the story. Great characters and the story had me invested
4.0 to 4.5 Stars
Love these classics, enjoyed my first by the author and it was well narrated. It felt like maybe there was going to be a continuation of the story. Great characters and the story had me invested
ekarpinski's review
5.0
Heinlein juveniles are always so charming, and they manage to be surprisingly wholesome, even when they're dealing with dark material like slavery and genocide. Good old-fashioned YA adventure with thoughtful adults (a must for me these days, I get so fed up with adults that are mean and incompetent).
zmull's review against another edition
4.0
Another engrossing Heinlein juvenile. This one is about social status and duty. Bonus: this novel is somewhat less troubled by Heinlein's issues with race and sexism than others.
curtisb's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
h3dakota's review
3.0
I'll admit that I glazed over during part of this one, during Thorby's travels with the Free Traders. I loved the story to this point. It picked up again towards the end, though his return to Earth was too rushed (it loses the reader a bit at first with the speed). The ending is really quite weak though, and the main reason this one gets 3 stars.
olityr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Favorite quotes:
- "People do odd things for money, but they'll do still more drastic things for power over money."
- "It means being so devoted to Freedom that you're willing to give up your own; be a begger, or slave, or die, that freedom may live."
frip's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
zare_i's review
5.0
People may think what they want about Robert Heinlein but man had a lot to say about the society and how people should act and behave.
Story starts on a feudal world called Sargon where young boy is given for sale on the slave market. Thus starts the story of Thorby, kid slave that went through unimaginable horrors until he was bought by Baslim the Beggar and given chance to live and prosper. By telling us the story of Thorby, Heinlein gives us story of growing up and how no matter where and when one starts the life journey if one wants to live righteous and good life there are no obstacles, there needs to be a will to live a good life, will to live and respect all around.
Thorby starts learning from the Baslim how to survive in the streets and [as time goes by] gets schooled in pretty advanced subjects by his benefactor (and later finds out his benefactor is much more than it meets the eye), learning about Sargonites and their culture, pushed to another more exotic environment after escaping with the help of so called Free Traders, star roamers, closely knit and isolated communities living on board vast trade ships, only to finally end his travels by reaching the greatest enigma of all, Earth, cradle of humanity. It is story of search for one's identity but also story of young person seeing and experiencing humanity in its worse (Sargonite slavers), best (Baslim, people helping him escape Sargon), isolated (Free Traders) and all in the between (Earth). Seeing and experiencing but never feeling resentment and hate toward individuals, toward some societies and their cruel cultures sure but never general populace. Can you imagine this today, in our times? I sure cant.
Author tells a wonderful story in which all people are people, maybe divergent from the mainstream humanity due to conditions in which they live and maybe living a cruel life of banditry - but people. People who have hopes, dreams not unlike every other person.
What one decides to do with one's life is what makes the difference, change can be done and needs to be done but must not be marred by hatred and barbarism. Again, something that is unthinkable in this day and time.
While we follow Thorby in his adventures we encounter various societies and how they are placed in relation to individual freedom. Some are outright class/caste society where there is no individual freedom for lower castes, some again are so isolated and family bound that they function perfectly but no-one is actually free [individually] because they need to follow certain rules, commands and taboos, and finally some are insidious, societies of free and equal but where we have those that are more equal than the others and where one is not exactly in power of his life but controlled from shadows, those true policy makers.
So we are given a story of a sound-minded and logical person, capable of change and seeking knowledge, who feels a lot but does not allow his feelings to sideline him. Some might call him that terrible world nowadays - stoic (oh my....). Again, in these times where one needs to feel, and feel to the extreme, pick sides, look at the others with nothing but disdain...... can you imagine this book was written at times where there was sanity? Those times are no nearer than Barsoom or Avalon of old these days.
Ending seems rushed a bit but sounds real so it did not ruin the experience for me.
Wonderful book, highly recommended to all fans of space adventure.
Story starts on a feudal world called Sargon where young boy is given for sale on the slave market. Thus starts the story of Thorby, kid slave that went through unimaginable horrors until he was bought by Baslim the Beggar and given chance to live and prosper. By telling us the story of Thorby, Heinlein gives us story of growing up and how no matter where and when one starts the life journey if one wants to live righteous and good life there are no obstacles, there needs to be a will to live a good life, will to live and respect all around.
Thorby starts learning from the Baslim how to survive in the streets and [as time goes by] gets schooled in pretty advanced subjects by his benefactor (and later finds out his benefactor is much more than it meets the eye), learning about Sargonites and their culture, pushed to another more exotic environment after escaping with the help of so called Free Traders, star roamers, closely knit and isolated communities living on board vast trade ships, only to finally end his travels by reaching the greatest enigma of all, Earth, cradle of humanity. It is story of search for one's identity but also story of young person seeing and experiencing humanity in its worse (Sargonite slavers), best (Baslim, people helping him escape Sargon), isolated (Free Traders) and all in the between (Earth). Seeing and experiencing but never feeling resentment and hate toward individuals, toward some societies and their cruel cultures sure but never general populace. Can you imagine this today, in our times? I sure cant.
Author tells a wonderful story in which all people are people, maybe divergent from the mainstream humanity due to conditions in which they live and maybe living a cruel life of banditry - but people. People who have hopes, dreams not unlike every other person.
What one decides to do with one's life is what makes the difference, change can be done and needs to be done but must not be marred by hatred and barbarism. Again, something that is unthinkable in this day and time.
While we follow Thorby in his adventures we encounter various societies and how they are placed in relation to individual freedom. Some are outright class/caste society where there is no individual freedom for lower castes, some again are so isolated and family bound that they function perfectly but no-one is actually free [individually] because they need to follow certain rules, commands and taboos, and finally some are insidious, societies of free and equal but where we have those that are more equal than the others and where one is not exactly in power of his life but controlled from shadows, those true policy makers.
So we are given a story of a sound-minded and logical person, capable of change and seeking knowledge, who feels a lot but does not allow his feelings to sideline him. Some might call him that terrible world nowadays - stoic (oh my....). Again, in these times where one needs to feel, and feel to the extreme, pick sides, look at the others with nothing but disdain...... can you imagine this book was written at times where there was sanity? Those times are no nearer than Barsoom or Avalon of old these days.
Ending seems rushed a bit but sounds real so it did not ruin the experience for me.
Wonderful book, highly recommended to all fans of space adventure.