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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
"Tears in Rain", with it's story of replicants (human-form bio-androids) immediately leads the fan of science fiction to think of the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" and it's movie adaptation "Blade Runner". As a result, I have seen comments relegating this book to the category of poor fan-fiction, or dismissing it as an effort to "cash in" on a popular franchise. In some cases merely as assumptions from people that have not read the book. Having read it, I see it as neither.
Instead, it tries to explore some of the same ideas presented in the more well known material, but to expressly do so from the perspective of one of those replicants - something less than human that aspires to more, but with the knowledge that as a replicant they have no true "past" and a firm expiration period.
This is done with complete awareness on the part of both the writer and the character. Androids are called replicants because popular culture adopted the term from "Blade Runner", and the main character quotes the film from having seen it once. Essentially, "Tear in Rain" blends the touching sorrow of "Blade Runner"'s Roy and his famous dying soliquy (which even provides the title of this novel) and the frustration of Rachael learning her childhood memories are just programming. These perspectives are blended into Bruna, a PI replicant.
I do like to look for the use of language and word choice in books normally, but that is very hard to do with a translated work. I do not want to unfairly judge the writer based on a translator's effort. I will say that the general sense I had was a fairly crisp style - quick, staccato writing and a sense of minimalist descriptions to let the imagination fill in the broader scenes.
In some ways this was intriguing, as I had entered it with the knowledge of the "Blade Runner" linkage, and this left me seeing the setting in my head as if they were applied to scenes in that movie; from the grimy back streets, to the cafe the heroine frequented, and to the neon of the shopping district. On the whole, though, I am not sure this did the writer any favors, in terms of letting her craft and present her own story, but it happened naturally so perhaps it was intended. Regardless, this may be where the fan-fiction labels come in, because it becomes far to easy to project too much upon the setting.
Regardless, generally, the story works and is a worthy read. Bruna is an interesting and well crafted character who successfully conveys what the author is exploring. I did feel that the pacing of events and details is a little off and forced for a mystery/detective novel. I also thought the vast conspiracy behind the story felt a little... loose as a framework for the story in terms of the world building of the setting, but neither was enough to disrupt my acceptance of the novel.
Humorously, I thought I would share that my biggest difficulty with the book was the cover... There is an image of Bruna looming over a techno/city scape. The colors & atmosphere of the art are a wonderful match with the story. However, the heroine has a line tatooed down the left side of her face, and the cover shows it on the right. After I finished it, and discussed it with a friend I mentioned this observational annoyance. He pointed out that perhaps the image was a reflection, and I realized she may be looking out a window - and we were seeing her and the city in the single view. Just an example of perspective, and assumptions which in relation to this story seemed somehow fitting.
Instead, it tries to explore some of the same ideas presented in the more well known material, but to expressly do so from the perspective of one of those replicants - something less than human that aspires to more, but with the knowledge that as a replicant they have no true "past" and a firm expiration period.
This is done with complete awareness on the part of both the writer and the character. Androids are called replicants because popular culture adopted the term from "Blade Runner", and the main character quotes the film from having seen it once. Essentially, "Tear in Rain" blends the touching sorrow of "Blade Runner"'s Roy and his famous dying soliquy (which even provides the title of this novel) and the frustration of Rachael learning her childhood memories are just programming. These perspectives are blended into Bruna, a PI replicant.
I do like to look for the use of language and word choice in books normally, but that is very hard to do with a translated work. I do not want to unfairly judge the writer based on a translator's effort. I will say that the general sense I had was a fairly crisp style - quick, staccato writing and a sense of minimalist descriptions to let the imagination fill in the broader scenes.
In some ways this was intriguing, as I had entered it with the knowledge of the "Blade Runner" linkage, and this left me seeing the setting in my head as if they were applied to scenes in that movie; from the grimy back streets, to the cafe the heroine frequented, and to the neon of the shopping district. On the whole, though, I am not sure this did the writer any favors, in terms of letting her craft and present her own story, but it happened naturally so perhaps it was intended. Regardless, this may be where the fan-fiction labels come in, because it becomes far to easy to project too much upon the setting.
Regardless, generally, the story works and is a worthy read. Bruna is an interesting and well crafted character who successfully conveys what the author is exploring. I did feel that the pacing of events and details is a little off and forced for a mystery/detective novel. I also thought the vast conspiracy behind the story felt a little... loose as a framework for the story in terms of the world building of the setting, but neither was enough to disrupt my acceptance of the novel.
Humorously, I thought I would share that my biggest difficulty with the book was the cover... There is an image of Bruna looming over a techno/city scape. The colors & atmosphere of the art are a wonderful match with the story. However, the heroine has a line tatooed down the left side of her face, and the cover shows it on the right. After I finished it, and discussed it with a friend I mentioned this observational annoyance. He pointed out that perhaps the image was a reflection, and I realized she may be looking out a window - and we were seeing her and the city in the single view. Just an example of perspective, and assumptions which in relation to this story seemed somehow fitting.
3.5-4. Entretenido, aunque a mitad de libro hubo un trozo que se me hizo algo mas pesado. La historia me parece un tanto previsible, aunque creo que esta bien ambientada y que es muy curioso ver una novela de este tipo ubicada en Madrid.
"¿Lo ves? Te lo dije. ¡No hay que perder las esperanzas! ¡No hay que dejar de empujar para que las cosas mejoren!"
Lo digo mucho, pero hay libros que aparecen en tu vida por alguna razón y te agarran y te hacen así y asá y te cambian un poco y no te sueltan nunca. Es como una coincidencia astral: libros que llegan a tu vida justo cuando los necesitas. Si hubiera leído Lágrimas en la lluvia hace unos años me habría gustado, porque es un buen libro, pero probablemente lo habría olvidado pronto y habría pasado a otra cosa. Ahora, porque ha coincidido en este momento de mi vida, Bruna Husky me va a acompañar siempre.
Objetivamente, Lágrimas en la lluvia es un libro muy bueno. Una trama que te da lo justo para que sigas leyendo, una protagonista dura de pelar y con la profundidad de un océano, y escrito como solo una profesional del lenguaje como Rosa Montero podría. Objetivamente, os diría que forma parte de la historia de la cifi de este país y que tenemos que leerlo. Y ya, subjetivamente, os lo tiro a la cara y os suplico que lo leáis.
Lo digo mucho, pero hay libros que aparecen en tu vida por alguna razón y te agarran y te hacen así y asá y te cambian un poco y no te sueltan nunca. Es como una coincidencia astral: libros que llegan a tu vida justo cuando los necesitas. Si hubiera leído Lágrimas en la lluvia hace unos años me habría gustado, porque es un buen libro, pero probablemente lo habría olvidado pronto y habría pasado a otra cosa. Ahora, porque ha coincidido en este momento de mi vida, Bruna Husky me va a acompañar siempre.
Objetivamente, Lágrimas en la lluvia es un libro muy bueno. Una trama que te da lo justo para que sigas leyendo, una protagonista dura de pelar y con la profundidad de un océano, y escrito como solo una profesional del lenguaje como Rosa Montero podría. Objetivamente, os diría que forma parte de la historia de la cifi de este país y que tenemos que leerlo. Y ya, subjetivamente, os lo tiro a la cara y os suplico que lo leáis.
Imagine a world in which cloning has become a reality. First contact with extraterrestrials has long since passed, teleportation technology exists, and humans travel through space for industry and settlement. This is the reality of Rosa Montero's TEARS IN RAIN a book both inspired by and paying homage to BLADE RUNNER.
Bruna Husky is a replicant with just four years left of her ten year life span. Once a combat rep, she now makes a living as a private investigator. When a neighbor -- and rep -- shows up on her doorstep raving like a madwoman and later killing herself after attempting to take down Bruna as well, the rep finds herself embroiled in a complicated new case. Her neighbor was not the first of the reps to die in this strange manner. The culprit seems to be a manipulated memory implant, one that convinced the rep that she was indeed human and suffering as a result of a grave conspiracy. In total there have been seven such cases and in each of the more recent instances, the reps have managed to take out a number of people around them as well. Bruna has been hired by the leader of the Radical Replicant Movement to find out who is behind these illegal implants and murders. But as tensions rise between humans and reps, Bruna realizes that case is even stranger than it initially seems.
TEARS IN RAIN is great on a number of levels. The setting and world building are wonderful, the mystery is well plotted, the characters -- Bruna in particular -- are appealing and well realized, and the nods to BLADE RUNNER work without becoming too overly employed or copied.
I personally liked the wiki entries as well. I have to agree with other reviewers to an extent and admit that they do slow the narrative just a bit, but it wasn't anything I found to be overly problematic. In fact, I thought they added well to the world building in particular, which can typically become bogged down and overloaded with the kind of information that's introduced as encyclopedic entries instead. And the fact that they become more and more inflamed with incorrect information, thus shown by the character Yiannis and his edits, also adds to the increasing friction between the humans and the reps.
At its most basic level, this is a mystery. It's a mystery wrapped up in a science fiction package, though, and Montero has blended the genres perfectly. I don't know if there will be more in story for US readers and Bruna, but I certainly hope so. This is the first of Montero's books to be released in the States
Bruna Husky is a replicant with just four years left of her ten year life span. Once a combat rep, she now makes a living as a private investigator. When a neighbor -- and rep -- shows up on her doorstep raving like a madwoman and later killing herself after attempting to take down Bruna as well, the rep finds herself embroiled in a complicated new case. Her neighbor was not the first of the reps to die in this strange manner. The culprit seems to be a manipulated memory implant, one that convinced the rep that she was indeed human and suffering as a result of a grave conspiracy. In total there have been seven such cases and in each of the more recent instances, the reps have managed to take out a number of people around them as well. Bruna has been hired by the leader of the Radical Replicant Movement to find out who is behind these illegal implants and murders. But as tensions rise between humans and reps, Bruna realizes that case is even stranger than it initially seems.
TEARS IN RAIN is great on a number of levels. The setting and world building are wonderful, the mystery is well plotted, the characters -- Bruna in particular -- are appealing and well realized, and the nods to BLADE RUNNER work without becoming too overly employed or copied.
I personally liked the wiki entries as well. I have to agree with other reviewers to an extent and admit that they do slow the narrative just a bit, but it wasn't anything I found to be overly problematic. In fact, I thought they added well to the world building in particular, which can typically become bogged down and overloaded with the kind of information that's introduced as encyclopedic entries instead. And the fact that they become more and more inflamed with incorrect information, thus shown by the character Yiannis and his edits, also adds to the increasing friction between the humans and the reps.
At its most basic level, this is a mystery. It's a mystery wrapped up in a science fiction package, though, and Montero has blended the genres perfectly. I don't know if there will be more in story for US readers and Bruna, but I certainly hope so. This is the first of Montero's books to be released in the States
Another foreign Amazon Prime - Kindle First book. And again I was pleasantly surprised.
The beginning of this book was slow. I started reading it about a year ago and just never got into it - for what reason, I don't know. Maybe I was just busy or maybe it was just not interesting to me. But when I was on the T the other day and needed a book to read, I decided to give it another chance.
The story was actually an interesting science fiction thriller/mystery and I enjoyed it a lot. By the end, I could barely put it down.
There is quite a lot of political commentary on racism and corruption, it wasn't too heavy-handed.
Overall, the characters, the world, and the story that Montero created were fun to read about.
The beginning of this book was slow. I started reading it about a year ago and just never got into it - for what reason, I don't know. Maybe I was just busy or maybe it was just not interesting to me. But when I was on the T the other day and needed a book to read, I decided to give it another chance.
The story was actually an interesting science fiction thriller/mystery and I enjoyed it a lot. By the end, I could barely put it down.
There is quite a lot of political commentary on racism and corruption, it wasn't too heavy-handed.
Overall, the characters, the world, and the story that Montero created were fun to read about.
Midnight Thoughts:
~ The book is partly inspired by the movie Blade Runner, and it is referenced several times in the book, as the techno-humans are often referred to as replicants because of the movie. Of course Bladerunner is based on the story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick.
~ The opening Tears in Rain proves why it is never a good idea to answer the door in the middle of the night.
~ The narration is broken up with computer entries of the history of the replicants (one of the characters is a historian working on the archives), which I thought was a great way to set up the rules of the sci-fi setting and get information to the reader. I also liked this way of presenting information because I am a nerd and I thought the history of the replicants was really interesting.
~ It's probably helpful if you've watched Blade Runner prior to reading this book, although it's not completely necessary. But watch it anyway, because it's a cool movie starring Harrison Ford.
~ I hope scientists are reading sci-fi books, because it is not a good idea to make artificial life look like humans. Don't give them emotions. Just don't!
Full review here
~ The book is partly inspired by the movie Blade Runner, and it is referenced several times in the book, as the techno-humans are often referred to as replicants because of the movie. Of course Bladerunner is based on the story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick.
~ The opening Tears in Rain proves why it is never a good idea to answer the door in the middle of the night.
~ The narration is broken up with computer entries of the history of the replicants (one of the characters is a historian working on the archives), which I thought was a great way to set up the rules of the sci-fi setting and get information to the reader. I also liked this way of presenting information because I am a nerd and I thought the history of the replicants was really interesting.
~ It's probably helpful if you've watched Blade Runner prior to reading this book, although it's not completely necessary. But watch it anyway, because it's a cool movie starring Harrison Ford.
~ I hope scientists are reading sci-fi books, because it is not a good idea to make artificial life look like humans. Don't give them emotions. Just don't!
Full review here
This is actually probably a 3.5 for me. I'll say not 4 because it doesn't really stick with me. It was fairly predictable, but I did enjoy the little twists here and there. The world was interestingly built and I didn't feel like there were too many holes there. One thing that did get to me was all the prejudice in the book... technohumans bitching about how they were being mistreated, and the main technohuman then passing on the discrimination to another, lower, group. Something that is only lightly addressed by the end. Overall, though, it was an interesting read well worth the time.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
No tenía grandes expectativas con este libro, porque aunque Rosa Montero es de mis autoras favoritas, no me la imaginaba produciendo una historia de ciencia ficción, pero ña verdad es que superó mis expectativas.
Montero crea una novela prefectos ente bien construida donde hasta el más mínimo detalle es coherente con la historia. Aparte analiza con destreza los grandes problemas de la civilización actual.
Una sorprendente gran novela.
Montero crea una novela prefectos ente bien construida donde hasta el más mínimo detalle es coherente con la historia. Aparte analiza con destreza los grandes problemas de la civilización actual.
Una sorprendente gran novela.
There's a lot to love about this book. It's set in the world of Blade Runner and yet it isn't. The main character is Bruna Husky, a replicant, a technohuman who ritualistically counts down the days of her inevitable demise: 4 years, two months, twenty-one days. She's a tough, flawed character thrust into solving a murder spree of replicants. Obviously, her little search leads her towards something more.
I wonder what it would have been like to read this in English. Montero's descriptions are detailed and humorous. I know I lost something in my own translation, but as a whole, it's such a fun read. I enjoy a good sci-fi mystery, and this has it all.
My only complaint is that it wrapped up all too neatly. I'm wondering if this isn't the last that we've read of Bruna Husky. I hope not.
I wonder what it would have been like to read this in English. Montero's descriptions are detailed and humorous. I know I lost something in my own translation, but as a whole, it's such a fun read. I enjoy a good sci-fi mystery, and this has it all.
My only complaint is that it wrapped up all too neatly. I'm wondering if this isn't the last that we've read of Bruna Husky. I hope not.