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stylo_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's striking that for someone with repellent and destructive beliefs in the real world, Card was able to write a novel so deeply concerned with the question of empathy in darkness. Ender's Game I first read as a child, taken with the verisimilitude of its depiction of children's mentalities and concerns, even if the characters' speech patterns and invulnerability to emotion strains credibility. As Card's introduction in the revised edition points out, adults often criticize the work for its "unrealistic" depiction of childhood, whereas children have the exact opposite reaction, appreciating the work's refusal to dumb down their internal dialogues and concerns for the sake of appeasing adult egos and perceptions. Yes, children are in fact concerned about war; they do think about the meaning of life; they do wonder at the cruelty of their peers and humanity; they do wonder how to atone for their sins. They are whipsmart and know more than you think.
The prose is sparse and utilitarian, the plot straightforward and fast-moving, but all in service of the themes: why are human beings so vicious towards the other? Why is empathy so hard to exercise? What is the point of war, and what does it do to us? And what does redemption look like? Intense cruelty towards the characters only sharpens the point on which these examinations take place. (During one pivotal reveal towards the end of the novel, I pictured Ender's face as none other than Aleksei Kravchenko's in Come and See, the greatest and most tragic war movie ever made.)
The young-adult nature of the book does mean that themes, while mentioned, are not fully explored. Exploration of the themes rests in the realm of allusion; there's an impressionistic character, the way so much is communicated through Ender's dreams, through the fantasy game he plays on the computer, and the all-too-brief conclusion which I still find thrilling and evocative. I look forward to seeing if these themes are expounded on in Speaker for the Dead.
As a 30-something, this remains a striking, sad, and unique work.
(Caveats: There is some casual sexism in the book, and Card fumbles the ball on racial sensitivity with some of his characterizations - see for example the slang language used by the kids.)
The prose is sparse and utilitarian, the plot straightforward and fast-moving, but all in service of the themes: why are human beings so vicious towards the other? Why is empathy so hard to exercise? What is the point of war, and what does it do to us? And what does redemption look like? Intense cruelty towards the characters only sharpens the point on which these examinations take place. (During one pivotal reveal towards the end of the novel, I pictured Ender's face as none other than Aleksei Kravchenko's in Come and See, the greatest and most tragic war movie ever made.)
The young-adult nature of the book does mean that themes, while mentioned, are not fully explored. Exploration of the themes rests in the realm of allusion; there's an impressionistic character, the way so much is communicated through Ender's dreams, through the fantasy game he plays on the computer, and the all-too-brief conclusion which I still find thrilling and evocative. I look forward to seeing if these themes are expounded on in Speaker for the Dead.
As a 30-something, this remains a striking, sad, and unique work.
(Caveats: There is some casual sexism in the book, and Card fumbles the ball on racial sensitivity with some of his characterizations - see for example the slang language used by the kids.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
pulcotinette's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
I read that book first when I was 14, and I decided to re-read at 21. I had a TREMENDOUS good memory of it, and because I hadn't read a good book in a long time, I decided to give it a go. Well, I was disappointed. I don't think reading the original instead of the translation is to blame: I just was not relating to the characters anymore. I remember it as a psychology-filled book, as a great tale of a small kid growing alone and building himself on himself, making friends along the hard way. However, this time around i was much more detached from Andrew, the plot train went on and I watched from afar, and it all seemed pretty irrealistic. The way all his friends just spawn for the last battle? Completely unrealistic. I usually have no problem when the "Chosen" trope, but this seemed irrealistic. Too much deus ex machina for me, I guess.
So disappointed, yes, but also weirded out because, in the introduction, the author says that he received a great amount of letters from adults saying they hated the book, and from children saying they absolutely loved it.
So disappointed, yes, but also weirded out because, in the introduction, the author says that he received a great amount of letters from adults saying they hated the book, and from children saying they absolutely loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Blood, Murder, and Violence
taelights's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
The book was pretty interesting and had so many cool twists, some of which I didn't expect at all. It's slow at times and took me a bit to get into but I ended up really enjoying listening to this audiobook.
The author is a piece of shit which takes away some enjoyment from the book. I probably would have rated it a slightly higher star (3 or 3.5?) than what I did if it wasn't for the author of the series wasn't a homophobic mormon asshole.
The author is a piece of shit which takes away some enjoyment from the book. I probably would have rated it a slightly higher star (3 or 3.5?) than what I did if it wasn't for the author of the series wasn't a homophobic mormon asshole.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, and War
poetskings's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“Humanity does not ask us to be happy. It merely asks us to be brilliant on its behalf.”
Ender’s Game will always be one of my favourite books. It resonates with me in a way that few other books do, and Scott Card creates a world that is both easy to fall into and wholly believable. These are twelve year olds who are being forced into committing atrocities because the human race can’t believe for even a moment that any other species might be interested in peace.
While yes, I know that Orson Scott Card is kind of an awful person, and some of his less savoury views come across clearly in this book (misogyny is basically coded into every character from the get-go and reading a six year old say the n-word with a hard -er is incredibly jarring to say the least), I can’t help but believe in and root for these characters as the adults increasingly become the enemy.
I don’t think I’ll ever read the rest of the series, but Ender’s Game is a classic, and that’s a label it deserves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Sexism
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