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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Not as action packed as Enders Game, this more philosophical book is just as good. Extremely creative aliens and lots of mediation on communication and miscommunication and redemption.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book changed how I view the world. I find Ender's motivation and his impact on the world of Lusitania fascinating, and his journey to craft Marcos' eulogy was so compelling. The characters are deeply flawed, and to know that is to understand them, just as the philosophy of the Speaker of the Dead states.
Not your typical science fiction novel. Speaker for the Dead is full of allegory and is driven by characters rather than plot. It's a sequel to Ender's Game but can be read on its own with just as much impact. Card does in writing what I Roddenberry did on television- reveal what humanity could and should be.
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My brother has been bugging me to read on in this series for the last few months. I say bugging because well, he is my younger brother and that is just what younger brothers do. He is well intentioned of course. He knows that when I read Ender's Game a decade ago that I was completely immersed in it and raved about my experience at the time. So here I am finally getting to the next book in the series; a theme for my 2020 reading list undoubtedly.
What I liked.
What a bizarre concept for a novel. To have such a long time gap between books (though with some faster than light travel aging or not aging of characters making it not so long actually) and then to have Ender become a Speaker in this way. I was a bit blown away by the concept alone. My attempts to wrap my mind around it took me quite some time to puzzle out. I'm still reeling after completing the book. It was one of those reads that requires more research afterwards, more reasoning and reflection. I feel like I have begun training as a Speaker myself.
The plot structure was also brilliant. It felt like it was part detective story, part sci-fi heady concept / existential human condition exploration. One served to immerse me and keep me invested in the story while I felt like the other was the true reason for all of it in the first place. The detective portions of the narrative with Ender researching events as the Speaker for the Dead felt familiar to me and drew me in while also being the primary plot driver for roughly two thirds of the novel. Then the other parts surrounding the xenobiologists and the Pequeninos, the Third Life and the Descolada, those parts were wild and crazy. They were packed with thought provoking reflection on human behavior and societal norms. Both were equally well done and I really enjoyed the pairing and how well they worked to invest me in both aspects of the novel.
What I did not like.
I felt like the fast than light travel component could have used more explanation. I have read and watched other fiction around the idea so I wasn't totally lost. However, I felt like the book relied too heavily on the reader having some foreknowledge here and I think a little blurb or scene to help explain it would go a long way. It took me out of the story at times. Maybe I should have stopped and puzzled it out in my head before continuing on.
I also didn't like the relationship between Novinha and Ender. It didn't feel entirely earned to me. I'm just sitting here thinking it was thrown in at the end to fill some kind of romance quota. What a strange way to start a relationship.
Then there was this weird thing about the book where by having Ender attempt to undo his horrible act of xenocide from book one he was stripped away of the best flaws of his character. Ender was elevated to a saint that does no wrong. All the growth of his character in Ender's Game left a nearly flawless and less interesting protagonist in Speaker for the Dead.
Ultimately though, I really liked this book. It took the series in a completely different direction but it worked well. Thanks brother, for pushing me to read this one.
What I liked.
What a bizarre concept for a novel. To have such a long time gap between books (though with some faster than light travel aging or not aging of characters making it not so long actually) and then to have Ender become a Speaker in this way. I was a bit blown away by the concept alone. My attempts to wrap my mind around it took me quite some time to puzzle out. I'm still reeling after completing the book. It was one of those reads that requires more research afterwards, more reasoning and reflection. I feel like I have begun training as a Speaker myself.
The plot structure was also brilliant. It felt like it was part detective story, part sci-fi heady concept / existential human condition exploration. One served to immerse me and keep me invested in the story while I felt like the other was the true reason for all of it in the first place. The detective portions of the narrative with Ender researching events as the Speaker for the Dead felt familiar to me and drew me in while also being the primary plot driver for roughly two thirds of the novel. Then the other parts surrounding the xenobiologists and the Pequeninos, the Third Life and the Descolada, those parts were wild and crazy. They were packed with thought provoking reflection on human behavior and societal norms. Both were equally well done and I really enjoyed the pairing and how well they worked to invest me in both aspects of the novel.
What I did not like.
I felt like the fast than light travel component could have used more explanation. I have read and watched other fiction around the idea so I wasn't totally lost. However, I felt like the book relied too heavily on the reader having some foreknowledge here and I think a little blurb or scene to help explain it would go a long way. It took me out of the story at times. Maybe I should have stopped and puzzled it out in my head before continuing on.
I also didn't like the relationship between Novinha and Ender. It didn't feel entirely earned to me. I'm just sitting here thinking it was thrown in at the end to fill some kind of romance quota. What a strange way to start a relationship.
Then there was this weird thing about the book where by having Ender attempt to undo his horrible act of xenocide from book one he was stripped away of the best flaws of his character. Ender was elevated to a saint that does no wrong. All the growth of his character in Ender's Game left a nearly flawless and less interesting protagonist in Speaker for the Dead.
Ultimately though, I really liked this book. It took the series in a completely different direction but it worked well. Thanks brother, for pushing me to read this one.
If you've read Ender's Game you might pick this up wanting something similar, but it is very different. I loved how Ender's Game finished so my choice to read this was simple, and my choice to read the next is just as easy.
I did not always like the characters of this book or their decision making processes, but I guess that is what makes them human. There were also a lot of characters to understand and perspectives to think about. The author wanted it that way to create a book about community. I thought the idea was conveyed well enough; although, I'd rather been focused on fewer characters.
Overall it was a good book with a good message. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but if you've got a desire to read it, then I'd say to read it with an open mind.
I did not always like the characters of this book or their decision making processes, but I guess that is what makes them human. There were also a lot of characters to understand and perspectives to think about. The author wanted it that way to create a book about community. I thought the idea was conveyed well enough; although, I'd rather been focused on fewer characters.
Overall it was a good book with a good message. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but if you've got a desire to read it, then I'd say to read it with an open mind.
To be completely honest to nie było tak dobre jak pierwsza część, a ja ją kocham, więc oczekiwania były duuuuże. No więc trochę zawód, ale nie odbieram książce niesamowitej inteligencji, którą aż błyszczy ✨
I went into this book expecting it to vivisect, destroy, and dishonor my love for Ender's Game because everything I've heard about it sounds so excessively weird. Actually, yes, it is weird. HOWEVER, one of my most adored things is still present: Ender being omniscient and perfect. Given this central, all-important fact, I am very okay with Speaker for the Dead and will absolutely go on to finish out the rest of the series.
A breakdown of my concerns and how they turned out:
A breakdown of my concerns and how they turned out:
Piggies: Yes, this is very weird.
Love interests: Not as bad as I feared. Jane and Ender's relationship is odd. They are referred to as "lovers" but this seems to be in a weirdly spiritual, metaphorical sense. Still very weird since Jane is pictured and represents herself as a youth. Novinha and Ender don't really have a relationship yet, which is also weird because everyone is somehow aware that they are in love with each other and will inevitably get married. I'm not necessarily against this, except for the fact that I don't really like Novinha very much.
Besmirching of Ender's Character: No worries here. Ender is as perfect as ever -- a snarky, soulful, genius empath wandering the stars, burdened by his own destiny and past in a way that's not quite self pity. I did not anticipate that he would start a revolution and I can't WAIT to see him lead Lusitania in a conflict against the rest of the entire galaxy?!? Can you imagine him taking back up the mantle of general? Can you imagine Starways Congress realizing they have to fight Ender Wiggin over this one stupid planet? I'm literally salivating in anticipation. Don't let me down, Orson Scott Card. In addition, while I am conflicted/undecided about Ender's non-relationship-relationship with Novinha, I am wholly one hundred percent in favor of Ender adopting 12 children. This is perfect and beautiful. Thank you.
Treatment of Women: *so-so hand motion* Valentine barely features here. Jane goes silent for most of the book after throwing a hissy fit over Ender turning off her omniscient live feed access to his brain for two seconds. This effectively makes her a bratty sort of deus ex machina. Novinha carries most of the weight of the book, second only to Ender, and she cheats on her husband, neglects all her children, gets Libo killed by keeping him in ignorance, and causes everyone's pain and suffering through her own stubborn stupidity. Novinha is a problem to be solved and saved by Ender. (To be fair, everyone in the whole galaxy, in this book -- in every Ender book -- is a problem to be solved and saved by Ender.) I'm undecided about whether Novinha is unlikable and complex, but a good character, or whether she's just a "broken girl" damsel fantasy made to be rescued and healed by a white knight's love. Hopefully the subsequent books will make her more of the former and less of the latter.
Breeding Kink Content: Minimal. There are only two or three offhanded comments about Valentine passing on the Wiggin genes, and Ender fulfilling some base instinct by adopting all of Novinha's children as his own. This barely registers on the scale of OSC breeding kink weirdness, and I trust the rest of the series will continue this trend.