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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
genre-wise, this is entirely different from ender’s game so i get why it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but as someone who once seriously considered a sociology/anthropology major, this was fun. i’m really impressed with card’s ability to juggle so many characters and their respective arcs, clearly and empathetically showing how their stories intertwine but also keeping each character distinct—the Ribiera family in particular is great here, though the same sentiment also applies to his writing on the piggies. i do think card sacrificed some of the (honestly devastating) emotional depth of the first book in exchange for a wider cast of characters, narrators, and generally more fleshed out world building, so this one—while still highly intelligent and beautifully tragic at times—still didn’t hit quite so hard as EG. which was fine! it’s a trade off that worked for me.
also, it is genuinely astonishing to me that card wrote an entire book about the practice of understanding, empathy, and love and is somehow still a raging bigot. make it make sense!!
4 stars for the book and no stars for OSC.
also, it is genuinely astonishing to me that card wrote an entire book about the practice of understanding, empathy, and love and is somehow still a raging bigot. make it make sense!!
4 stars for the book and no stars for OSC.
I understand why OSC wanted this to be the first book. I liked the concept a lot. Also my love for Ender is unwavering.
I wanted to like this more. And I did like it, I just didn't love it. Here's why:
* though the topics and issues dealt with were intriguing, it almost felt like too much to tackle in one novel. Perhaps OSC will go into more depth in subsequent books, but it felt like there was a lot crammed in here.
* as the series progresses the lack of female character depth becomes harder and harder to overlook. Even Jane, Ender's computer companion seems there only as a way to further Ender's story. The same was true with Valentine. And really any other female character. The males get full lives, the women as merely tools. It's incredibly annoying.
I haven't decided yet if I'm going to continue with the series. I want to, but I may need a little time before I keep going.
* though the topics and issues dealt with were intriguing, it almost felt like too much to tackle in one novel. Perhaps OSC will go into more depth in subsequent books, but it felt like there was a lot crammed in here.
* as the series progresses the lack of female character depth becomes harder and harder to overlook. Even Jane, Ender's computer companion seems there only as a way to further Ender's story. The same was true with Valentine. And really any other female character. The males get full lives, the women as merely tools. It's incredibly annoying.
I haven't decided yet if I'm going to continue with the series. I want to, but I may need a little time before I keep going.
An interesting book, although one that contains some questionable ideals. I enjoyed the continuation of Ender’s Game, although I didn’t find this as conceptually strong, even though Card readily admits he only wrote Ender’s Game to set up this book.
The ideas around cultural contamination and the preservation of the piggies were fascinating- I enjoyed that part of the book and examining how different piggy culture was. However… it was an interesting choice to call them piggies. I think it was supposed to indicate general human distaste for the “other,” but to some extent I couldn’t tell if it was a choice by the author or an admission of the author’s own bias.
Likewise, the treatment of women in this book made the plot suffer. In Ender’s Game, we get to know Valentine, who is a politician and a force to be reckoned with, even as she, too, is manipulated by the adults that torment Ender. However, almost as soon as we regroup with Ender in Speaker, we find Valentine happily married and pregnant. All of the females in the book, from Jane being dependent on Ender to the complete lack of women in piggy culture, indicate at best a general ignorance of and lack of emphasis on the importance of women. Ela is maybe the only well-developed female character in the entire novel.
Beyond those questionable items, the book was also just hard to read. Card writes in a way that blends internal monologues with dialogue and third person observations. I didn’t find this style jarring in Ender’s Game, but the shifts in perspective were more pronounced and confusing here. The book is long and dense, and conveys a great deal of thought, but it certainly could have been edited to be shorter and more readable.
Overall, though, I did enjoy Speaker. Card has some unusual ideas and I enjoyed watching him unravel piggy culture and the lives of particular characters.
The ideas around cultural contamination and the preservation of the piggies were fascinating- I enjoyed that part of the book and examining how different piggy culture was. However… it was an interesting choice to call them piggies. I think it was supposed to indicate general human distaste for the “other,” but to some extent I couldn’t tell if it was a choice by the author or an admission of the author’s own bias.
Likewise, the treatment of women in this book made the plot suffer. In Ender’s Game, we get to know Valentine, who is a politician and a force to be reckoned with, even as she, too, is manipulated by the adults that torment Ender. However, almost as soon as we regroup with Ender in Speaker, we find Valentine happily married and pregnant. All of the females in the book, from Jane being dependent on Ender to the complete lack of women in piggy culture, indicate at best a general ignorance of and lack of emphasis on the importance of women. Ela is maybe the only well-developed female character in the entire novel.
Beyond those questionable items, the book was also just hard to read. Card writes in a way that blends internal monologues with dialogue and third person observations. I didn’t find this style jarring in Ender’s Game, but the shifts in perspective were more pronounced and confusing here. The book is long and dense, and conveys a great deal of thought, but it certainly could have been edited to be shorter and more readable.
Overall, though, I did enjoy Speaker. Card has some unusual ideas and I enjoyed watching him unravel piggy culture and the lives of particular characters.
Much different than the first, and i think much better. Made me think throughout about a variety of questions related to science, religion, and evolution. Moving on to some other books right now but will return to ender saga at some point.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
Felt like I was plowing through endless talking about theology and our human nature... honestly, I didn't connect. I didn't feel any of the suspense I felt reading Ender, either.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced