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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Sigh...
This was just not for me. Too science-y. Quite biased in a lot of opinions. Slow moving. There was one woman in this entire book and she was written so terribly. At one point she even says, "I'm a silly, ignorant woman," and does that not bother any one else...? It does me. The government stuff was weird, they let him go just out of nowhere and easily, totally out of the blue. Then super grotesque when the others blinded him. The Jesus comments made me really uncomfortable.
I really forced myself to finish it because I was curious about what this big thing he's building was going to be. Once I found out, it made sense. Cool concept. But then when he just decided to abandon it the whole book felt very anti-climactic and I don't know if I just skimmed over some greater commentary on humanity or something...? But yeah. This just wasn't for me.
But two stars for the descriptions and the details about the Anthean, that stuff was really cool.
This was just not for me. Too science-y. Quite biased in a lot of opinions. Slow moving. There was one woman in this entire book and she was written so terribly. At one point she even says, "I'm a silly, ignorant woman," and does that not bother any one else...? It does me. The government stuff was weird, they let him go just out of nowhere and easily, totally out of the blue. Then super grotesque when the others blinded him. The Jesus comments made me really uncomfortable.
I really forced myself to finish it because I was curious about what this big thing he's building was going to be. Once I found out, it made sense. Cool concept. But then when he just decided to abandon it the whole book felt very anti-climactic and I don't know if I just skimmed over some greater commentary on humanity or something...? But yeah. This just wasn't for me.
But two stars for the descriptions and the details about the Anthean, that stuff was really cool.
3.5 stars
Very inventive for a novel written in 1963. Definitely recommend for sci-fi fans.
Very inventive for a novel written in 1963. Definitely recommend for sci-fi fans.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't even know what to write in this review. Must admit that the book left me a bit indifferent, and that is why I've given it 3.5 stars. It is a well-written story, with a rather harsh critique of the American society. At times you sympathise with the main character until he starts discovering the plans of manipulation of the governments "for the greater good". Heard that one one too many times, and it never ends well. Looking from that perspective, I definitely appreciate Tevis' effort. I'm just not really sure that the people got the message
Published in 1963, and set in an imagined 1980s, this is approachable, engaging sci-fi, that is elevated to brilliance by Tevis's sense of pathos and understanding of character. Newton arrives in Kentucky on a spacecraft: tall and impossibly fine-boned, he stands out from humans, but no one realises he's an alien. He's taught himself about human culture by watching TV, and he's able to establish a multi-million dollar business by releasing some of his planet's advanced technologies onto the Earth's market. He comes from a world -- it may be Mars -- which has been ravaged by war and drought, and he is desperate to save his people and to save the Earth from itself. For humanity, too, is on the brink of destroying itself.
Though the imminent destruction in the book is related to the Cold War, the image of humanity on the brink of self-destruction feels all-too-relevant now. Whether it's by nuclear war or climate change, human civilization has never felt more unstable, and Tevis captures that terror and the apathy it produces. The humans in The Man Who Fell to Earth are intelligent, harassed, not unkind, and living lives of quiet despair. Almost everyone is an alcoholic. Being drunk is the only possible response to the pressures of the world and its inevitable path towards destruction. Newton, at first, is shocked by humans, and gradually comes to understand them, getting to the point where he is no different from them. In some ways, this book is rather dated, particularly as there are almost no women in it, and no characters of colour, but Tevis's worldview, in his treatment of men and aliens, feels very open and humane. Some of the technology is laughable now, but that's never mattered to me in sci-fi.
It's not a spoiler to say that this book ends with tragedy, because it's the tragedy that makes the narrative particularly moving and memorable. The Man Who Fell to Earth is a study of despair, and how we humans respond to the unbearable pressures around us, and asks what civilization is, and whether it's possible to have a civilized society. It's also an intimate portrait of despair, betrayal, and loss. I found it very moving, and at times shocking: it grabbed me and wouldn't let me go.
Though the imminent destruction in the book is related to the Cold War, the image of humanity on the brink of self-destruction feels all-too-relevant now. Whether it's by nuclear war or climate change, human civilization has never felt more unstable, and Tevis captures that terror and the apathy it produces. The humans in The Man Who Fell to Earth are intelligent, harassed, not unkind, and living lives of quiet despair. Almost everyone is an alcoholic. Being drunk is the only possible response to the pressures of the world and its inevitable path towards destruction. Newton, at first, is shocked by humans, and gradually comes to understand them, getting to the point where he is no different from them. In some ways, this book is rather dated, particularly as there are almost no women in it, and no characters of colour, but Tevis's worldview, in his treatment of men and aliens, feels very open and humane. Some of the technology is laughable now, but that's never mattered to me in sci-fi.
It's not a spoiler to say that this book ends with tragedy, because it's the tragedy that makes the narrative particularly moving and memorable. The Man Who Fell to Earth is a study of despair, and how we humans respond to the unbearable pressures around us, and asks what civilization is, and whether it's possible to have a civilized society. It's also an intimate portrait of despair, betrayal, and loss. I found it very moving, and at times shocking: it grabbed me and wouldn't let me go.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Science fiction, when done well, is an excellent vehicle to examine ourselves. At a single remove from our daily existence, we can examine things at arms length. Often it tells us things we would rather not accept about humanity. So it proves here, it's a superbly written, succinct and enveloping short book
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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