Reviews

R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek

carrotsoup's review against another edition

dark funny sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

cmelnel's review against another edition

miluji karla capka celym srdcem ale bohuzel musim konstatovat ze rur je jeho nejslabsi prace je mi lito muselo to byt receno neznam vic overrated knizku

c_youssef's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

millaisofelia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

nocteconsilium's review

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

ohclaire's review against another edition

3.0

Interesting play, very much of its time but also so informative of the present? The bit where Helena

Spoiler

is very much assaulted and seems just so okay with it later?

is sooooo terrifying.

olii's review

challenging inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

No expectations going into it so I was absolutely positively surprised! I had never heard about this book before, which was surprising to me as a longtime scifi fan and I did not expect to come across such a foundational work, and written as a play at that. It was a refreshing medium for science fiction to be delivered in. Beyond that it was also a really fast and engrossing read! The characters all let their egos and ideas rule their actions, creating very engaging dialogue and situations but it did not conjour up any sympathies. The cycle of destruction that follows from that has something inevitable and scary but almost cathartic, especially when nature will as it does and new things always grow out of the old, even if they are not what we imagined.
Very heavy on the religious tones, which I think is not atypical for it's time, especially regarding tales of creation.
The high rating can definitely be put down to novelty, the length of the play and how engaging it was. Half a star removed because I find it hard to read about outdated ideas of women. 

book_nerd_1's review

5.0

Robots have been rebelling for nearly a hundred years!

This was a really interesting read. It had pretty much all the ideas you've read in any other books about robots and their effect on society.
I liked all the characters and their different philosophies with the exception of Helena. Though she was the one calling for the humane treatment of the robots she was an annoying damsel-in-distress type and I got thoroughly sick of the word "dr-r-readful!"!!

It seemed to me that Blade Runner took at least as much from this book as it did from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

vladja's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

arquero's review against another edition

2.0

Creator vs creature. Humanity doomed. Diabolus ex machina. Pre-Asimov staff.
All that's nice, but it was weeak.

Read it only for the fab word.
Also Capek's a fav writer of mine anyway.