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A review by quarkie
Ball Lightning by Cixin Liu
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-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? No
4.0
Overall, I liked this book. Though it had what I saw as several distracting flaws, the philosophical questions that were addressed were very interesting.
What I didn't like: One of the first things that I noticed was that the translation for this book was not as good as the one for Three Body Problem. I say this because I felt that a lot of the poetic lyricism had been lost, and it wasn't clear that it was a translation, meaning that some undefinable quality that helped place it in global and historical context was also lost. Spoiler alert: There was also such a great opportunity to really bring the story full circle and come back to the main character's parents who die in the first few pages of the book, but it didn't happen. As is, the ending felt a bit lackluster. The long monologue at the end really came out of nowhere, and was a bit of a slog to get through.
What could have been better: This book jumped from one set of rails to another at several different points. Once I started to think I knew what the book was about, it would shift gears. This wasn't inherently a bad thing, because each new phase had a new question to explore, but it could be quite jarring. Also, really the only through-line in each of these phases was the main character, who I found to be somewhat uninspiring. He was never the driving force behind any of the developments - there was always someone better, smarter, braver who was pushing the plot along. He was along for the ride. At least he was honest with himself and with the readers about that point.
What I liked: The philosophical questions that were examined were very interesting. Some of the major ones were the dangers of a job turned obsession (both ball lightning and weapons, in this case), the differences between soldiers and scientists, the ways in which scientific innovation contributes to war and vice versa, and the possibility of macroscopic quantum effects.
Overall, I'm glad I read it. It was very thought-provoking. As a scientist, it left me with a new perspective on how my work can be used to create and destroy, to save or eliminate. That said, the main questions were wrapped up in a novel that was difficult to get through at times.
What I didn't like: One of the first things that I noticed was that the translation for this book was not as good as the one for Three Body Problem. I say this because I felt that a lot of the poetic lyricism had been lost, and it wasn't clear that it was a translation, meaning that some undefinable quality that helped place it in global and historical context was also lost. Spoiler alert: There was also such a great opportunity to really bring the story full circle and come back to the main character's parents who die in the first few pages of the book, but it didn't happen. As is, the ending felt a bit lackluster. The long monologue at the end really came out of nowhere, and was a bit of a slog to get through.
What could have been better: This book jumped from one set of rails to another at several different points. Once I started to think I knew what the book was about, it would shift gears. This wasn't inherently a bad thing, because each new phase had a new question to explore, but it could be quite jarring. Also, really the only through-line in each of these phases was the main character, who I found to be somewhat uninspiring. He was never the driving force behind any of the developments - there was always someone better, smarter, braver who was pushing the plot along. He was along for the ride. At least he was honest with himself and with the readers about that point.
What I liked: The philosophical questions that were examined were very interesting. Some of the major ones were the dangers of a job turned obsession (both ball lightning and weapons, in this case), the differences between soldiers and scientists, the ways in which scientific innovation contributes to war and vice versa, and the possibility of macroscopic quantum effects.
Overall, I'm glad I read it. It was very thought-provoking. As a scientist, it left me with a new perspective on how my work can be used to create and destroy, to save or eliminate. That said, the main questions were wrapped up in a novel that was difficult to get through at times.