audbuttrue 's review for:

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

4.0

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The Sparrow is unlike any sci-fi book I've read before. It addresses struggles of everyday life (love, death, sex), ecology and anthropology of a newly discovered planet, and struggles with faith. As an atheist, I expected to be bored by the very prevalent discussion of faith, but I actually found myself fascinated by the thought processes of the Jesuits. Even when it seemed absurd, they would find ways to validate their belief in god. Interestingly, many of the conversations are between a Jesuit and an agnostic who points out flaws in the Jesuit's thinking. I really liked that dynamic in the beginning of the book, but as the story continued the only atheist in the group was not part of the conversations and the agnostic's arguments were found lacking. However, the book is written so that the reader is jumping between past and present; it is clear from the present that something went terribly wrong on the alien planet the characters travel to, which makes the faith of the Jesuits seem twisted and ominous somehow. Seeing the main Jesuit character, who feels truly secure in his belief in god for the first time, go through an unthinkable experience was tragic, more so since you know what is coming despite his blind faith. Although the parts of the book dealing with faith were interesting, I was much more interested in the ecology and anthopology of the new planet. Russell does an excellent job of helping the reader to visualize the ecosystem and understand the rather complex culture on the planet. Really, my only complaint about The Sparrow is wishing for more science and less talk of religion, but that is a matter of personal preference. Either way, it is an excellent book that I would recommend.