markazarnie's review against another edition
5.0
I brought this book when it tirst came out in the 80s, but could never get more than the first few chapters. Then I got ill and neded something to while away the time, so I started reading it again. I'm now on my 7th copy of it(the rest fell to bits from over reading) and I reread it every 6 months. The first is basically a battle of wits between the twn main characters, and it goes from there. Yes to cal the film a peice of crap is being nice, and L Ron was definately different but this book is good
togashisan's review against another edition
5.0
I have always been a sucker for post apocalyptic tales. While this book is by L. Ron Hubbard, don't think that it has anything to do with Scientology. The story takes place 1000 years in the future, after mankind has been conquered and nearly completely exterminated. The story is epic in scale, and so is the book clocking in at damn near 1000 pages. The tale is well crafted, albeit at times the story slows down considerably and sort of wanders a bit, but in the end, everything is tied up well.
abbotsford1234's review against another edition
I read this years ago. No stars AT ALL.
jcooper221's review against another edition
1.0
It had a nice plot, but after the first 200 pages it began to feel like it wasn't really going anywhere. I also didn't like the author's style of writing, it's not very artistic or descriptive as I usually like it. The majority of description I find is about science and technology stuff, the kinds of things that I usually just skip over and really bore me. I can't understand the characters, as they seem to move however the author wants them to and not as though they were real, which is crucial to me if I want to get drawn into the book at all.
lovelyliterary's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Galaxy Press for graciously sending me a copy of Battlefield Earth to review in lieu of the novel's anniversary. All opinions are my own.
I'd like to begin by noting that very few fantasy novels pique my interest; if they do, many fail to keep my interest, especially if they are long (...which most fantasies are, haha). But that wasn't the case with Battlefield Earth at all. The reader is spared no detail, but - in my opinion - at the same time, the book never gets boring. The world is engaging and the writing captivating, demanding the reader's attention 100% of the time.
I consumed this book via audiobook, which is a new media format for me. I was wary 'reading' such a large/long book, but I'm so glad that I did. Yes, it's quite literally 48 hours of audio, but it's worth every second. The story is further enriched by a cast of talented voice actors that really brought the characters to life, as well as 150,000+ sound effects. I was completely engrossed in the world Hubbard crafted.
I'd like to begin by noting that very few fantasy novels pique my interest; if they do, many fail to keep my interest, especially if they are long (...which most fantasies are, haha). But that wasn't the case with Battlefield Earth at all. The reader is spared no detail, but - in my opinion - at the same time, the book never gets boring. The world is engaging and the writing captivating, demanding the reader's attention 100% of the time.
I consumed this book via audiobook, which is a new media format for me. I was wary 'reading' such a large/long book, but I'm so glad that I did. Yes, it's quite literally 48 hours of audio, but it's worth every second. The story is further enriched by a cast of talented voice actors that really brought the characters to life, as well as 150,000+ sound effects. I was completely engrossed in the world Hubbard crafted.
wdkilpackiii's review against another edition
5.0
Battlefield Earth had an incredible impact on my life, both as a person and a writer. First, I had never read anything before this came out where the Earth had been subjugated to an alien power. I had read plenty where Earth was attacked, we fought back against unbeatable odds, won out as the ultimate underdogs, etc. In Battlefield Earth, we fought, we lost, and we never stood a chance. I remember thinking, "Whoa! The good guys lost!" Enter Johnny Goodboy Tyler, who then takes on that underdog role, enduring excruciating circumstances, to finally avenge humanity. Very well written, a great hero, a great premise, just a great novel! If you have seen the movie and hated it, not to worry. The book and the movie really don't have much to do with each other. Highly recommended!
emanning64's review against another edition
2.0
Seeing this on sale and reading the reviews, I was looking forward to this sci-fi tale that spun one of the worst movies of all time. It starts off well enough, and I give the author credit in keeping things rolling at first.
However, this is a big book. And eventually it bogs down under itself and it's ridiculousness. This is an ultra long b-movie to its fullest. Normally I can take some weirdness. But with this it was just too much. Things just ended up getting plain silly which made it a chore to get through in the end. For some people, that might be a good thing. However for me, it was just too much to handle. Maybe if the book was a couple of hundred pages shorter, it would've been better.
However, this is a big book. And eventually it bogs down under itself and it's ridiculousness. This is an ultra long b-movie to its fullest. Normally I can take some weirdness. But with this it was just too much. Things just ended up getting plain silly which made it a chore to get through in the end. For some people, that might be a good thing. However for me, it was just too much to handle. Maybe if the book was a couple of hundred pages shorter, it would've been better.