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jhbandcats's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I didn’t know what to expect but I’m sure that if I had, this book would have exceeded my expectations. It’s a funny premise: Athene (Athena) gathers 300 adults from all time periods of Western Civilization and uses them as teachers in her experiment of establishing Plato’s Just City. There are some real people among the characters, most notably Sokrates (Socrates). Apollo wants to learn more about humans and becomes a mortal so he can participate.
The 10,080 children who are being taught were all bought as slaves, told their previous lives should be considered dreams, and never to think of refer to them again. This seems all right with most, especially those whose experiences as slaves are worth forgetting, but there are some who don’t mold themselves to the plan.
Many, many philosophical conversations ensue. The story is told from three perspectives, that of Apollo as mortal, a teacher, and a student. Parts are very funny, as when Apollo’s identity is occasionally guessed and when Sokrates tries to talk to the robots.
There is much to think about here of free will, power, slavery and its equivalents, the nature of love, and being forced to have sex and breed. I was surprised st how much I loved this book.
There was an early scene where there was great conflict between two people, and it never sat well with me. The one who took the other’s liberty never realized he’d done something wrong. If this was the Just City, there should have been some justice for the wounded party.
The 10,080 children who are being taught were all bought as slaves, told their previous lives should be considered dreams, and never to think of refer to them again. This seems all right with most, especially those whose experiences as slaves are worth forgetting, but there are some who don’t mold themselves to the plan.
Many, many philosophical conversations ensue. The story is told from three perspectives, that of Apollo as mortal, a teacher, and a student. Parts are very funny, as when Apollo’s identity is occasionally guessed and when Sokrates tries to talk to the robots.
There is much to think about here of free will, power, slavery and its equivalents, the nature of love, and being forced to have sex and breed. I was surprised st how much I loved this book.
There was an early scene where there was great conflict between two people, and it never sat well with me. The one who took the other’s liberty never realized he’d done something wrong. If this was the Just City, there should have been some justice for the wounded party.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Rape, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
jayco's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I've never read anything quite like this. Time-traveling Greek gods and a philosophy experiment in the form of a city. There were at least two points in this book I had to pause and say wow. I'd recommend this book to people interested in feminist themes, classics, theology/mythology, consciousness, and purported utopias cracking until they shatter. Give this book a pass if you get annoyed at drawn out dialogues on philosophical questions.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Child death
vemilla's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery
machadamia's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I really enjoyed this book and after which had a compelling urge to read Plato. I loved all the questioning dialogues and the thought of someone setting up an ideal city, a form of utopia, supposedly, and for it to end that way was so unexpected but also completely justified. I liked all the relationships that formed between the cast of characters and even thought it was a large cast, it never felt like I was lost. I also loved the portrayal of socrates. The author clearly read and researched and loved greek literature and philosophers. A very interesting premise and is really only just getting started.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexual assault
pferdina's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Really enjoyed this and looking forward to reading the next volume in the series.
Athena and Apollo set up an isolated city on an island with a volcano that will destroy it in the future as an experiment to test Plato’s Republic. Apollo takes mortal form to be part of the experiment and learn about volition and equal significance. I thoroughly loved the idea of the city as a way for people to become their best selves, but of course Plato did not consider human nature and the complexity of what he was asking these people to do. The sentient workers were an additional wonderful bit, as Sokrates shows they have souls.
Athena and Apollo set up an isolated city on an island with a volcano that will destroy it in the future as an experiment to test Plato’s Republic. Apollo takes mortal form to be part of the experiment and learn about volition and equal significance. I thoroughly loved the idea of the city as a way for people to become their best selves, but of course Plato did not consider human nature and the complexity of what he was asking these people to do. The sentient workers were an additional wonderful bit, as Sokrates shows they have souls.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, and Pregnancy
thuguely's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Slavery
madhu42's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
A fascinating thought experiment into the potential strengths and downfalls of setting up Plato's Republic in real life, drawing upon the expertise of iconic figures (and gods) across history - past, present, and future. As a former philosophy student, I was positively surprised by how authentic and fun the socratic dialogues felt, I honestly felt like I was reading Plato at times. The characters were a little flat, though I loved Sokrates himself, but this is because the book is about 80% dialogue and often relies on characters to function as argumentative pawns. It's a very fast read but the setup to the climax/final debate is well paced, thought-provoking, and satisfyingly chaotic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Pregnancy
Moderate: Slavery
sarapocher98's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Slavery
th206's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Gaslighting
aradeia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is pure fun! If you love classics, sci-fi, and philosophy, this is the book for you. I loved the characters, I loved the themes. Plato meets robots! The Free Will™ debate! Incarnated gods! And hopefully this book will help anyone who thinks it's cool to hate Socrates get over that. He's just great in this book.
Unfortunately, I don't think the two sequels are quite as good as The Just City, but they're still plenty of fun too. It's probably time for a reread, I think.
Unfortunately, I don't think the two sequels are quite as good as The Just City, but they're still plenty of fun too. It's probably time for a reread, I think.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape