paulaapu's review against another edition
5.0
I had forgotten just how good of a writer Asimov is. This book in partcular contained twists upon twists upon twists and it was extremely exciting to read, I listened to the audiobook in just 2 days. Pay attention: all is not as it seems.
jreis's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
3.25
themidnightlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
This book renewed my excitement for reading this series. We had all forgotten about the Second Foundation but we finally learn that they do exist. And what a entrance they make, . It all just got more and more interesting from this point on.
Spoiler
putting things right and getting everyone back on Seldon's planuntapped_potential's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
I’ve been really enjoying the series, but I found this book to be a bit slow paced, I think the language was more technical and obviously I didn’t get it. I preferred in the other books that time moved forward quickly and protagonists changed and the others would be mentioned for their continuing contributions. In this one I didn’t think the characters were as self-motivated or all-seeing, which I guess reflects the time it’s set.
corypress's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
rhganci's review against another edition
3.0
Dang—he got me again. Not so much that the Second Foundation was on Trantor (I figured it was close), but that Preen Palver was the First Speaker. And once again, my first reaction was “I gotta read these books again and catch all this hidden junk.” Because the realization, though less intense, was similar in its execution to the revelation of the Mule. The resolution of the plot was rather flat and uninteresting, but the idea behind it was cool—I guess it was just a conflict of execution vs. exhibit. I really liked the idea of the Second Foundation doing what it had to do to get the Seldon Plan back on line, because of the problems that the Mule caused, but the space battles passed quickly and there were no characters, aside from Arkady and Preem that really captured me this time. Callia was okay, and the Admiral was maybe a little more than a filler, but the cast really paled in comparison to the Mule, Bayta and Torin. Are we to assume that the Foundation goes on its merry way through the next six hundred years and become the Second Empire without a hitch? Maybe—there are four more books, after all. But I find Asimov’s style a little tiresome, almost that he doesn’t trust the plot to make its own assertions. He overexplains things, and I find his world a bit hard to immerse myself in. But the idea behind the story is great, and I’m sure that at some point in the future—even if it is the distant future, after rereading Foundation—I’ll take a look at his other offerings. I feel a sense of accomplishment, having read the holy grail of science fiction trilogies, and even though it didn’t live up to the hype, I’m glad to have read it. I see it in every book I read.
jasonfurman's review against another edition
5.0
Last read this trilogy as a teenager, it has aged well both in terms of the passage of time and, hopefully, slightly more mature tastes on my part. Although I don't find it a particularly profound meditation on free well, the law of large numbers, and the great man theory of history. Not sure if is intended to be, but it is a great story.
The trilogy really picks up with the introduction of the Mule in the second half of this book. It runs at a fast pace through the end of Second Foundation. At some point it has a slightly Scooby-Doo feel as successive masks are pulled off characters/plots. And ultimately it is a bit dehumanizing. Except for social psychologists (who seem a lot like economists) who end up in charge of the galaxy. Only fair.
The trilogy really picks up with the introduction of the Mule in the second half of this book. It runs at a fast pace through the end of Second Foundation. At some point it has a slightly Scooby-Doo feel as successive masks are pulled off characters/plots. And ultimately it is a bit dehumanizing. Except for social psychologists (who seem a lot like economists) who end up in charge of the galaxy. Only fair.
dwheeler88's review against another edition
4.0
Great story. I only wish it would have covered the full 1000 yrs instead of just 400. I suppose we are to assume the ending.