grimreader_agatha's review against another edition
VERY slow paced to the point that I was dying to skip chapters.
spacecomics's review against another edition
4.0
Not one of the author's best but there is value in reading it. As always, Heinlein was ahead of his time, with gender issues as well as societal decay, predicting abandoned areas where police have given up preventing violence. Smooth reading.
cognative's review against another edition
3.0
I read this a LONG time ago. I remember that I had to keep reading because it was so bizarre. I may have to revisit in the future.
booleancat's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
kentons's review against another edition
1.0
Confession: I didn't finish this book. I was finished with it. What started out as a very interesting premise quickly devolved into a 50's era soft core-ish story that dragged on and on. I think I'm most disappointed because it could have been so much more than it was. Stranger in a Strange Land was certainly better, but maybe that was the high-water mark. I'll give Heinlein one more shot.
projaropener's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fourtriplezed's review against another edition
1.0
I read this back in my younger sci fi days and it was so bad I never read another Heinlein book. An old bloke becomes a young girl of very good looks and the point is laboured for about a 1000 pages. Well that was what it felt like anyway. Great cover though, that smoking skull. Good name for a book too.
Hey what the heck, after having a look around Goodreads it all remind's me of some of the complete trash I once read. I Will Fear No Crap Book I Once Read.
Hey what the heck, after having a look around Goodreads it all remind's me of some of the complete trash I once read. I Will Fear No Crap Book I Once Read.
furicle's review against another edition
4.0
Re-read this after a gap of many many years. It's really interesting how different the book is to me from the last time around.
This time I was very struck by Heinlein's politics and economics, rather than the very front and centre gender and sexuality plot. The perceived ethics, morals and responsibility of all the characters in an almost anarchic society were quite different than those you might expect.
I do think the authour tried pretty blatantly to provoke strong reactions in his readers, and it still does today, even though times have changed around it. What you think of this book might reflect more on yourself than you realize.
Not my favourite Heinlein, but still worth reading, and re-reading.
This time I was very struck by Heinlein's politics and economics, rather than the very front and centre gender and sexuality plot. The perceived ethics, morals and responsibility of all the characters in an almost anarchic society were quite different than those you might expect.
I do think the authour tried pretty blatantly to provoke strong reactions in his readers, and it still does today, even though times have changed around it. What you think of this book might reflect more on yourself than you realize.
Not my favourite Heinlein, but still worth reading, and re-reading.
m_is_for_awesome's review against another edition
3.0
A natural evolution of the direction Heinlein was going at the time. Not his best book, but thoughtful and intelligent.
reginacattus's review against another edition
2.0
Too much free sex and too little clothing on women for my tastes. Also it's a very weird and obsessive book.