galaxy_cat's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-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? No
5.0
morgle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.5
katikacsa's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
alexjstewart's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kurt_v's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? It's complicated
4.5
annedemonium's review against another edition
5.0
Captivating work of innovation, revelation, and compassion.
Cixin Lui is a unparalleled visionary.
Cixin Lui is a unparalleled visionary.
cblanc3666's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, man.
Ok. I loved Three Body. It was fantastic sci-fi, and it left this story with really fertile ground to grow on. And in many ways, The Dark Forest absolutely delivered. The philosophical dilemmas, moral questions, and really cool sci-fi ideas made this a phenomenal book. The last third or so in particular was absolutely amazing. The plot (the schemes, the twists, and the grand plans laid and revealed so artfully) made it hard to put down. For all of that, I would absolutely give this book 5 stars, and a place among my favorites to boot. This is the kind of sci-fi I live for.
However.
Liu isn't great with characters-at least, that's how I feel. That's what I've come to expect, though - I'm here for the ideas, here for the big pictures. What I found it harder to look past, specifically, was his characterization (or lack thereof) of women. A decent chunk (I'd say a sixth?) of this book was a bit hard to read, because while it was trying to drive home a powerful message about love (and maybe something in there about soul mates), it managed to be very icky in infantilizing and objectifying our protagonist's love interest.
I'm not great with reviews, but sometimes a book leaves me with a rating that I feel requires an explanation. This is one of those times. I loved the plot, the philosophy, and the science; I did not love the way our "true love side quest" was written.
Ok. I loved Three Body. It was fantastic sci-fi, and it left this story with really fertile ground to grow on. And in many ways, The Dark Forest absolutely delivered. The philosophical dilemmas, moral questions, and really cool sci-fi ideas made this a phenomenal book. The last third or so in particular was absolutely amazing. The plot (the schemes, the twists, and the grand plans laid and revealed so artfully) made it hard to put down. For all of that, I would absolutely give this book 5 stars, and a place among my favorites to boot. This is the kind of sci-fi I live for.
However.
Liu isn't great with characters-at least, that's how I feel. That's what I've come to expect, though - I'm here for the ideas, here for the big pictures. What I found it harder to look past, specifically, was his characterization (or lack thereof) of women. A decent chunk (I'd say a sixth?) of this book was a bit hard to read, because while it was trying to drive home a powerful message about love (and maybe something in there about soul mates), it managed to be very icky in infantilizing and objectifying our protagonist's love interest.
I'm not great with reviews, but sometimes a book leaves me with a rating that I feel requires an explanation. This is one of those times. I loved the plot, the philosophy, and the science; I did not love the way our "true love side quest" was written.
jrgryphon's review against another edition
reflective
medium-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
brighteyed's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
not sure if it’s due to the translation, but this was a letdown overall. while some interesting scientific concepts still came up, i was bored to tears by the focus on the main characters love life. it felt insincere, since the love interest was not developed at all. i think this is my main issue with the books. in fact, the majority of the characters were not developed and felt like plot points more than people.
the ending felt tacky more than anything. ive heard the 3rd book is better but i’m not sure if i want to read it.
the ending felt tacky more than anything. ive heard the 3rd book is better but i’m not sure if i want to read it.
wayfaring_witch's review against another edition
4.0
Explores some really fascinating concepts. My brain is still buzzing.
There are some problems I have with character development in the first 1/3 of the book preventing me from rating this as 5 stars.
There are some problems I have with character development in the first 1/3 of the book preventing me from rating this as 5 stars.