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kikuchiyo90's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jbrito's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
jbryson's review against another edition
2.0
It was only Heinlein's second novel, and he wrote it with the backdrop of the rape of Nanking, the Antisemitism of Germany, and the USA's impending involvement in WWII. So I will forgive the quality.
eowynn01's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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? No
4.25
Oh boy, of you want a book that will make everyone uncomfortable this is it. When reading this book you MUST remember this book is a product of the times it was written in.
The time, WW2. I read this was written in 1941 and rewritten again later.. not sure how true that is but this book was published in 1949. (Also, remember how long it can take people to write books.) Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in that decade, so there was much hate for anyone who looked liked they where from Western Asia.
Outside the language used in this book, I liked the story. It was interesting how a fallen country -set many years in the future, with only 6 men try to reclaim their country while using what little resources they have.
It felt like MASH and Catch-22 but with much less humor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Minor: Slavery
Words used at times "master/slave" in contexts from the main characters to the villains of the story.verkisto's review against another edition
3.0
First written in 1941 and then revised in 1949, Sixth Column is a product of its time, and it's important to keep that in mind while reading it in the 21st century. The bulk of the US's involvement in WWII makes up a large part of the time in which the story was written, so the idea of the country having been taken over by Pan-Asians was a threat in that time. The perception of Asians at the time would lead to the perception of them that exists in this novel. That being said, it doesn't handle that threat with any subtlety or grace. If there's a pejorative word to describe Asians, it's used in this novel.
Aside from the language, the representation of Asians in the novel is a little disturbing. They're regarded as savages and animals by the main characters, blue-blooded Americans with the savvy and intelligence to fight back against the invasion of the Red Menace. It's very much a US-centric, "God Bless America" kind of story, with anyone opposing the country being nothing more than vermin to be exterminated. To be fair, the Pan-Asians have a racist view of White America, but the book is a conservative's wet dream.
Surprisingly, there's an interesting story buried beneath the racism and xenophobia. The surviving military regiment (all six of them) take to creating a new religion as a smokescreen for a revolution against the occupying Pan-Asians. Heinlein uses that as a means to make commentary on politics, religion, human nature, and survival, while still pushing through his own agenda about libertarianism and Constitutionalism. I sort of expected that, based on all I've heard about Heinlein and his writings. This isn't my first Heinlein book, but it's been thirteen years since I've read Stranger in a Strange Land, and twenty-three since reading The Puppet Masters.
I listened to this on audiobook, and the narrator did a good job with the reading. He used accents to designate characters so I could differentiate between them, and he presented the story more than he read it. Unfortunately, the voices he used for the Pan-Asian characters were unfortunate in how stereotypical they were. On the one hand, he was capturing the characters in the same way Heinlein wrote them; on the other hand, they sounded offensive. I'm not sure if he could have managed them any other way, but it made me cringe.
Not being familiar enough with Heinlein's greater body of work, I don't know how this book compares to them, but I don't know if I would recommend it. Conservatives would probably love it, but for the wrong reasons. For those looking for a mild skewering of religion (and possibly L. Ron Hubbard, who was a contemporary at the time this was written), though, it's entertaining. You'll just have to overlook the more unfortunate aspects of the story.
Aside from the language, the representation of Asians in the novel is a little disturbing. They're regarded as savages and animals by the main characters, blue-blooded Americans with the savvy and intelligence to fight back against the invasion of the Red Menace. It's very much a US-centric, "God Bless America" kind of story, with anyone opposing the country being nothing more than vermin to be exterminated. To be fair, the Pan-Asians have a racist view of White America, but the book is a conservative's wet dream.
Surprisingly, there's an interesting story buried beneath the racism and xenophobia. The surviving military regiment (all six of them) take to creating a new religion as a smokescreen for a revolution against the occupying Pan-Asians. Heinlein uses that as a means to make commentary on politics, religion, human nature, and survival, while still pushing through his own agenda about libertarianism and Constitutionalism. I sort of expected that, based on all I've heard about Heinlein and his writings. This isn't my first Heinlein book, but it's been thirteen years since I've read Stranger in a Strange Land, and twenty-three since reading The Puppet Masters.
I listened to this on audiobook, and the narrator did a good job with the reading. He used accents to designate characters so I could differentiate between them, and he presented the story more than he read it. Unfortunately, the voices he used for the Pan-Asian characters were unfortunate in how stereotypical they were. On the one hand, he was capturing the characters in the same way Heinlein wrote them; on the other hand, they sounded offensive. I'm not sure if he could have managed them any other way, but it made me cringe.
Not being familiar enough with Heinlein's greater body of work, I don't know how this book compares to them, but I don't know if I would recommend it. Conservatives would probably love it, but for the wrong reasons. For those looking for a mild skewering of religion (and possibly L. Ron Hubbard, who was a contemporary at the time this was written), though, it's entertaining. You'll just have to overlook the more unfortunate aspects of the story.
chan_fry's review
2.0
I first read this 25 or so years ago and it smacked of racism to me even before I truly understood racism. Now, it's unpalatable and absurd. I did notice the parts Heinlein shoehorned in to make it not quite as bad (like Finny’s statements, or the inclusion of an Asian American character on the “good guy” side), but these did nothing to erase the premise of the book, which rests on white supremacist ideology. The entire plot rests on “science that [Asian] culture can’t match” (next-to-last page) and “the superiority of western culture” (page 16 in my copy).
If one can ignore all that, and the pseudoscience of the superweapons, the writing isn’t bad — the story is tight and fast-paced.
(I published a longer review on my website.)
athenalindia's review against another edition
2.0
It would be easiest to review this like I have the stories I've been reading on Project Gutenberg - with a hefty dose of irreverence, and covering the sometimes astounding racism and sexism with as much humour as headshaking. But this is Heinlein, and it's not as easy to dismiss. With Heinlein, you have to tackle head-on the issues with many of his books, and, if you're me, admit that you still really like reading them anyway.
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
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