patience98's review
mysterious
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
2.0
markkon's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
hanz's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
jarichan's review
5.0
Ich brauchte etwas länger für dieses doch sehr kurze Büchlein, da es wirklich kein einfaches Englisch ist. Nichtsdestotrotz eine wunderschöne Sammlung grandioser Geschichten des Grossmeisters Lem. Seine Geschichten sind wirklich Science-Fiction, gehen wir doch bis auf die Ebene der Atome und noch weiter. Gleichzeitig finden sich überall Hinweise auf das Leben im Kommunismus, kleine Seitenhiebe und verstecke Andeutungen. Eine grossartige Lektüre!
in_praise_of_idlenesss's review
4.0
this made me feel warm, safe, happy, n full of wonder ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️
readonmacduff's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
Penguin Modern number nine is another short-story collection, this time by sci-fi author Stanislaw Lem. Each of the stories are set in a fantastical alien world, and each of them are constructed as a fable, generally with some sort of moral underpinning them; fairy-tales in space essentially.
Prior to reading this, I knew next to nothing of Lem, and it is also worth pointing out I don’t read sci-fi very frequently. Unfortunately, this was another Penguin Modern which didn’t do a great deal for me. The stories were serviceable, but I was ultimately fairly indifferent to them. There was a multitude of made-up space and alien jargon, the characters felt very two-dimensional, and none of the were memorable for me.
Sci-fi devotees may have a different experience with the collection, but unfortunately I didn’t get much out of it.
d6y's review
2.0
These particular stories didn’t do it for me, but the language...wow, so beautiful. And then I realised it’s a translation. Much impressed.