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lalu's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
read in 2020
It's the 24th century. Gully Foyle (who is less than average in every aspect) is the only survivor after the space ship where he works gets destroyed. When an other space ship turns a blind eye to his distress signals, a manic urge to get revenge rises within him.
What other writers would have told in 700+ pages, Bester condenses to 240. There is no time for doubts, no time for hesitation - I could feel how driven the protagonist is.
What bothered me a lot was that apparently gender norms didn't change one bit between 1950 and ~2350. There's even a woman who secretly works in a man's job.
Apart from that it was an interesting and well written book, it just didn't meet my personal taste.
It's the 24th century. Gully Foyle (who is less than average in every aspect) is the only survivor after the space ship where he works gets destroyed. When an other space ship turns a blind eye to his distress signals, a manic urge to get revenge rises within him.
What other writers would have told in 700+ pages, Bester condenses to 240. There is no time for doubts, no time for hesitation - I could feel how driven the protagonist is.
What bothered me a lot was that apparently gender norms didn't change one bit between 1950 and ~2350. There's even a woman who secretly works in a man's job.
Apart from that it was an interesting and well written book, it just didn't meet my personal taste.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Sexism, Violence, and Medical content
Minor: Rape
teabeakay's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Honestly I'm not sure what the big deal is about this one. Perhaps it's just dated by its tropes. Certainly I can see how some of the concepts would have been novel in its time, but they only really comprise a small part of the book. The rest is just 'literature'.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
torpidcup's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Unmitigated insanity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Drug use, Sexism, and Violence