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booleancat's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
hirvimaki's review
4.0
Three and a half stars, rounded up to 4 because although I'm not sure I "really liked it" it is more than just a "liked it." An enjoyable if rather rambling and self-indulgent tale of time travel, the nature of reality, and a cat. If you enjoy Heinlein and have read the bulk of his work then this read is fun just because it is a cavalcade of many of Heinlein's characters and a tour of locations from the Heinleinverse. It's like an episode of The Love Boat (cheesy sexcapades included) with 300 times the guest stars, including characters and locations from The Rolling Stones, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Methuselah's Children, Time Enough for Love, The Number of the Beast, To Sail Beyond the Sunset, Strange Land, Starship Troopers, Glory Road, etc...
greaydean's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent. I do highly recommend reading "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" before reading this book, as there are a number of characters that show up including some important plot pieces.
Spoiler alert.
The ending is abrupt.
Spoiler alert.
The ending is abrupt.
authoraugust's review
3.0
So, I have infinitely mixed feelings about this book. I haven't dog-eared a book this much in a long time; the quotables were boundless, and Hazel is an incredibly fun character. But at the end of the day...what the hell? Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough for Heinlein, or maybe I shouldn't try to read a book about time travel on the bus. Either way, the ending left me confused and frustrated, even though (after verbally recounting it) I think I know what he was going for. I also didn't realize when I started this book that it's a loose sequel to The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, or I would have read that first.
olityr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Very disappointing. This is my 12th book by Heinlein, and it's by far the worst of them. It was meandering and unfocused. Having his wife turn out to be multiple characters from his other books slightly tainted those good/great books by association with this terrible one. (This is a loose sequel to both The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and The Rolling Stones.)
Most of the sexual conversations were off-putting. He was clearly trying to show a group of people in a society where sex isn't a taboo, but it repeatedly came off as creepy rather than liberated. (Especially in regard to 13-year-old Gretchen)
Favorite Quote:
"The hardest part about gaining any new idea is sweeping out the false idea occupying that niche. As long as that niche is occupied, evidence and proof and logical demonstration get nowhere. But once the niche is emptied of the wrong idea that has been filling it — once you can honestly say, ‘I don’t know’, then it becomes possible to get at the truth."
Most of the sexual conversations were off-putting. He was clearly trying to show a group of people in a society where sex isn't a taboo, but it repeatedly came off as creepy rather than liberated. (Especially in regard to 13-year-old Gretchen)
Favorite Quote:
"The hardest part about gaining any new idea is sweeping out the false idea occupying that niche. As long as that niche is occupied, evidence and proof and logical demonstration get nowhere. But once the niche is emptied of the wrong idea that has been filling it — once you can honestly say, ‘I don’t know’, then it becomes possible to get at the truth."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Pedophilia
Most of the sexual conversations were off-putting. He was clearly trying to show a group of people in a society where sex isn't a taboo, but it repeatedly came off as creepy rather than liberated. (Especially in regard to 13-year-old Gretchen)fae713's review
5.0
I am a late-comer to the Heinlein bandwagon. I've now read/listened to two of his books and have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed them. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls starts in the same universe as [b:The Moon is a Harsh Mistress|16690|The Moon is a Harsh Mistress|Robert A. Heinlein|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348768309s/16690.jpg|1048525], which worked well for me as I was already familiar with some of the culture that was referenced and had more time enjoying the action that was going on. Mind you, Heinlein is great at keeping the action up. There were only a handful of pages total that could have been considered low-key, most of those were there more for the reader than anything because he threw some curve balls. Foreshadowed curve balls, but still curve balls none-the-less. I know I startled my my husband when I spoke outloud about how the entire story went all Timey-Wimey and Tardis-y on me. I think he just laughed and thought I was exaggerating things. Dear, happy reader, I was not exaggerating. The story gets more convoluted and turned in about itself with each passing chapter, though not in a way that's difficult to follow if you take the time to pay attention to what's being said by whom and when.
I would suggest reading some of his earlier work, especially [b:The Moon is a Harsh Mistress|16690|The Moon is a Harsh Mistress|Robert A. Heinlein|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348768309s/16690.jpg|1048525], prior to reading this one as events and characters from it make appearances or are a large part of the plot in multiple different ways. Whether you follow that advice or not, I think you could still enjoy the book and will be amused at the differences between Loony and ground side culture. Actually, I would say that it would be a good idea to read this book, and many other Heinlein books just to be introduced to what was initially a radical way of viewing life and the roles of men, women, sex, and gambling. Technically nothing that is written about is beyond a PG13 rating, but there are plenty of cultural differences and innuendos that some people may be uncomfortable.
Long story short, I was entertained, amused and had my mind expanded a bit by this book.
I would suggest reading some of his earlier work, especially [b:The Moon is a Harsh Mistress|16690|The Moon is a Harsh Mistress|Robert A. Heinlein|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348768309s/16690.jpg|1048525], prior to reading this one as events and characters from it make appearances or are a large part of the plot in multiple different ways. Whether you follow that advice or not, I think you could still enjoy the book and will be amused at the differences between Loony and ground side culture. Actually, I would say that it would be a good idea to read this book, and many other Heinlein books just to be introduced to what was initially a radical way of viewing life and the roles of men, women, sex, and gambling. Technically nothing that is written about is beyond a PG13 rating, but there are plenty of cultural differences and innuendos that some people may be uncomfortable.
Long story short, I was entertained, amused and had my mind expanded a bit by this book.
andgineer's review
2.0
Одна из немногих книг Хайнлайна, которую не читал ранее.
Искренне разочарован. Мне очень нравятся почти все произведения Хайнлайна, но это с трудом дочитал.
Вначале в стиле Glory road, но гораздо слабее и постоянно чувствовал что как-то совсем для подростков.
А потом пошел полный бред, не увязанный ни логически ни хотя бы эмоционально, нагромождение неинтересных деталей. Открытый конец в такой ситуации уже был безразличен.
Искренне разочарован. Мне очень нравятся почти все произведения Хайнлайна, но это с трудом дочитал.
Вначале в стиле Glory road, но гораздо слабее и постоянно чувствовал что как-то совсем для подростков.
А потом пошел полный бред, не увязанный ни логически ни хотя бы эмоционально, нагромождение неинтересных деталей. Открытый конец в такой ситуации уже был безразличен.
cassie_grace's review
4.0
It only took me five years to read this! Once I got past the first couple chapters I read the rest in a couple weeks. It was fun and moved quickly, but man, the last third of that book was WEIRD. And I've actually read the majority of the Heinlein books that are referenced (Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Time Enough for Love, Revolt in 2100). And it ends on a cliffhanger. Still enjoyable.
apryde6226's review
3.0
"When in trouble, or in doubt
Run in circles, scream & shout"
Heinlein describes some very weird ideas about families and marriages, in this book. I don't think it's really for kids...
Run in circles, scream & shout"
Heinlein describes some very weird ideas about families and marriages, in this book. I don't think it's really for kids...
andybdubs's review
2.0
Maybe someone with more knowledge of Heinlein's work would be a better judge, but--what a mess. For me, this was a confusing, tedious slog. In hindsight, I see that a little more research into his work might have revealed a better book to start with, because this was clearly not the one. But even so, I can't imagine it would have made a huge difference. There was a lot to not like about this one.