msievers's review against another edition
2.0
Listened to this on audio and absolutely hated the reader. He did terrible women's voices, making them sound like stupid Southern hicks and the main character sounded way too smug for my taste. Very unfinished ending. Not sure how I feel about it. Definitely a sequel to The Moon is a Harsh Mistress but I didn't realize that until after I started listening to them in reverse order.
eric_conrad's review against another edition
4.0
Heinlein divided the book into three sections. Each one is different from the previous section with one character narrating through all of three. In some ways it makes sense, but also feels as though it gets wrapped up too quickly in the end. For me this made the third section the weakest and least enjoyable to read.
I would not recommend this as a first read of Heinlein, but having read at least ten of his books it was a fun read for me. Heinlein weaves in both the Moon is a Harsh Mistress and the Number of the Beast. Oh the story still makes sense, but the nods to the other two books of his would be lost on others.
I would not recommend this as a first read of Heinlein, but having read at least ten of his books it was a fun read for me. Heinlein weaves in both the Moon is a Harsh Mistress and the Number of the Beast. Oh the story still makes sense, but the nods to the other two books of his would be lost on others.
spinnerroweok's review against another edition
3.0
Really Robert A Heinlein? That's where you chose to go with your novel that started off so full of action and humor? Did I really have to read through your endless endorsement of polyamory, pedophilia, and incest? Then you finish with an ambiguous ending? Seriously? Did you even resolve any of the mysteries that you began with? I don't know because I got tired of listening to your characters sitting around talking and doing nothing but complaining about each other. Your novel started off all James Bond, but it ended all C-SPAN. You get 3 stars for the beginning of the book. You get no more for the second half of the book.
ahaynie's review against another edition
1.0
I absolutely hated this book by the end.
When I first started it, I was excited - the book was given to me as a gift and I'd just finished reading a book that I'd had to trudge through to finish. I was looking forward to what I hoped was an enjoyable book. This one grabs your attention very quickly and I was immediately intrigued and sucked into this futuristic world.
However, somewhere near the middle of the book, the plot suddenly changes - this wasn't some brilliant plot twist, it was more like the author said, "You know all the stuff that's been happening up until now? The fun exciting whodunit stuff? Yeah...it's all irrelevant. Seriously, it barely matters."
Suddenly, in this new plot, we're in a world that was surely made up by a prepubescent teenage boy fantasizing about a place where people are allowed to walk around naked and have sex with anyone they want and marry multiple people. Stuff goes down that is unexplained and makes no sense even though these events appear to be major plot points. Characters also have unexplained emotional reactions to seemingly normal events. I seriously began to wonder if the book would ever make sense again.
Then, literally in the last 5 pages (that is not a joke), Heinlein suddenly decides to wrap things up so he has one character (badly) attempt to explain the entire rest of the book and then it ends.
I have never been happier to see a book end without caring how. I just needed it to be over.
When I first started it, I was excited - the book was given to me as a gift and I'd just finished reading a book that I'd had to trudge through to finish. I was looking forward to what I hoped was an enjoyable book. This one grabs your attention very quickly and I was immediately intrigued and sucked into this futuristic world.
However, somewhere near the middle of the book, the plot suddenly changes - this wasn't some brilliant plot twist, it was more like the author said, "You know all the stuff that's been happening up until now? The fun exciting whodunit stuff? Yeah...it's all irrelevant. Seriously, it barely matters."
Suddenly, in this new plot, we're in a world that was surely made up by a prepubescent teenage boy fantasizing about a place where people are allowed to walk around naked and have sex with anyone they want and marry multiple people. Stuff goes down that is unexplained and makes no sense even though these events appear to be major plot points. Characters also have unexplained emotional reactions to seemingly normal events. I seriously began to wonder if the book would ever make sense again.
Then, literally in the last 5 pages (that is not a joke), Heinlein suddenly decides to wrap things up so he has one character (badly) attempt to explain the entire rest of the book and then it ends.
I have never been happier to see a book end without caring how. I just needed it to be over.
marilynsaul's review against another edition
1.0
I hated this book. What a waste of 7 days. I skipped through the last 20 pages because I couldn't bear to waste another second on this book. If, as I have read, this was one of the last of Heinlein's books, he must have been in his dotage (and sexually needy).
cjsarfatis's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good return to fiction after a seven year stretch of non-fiction books. Heinlein keeps readers on their toes with multiple switches in the direction the story is going as things are revealed. The friend who recommended this to me warned me of the surprise sexism and racism that pops up now and again with this book, largely products of their time, and I think it's only fair that I pass the warning along.
gloryfink's review against another edition
4.0
It's ok but I like To Sail Beyond the Sunset much more. Perhaps because it's told from Maureen's POV and I can relate to her easier.
I was also disappointed that this is not much about the titular character and so I feel a bit misled.
I was also disappointed that this is not much about the titular character and so I feel a bit misled.
shawnwhy's review against another edition
4.0
looks like a "holy conversation" kid of book where teh author gathers up all of his characters to discuss teh nature of the world and being. goes into complete wish fulfillment mode and did what ever the hell he wanted, very much like the end of Dan Simmons's Illium and Hyperion series, but still so much fun
bill_keller's review against another edition
1.0
There's a cat that says "Blert" and that's pretty much the only reason I stuck through to the end. Everything else is so convoluted it's basically nonsense.
thomcat's review against another edition
3.0
A cameo book, and not nearly enough of the title character. I suspect I missed some of the insider stuff, but I get the feeling this was almost a backlash against Lazarus Long. Will read a few interpretations or perhaps just wikipedia and then move on. Liked it, but didn't love it.