Reviews

Monday Begins on Saturday by Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky

spentcello's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this quirky book. It was a lot of silly fun, in a way that didn't feel like it was trying too hard. I was lacking a lot of the background knowledge that allows you to appreciate a lot of the nuance of the satire and social commentary, which I think did detract somewhat from my enjoyment of the novel, and I also think that a decent amount is lost in translation in terms of the puns and the poetry. But alas, I don't read Russian and puns and poetry will remain exceedingly difficult to translate with all their nuance. Despite those difficulties, I found a lot to enjoy in this novel - the Stugatskys' blend of science fiction and fantasy is perfect, and it's all wrapped up in a hilarious critique of research institutions and bureaucracies.

krste93's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

dimonos's review against another edition

2.0

Читал много хороших книг от Стругацких. Но это какой то бред. Прочитал 2/3 и бросил. Не проникся. Бардак какой то.

claire_baco's review against another edition

challenging funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

2.25

captaincrunchabunch's review against another edition

funny informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

vinisfusi's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

jo_johanna's review against another edition

challenging funny lighthearted 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? No

3.75

yorick_ka's review against another edition

2.0

Many incredible ideas, but the plot is aimless.

babygirl123's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

Charming, lovely, imaginative, fun and funny. Sometimes, I got lost in the bit, but I very much enjoyed the ride!

sunshine42's review against another edition

5.0

In the introduction by Adam Roberts: "Some novels provoke admiration, some a cooler and more distanced respect. This is a novel with which to fall in love."
I definitely fell in love with this novel. Its characters, their quirks and everything that was going on. It made me want to live in that world.
A combination of The Master and Margarita, Harry Potter and science fiction.
Loved the humour, how well the characters and the world were built, the stories in it.
One of my all time favourites now <3