luisvilla's review against another edition
4.0
This holds up a lot better than I remembered. There are some definite artifacts of the Golden Age (every character is a dude who smokes, and the dialogue can be... clunky) but it moves along much better than you'd expect for a novel literally about ideas.
mlthomas_books's review against another edition
5.0
I wasn't expecting to like this book too much. The plot spans multiple generations (not a spoiler) so the characters aren't constant, but the story is gripping. Asimov's commentary on science, religion, and capitalistic powers is succinctly offered by way of story, without overbearing narration which can get tedious in other books. It stands firm as a recommendation on is own, but I'm looking forward to the rest.
sarahleger15's review against another edition
3.0
I recognize that Asimov did a lot for the Sci-Fi genre. However, there have been authors, like James S.A. Corey and Becky Chambers, who have been influenced by Asimov but created works that are infinitely better written. Asimov moves his stories through dialogue which can be incredibly boring at times. Also, the characters have little to no, well, character. They are just talking heads to move plot. Furthermore, I find it incredibly strange Asimov did not write a woman in this - I refuse to count the singular woman who had one line and it was about a piece of jewelry. I understand he said that he did not have the confidence to write a woman before getting married, but my guy, did you have a mother, sisters, cousins, aunts, classmates? Having sex with a woman is not a requirement for writing one in a story lol.
greypages's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kindlereads's review against another edition
2.0
Asimov has got a great idea and a very dull delivery. There are some interesting elements to it for instance, the use of religion as a tool of mass control but the book didn’t dig into it enough to fully enjoy that aspect. And just as soon as an interesting topic comes up it is shunted off to the side and never mentioned again. I can see the value in this book but it didn’t make it move any faster.
anastasiaadamov's review against another edition
4.0
I keep surprising myself with books I thought I would not like.
This was an entertaining and simple evolution of human condition.
I found this book to be rather educational.
It was a bit more colder in characters and themes than I usually like in my books.
I liked it.
Not sure do I need to keep reading the other books in the series though.
This was an entertaining and simple evolution of human condition.
I found this book to be rather educational.
It was a bit more colder in characters and themes than I usually like in my books.
I liked it.
Not sure do I need to keep reading the other books in the series though.
kernball's review against another edition
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? No
2.5
shawnwich's review against another edition
4.0
This was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. I'm surprised/impressed at how much story Asimov can get in through dialogue alone.