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A review by mysteriousnorse
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
4.0
My first reaction up finishing was: "Oh! That's what that movie's about." So then I proceeded to watch Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and while it made a lot more sense, it was also a little disappointing. True the visuals were stunning and it still retained much of its mystery (due to differences between the book and the film). However, Many of the best moments of the novel were gone or glossed over in favor of sweeping slow motion visuals. The monolith, which I found a bit more silly than menacing actually had menace (and description to back it up). In the film... it was still silly with only horror music to back it up. The final sequence of the film becomes a big let down as the novel delved into what was actually going on versus the 60s horror visuals of the film. I realize they could only do so much, but after all the impressive work in the other three sections a laser show and recolored landscapes don't really cut it. The two were made together and I feel the novel is superior.
Okay, obligatory movie comparison out of the way. I can get down to analyzing it as a novel. As another example hard science fiction there was a lot of description about the technology. I would say a bit too much and, much like the slow motion visuals of the film, it causes parts two through four to drag a bit. That having been said, I really enjoyed it. We actually got interesting characters who had feelings about the madness that was occurring around them. I could feel the awe and power of the monolith as it guided destiny for better or worse. Hal was presented as a much more cunning and threatening mastermind and I think his motives were far better than the film leads you to believe. It is not the best I've ever read, but it is a great novel.
Okay, obligatory movie comparison out of the way. I can get down to analyzing it as a novel. As another example hard science fiction there was a lot of description about the technology. I would say a bit too much and, much like the slow motion visuals of the film, it causes parts two through four to drag a bit. That having been said, I really enjoyed it. We actually got interesting characters who had feelings about the madness that was occurring around them. I could feel the awe and power of the monolith as it guided destiny for better or worse. Hal was presented as a much more cunning and threatening mastermind and I think his motives were far better than the film leads you to believe. It is not the best I've ever read, but it is a great novel.