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A review by marlow22
Sphere by Michael Crichton
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Despite the first two thirds of this book being very intriguing, the third act is a major let down. The multiple twists and turns create a fun and wild mystery but leave the final reveal feeling lacking. Characters don’t act like themselves in the final act. I do however enjoy the final (not very) ambiguous ending. I personally think it is very clear that Beth decided to keep her powers and I would have preferred if this was a bit more subtle.
After Beth is revealed to hold the power the story takes a MASSIVE downgrade. Norman keeps changing his mind about stuff and Beth’s actions serve the plot instead of her character.
The second act was incredible. The fast pacing and constant twists were wildly engaging. The tense and mysterious atmosphere in acts 1 and 2 were also a highlight, however this book is by no means a horror. I’ve heard this described as a physiological thriller but it is certainly not. I think looking to deep into this book exposes it’s shallow (pun intended) nature. Chrichton has created a fun skeleton of a book; it has a wonderful concept but ultimately feels underdeveloped and could be further fleshed out.
It is also abundantly clear that Chrichton can not write female characters very well. Beth’s character is inconsistent and she is frequently undermined for her feminist ideals. The Beth hate train honestly gets boring throughout the book, everyone including the author is constantly putting her down. Also the VERY frequent comments about Beth’s body are unnecessary, bordering on creepy. These comments also create a plot-hole.Beth wants to be seen as powerful and strong, despite this when she has the power everyone sees her as feminine and dainty. This may be her subconscious fears about people only viewing her as a desirable feminine object instead of a respectable scientist? However this is explored poorly throughout the book. Also that rape comment was wildly unnecessary.
Despite my nitpicky review I really liked this book. It was really fun to read and I had a good time reading it.
I read this book with no expectations going in and I was quite pleased. Don’t set your expectations too high and you’ll really enjoy this book.
After Beth is revealed to hold the power the story takes a MASSIVE downgrade. Norman keeps changing his mind about stuff and Beth’s actions serve the plot instead of her character.
The second act was incredible. The fast pacing and constant twists were wildly engaging. The tense and mysterious atmosphere in acts 1 and 2 were also a highlight, however this book is by no means a horror. I’ve heard this described as a physiological thriller but it is certainly not. I think looking to deep into this book exposes it’s shallow (pun intended) nature. Chrichton has created a fun skeleton of a book; it has a wonderful concept but ultimately feels underdeveloped and could be further fleshed out.
It is also abundantly clear that Chrichton can not write female characters very well. Beth’s character is inconsistent and she is frequently undermined for her feminist ideals. The Beth hate train honestly gets boring throughout the book, everyone including the author is constantly putting her down. Also the VERY frequent comments about Beth’s body are unnecessary, bordering on creepy. These comments also create a plot-hole.
Despite my nitpicky review I really liked this book. It was really fun to read and I had a good time reading it.
I read this book with no expectations going in and I was quite pleased. Don’t set your expectations too high and you’ll really enjoy this book.