I read Stranger in a Strange Land twice. I loathed it with a passion the first time I read it, sometimes in the Eighties. I tried again in 2008 when iI read Stranger in a Strange Land twice. I loathed it with a passion the first time I read it, sometimes in the Eighties. I tried again in 2008 when it was a selection for one of my GoodReads groups. I thought maybe I was missing something, so I decided to go for the re-read. It was just as awful the second time. Because of my experience, I vowed I would never read Heinlein again. Several people told me that Stranger in a Strange Land wasn't really his best work and that I should try The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress instead. After listening to the discussion on the Sword & Laser podcast about this book, I decided to give it a try. (A $4.95 sale at Audible really decided it for me.) I will hereby vow never to read anything by Heinlein again. You will never convince me to read Starship Troopers or The Puppet Masters or any other Heinlein book. There just aren't enough reading hours in a lifetime to spend trying to discover why this author is considered to be a science fiction great.
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress started off promising. A computer repair guy learns that the computer he's working on has become sentient and they become good friends. Computer guy gets involved with revolutionaries and computer becomes a key figure in the revolution. However, the novel quickly digresses into lecturing about politics, gender relations, economics, and a plethora of other topics. It was a primer on revolution. There was a lot of talking, but not much action. Even if the book were cut in half, there would still be too much exposition.
The only thing that brought this book up from one star to two for me was the narrator. He did a great job with the voice of Manuel and with the other characters. He made the unbearable slightly tolerable.
Merged review:
I read Stranger in a Strange Land twice. I loathed it with a passion the first time I read it, sometimes in the Eighties. I tried again in 2008 when it was a selection for one of my GoodReads groups. I thought maybe I was missing something, so I decided to go for the re-read. It was just as awful the second time. Because of my experience, I vowed I would never read Heinlein again. Several people told me that Stranger in a Strange Land wasn't really his best work and that I should try The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress instead. After listening to the discussion on the Sword & Laser podcast about this book, I decided to give it a try. (A $4.95 sale at Audible really decided it for me.) I will hereby vow never to read anything by Heinlein again. You will never convince me to read Starship Troopers or The Puppet Masters or any other Heinlein book. There just aren't enough reading hours in a lifetime to spend trying to discover why this author is considered to be a science fiction great.
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress started off promising. A computer repair guy learns that the computer he's working on has become sentient and they become good friends. Computer guy gets involved with revolutionaries and computer becomes a key figure in the revolution. However, the novel quickly digresses into lecturing about politics, gender relations, economics, and a plethora of other topics. It was a primer on revolution. There was a lot of talking, but not much action. Even if the book were cut in half, there would still be too much exposition.
The only thing that brought this book up from one star to two for me was the narrator. He did a great job with the voice of Manuel and with the other characters. He made the unbearable slightly tolerable....more
Stephen King’s latest novel has been receiving some major accolades. The New York Times named it one of the top ten books of 2011, making it one of thStephen King’s latest novel has been receiving some major accolades. The New York Times named it one of the top ten books of 2011, making it one of their top five fiction books. That kind of surprised me until I listened to the book. It really is that good.
Now, I’m not a huge Stephen King fan. I’ve only read about half a dozen books out of the gazillion that he’s written. I found the longer works that I’ve read to be kind of convoluted and in need of serious editing. I must admit that this one doesn’t seem to suffer from the confusing ramblings of “The Stand� or “Under the Dome�. I think the biggest reason the story holds together than those other giant novels is that King uses a first person perspective that keeps him from going off on tangents. Also, because most of the story takes place from 1958 through 1963, the pop culture references are historic rather than easily dated. Despite it’s length, it kept me engaged and I couldn’t stop listening.
The audio book narration is excellent. It’s not over-dramatized, yet it’s also not horrendously dry. The narrator individualizes each character without making them cartoonish. I highly recommend the audio version, especially since it doesn’t involve holding a five-pound hardback. ...more
Any book that has me reading when I really shouldn't be reading deserves five stars. I had a hard time getting anything done for two days because I keAny book that has me reading when I really shouldn't be reading deserves five stars. I had a hard time getting anything done for two days because I kept wanting to get back to this book. I really felt connected to Christine and was totally shocked by the ending. It was creepy on so many levels. I can't say much more without spoilers, so I'm just going to recommend that everyone read it....more
I’ve tried to read Jane Austen several times and just couldn’t get very far in to her work. Perhaps if I had started in my pre-teen years, around the I’ve tried to read Jane Austen several times and just couldn’t get very far in to her work. Perhaps if I had started in my pre-teen years, around the time I first read Louisa May Alcott, I might have been a die-hard fan. However, my first attempt was in my twenties and I just didn’t like anything enough to make it all the way. I’ve felt quite negligent in this regard because Miss Austen is so popular now. She has many admirers and copiers. I so often hear books described as “Austenesque� but only had the vaguest sense of what that meant. Therefore, when I happened upon an audio download of Pride and Prejudice read by one of the finest female narrators with whom I am familiar, I purchased and downloaded a copy. Kate Reading’s delightful narration led me to understand the charm of Miss Austen.
While Austen did use so many of the now-familiar romance novel tropes, she did it in a way that still seems fresh despite two centuries. I found her style to be quite humorous. Upon the commencement of the story, I already knew where it was going to go. There are no such things as spoilers when it comes to a 200-year-old novel. What did surprise me was how little I knew of the story despite all I had heard. It was quite a charming romantic comedy and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. Perhaps it was meant to be read aloud.
Now that I understand Jane Austen, I will attempt at some time in the future to read another of her novels. I am so fortunate as to have several Barnes and Noble Classics� editions on my Nook that I acquired at no cost due to a generous giveaway the had this summer past. However, it does behoove me to read some books that are more current first as I cannot write or talk like a 200-year-old woman for much longer. ...more
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