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Jonathan's Reviews > Nova
Nova
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TL;DR Review:
A wonderfully satisfying read, Nova rewards any and all effort expended to read it. Science fiction that is truly "literature" though not without a few weak points. Recommended.
The rest of it:
Nova is a master's piece that consciously strives to be literature. As such, when reviewing, I'm mentally holding it to the same standards set by Tolstoy, Dickens, and the like. I'm comparing it to The (nebulous) Canon.
To best understand it, I recommend a previous (and close!) reading of Moby Dick - or at least familiarity with its archetypes and symbolism. An additional aid to understanding this book would be War and Peace.
The book itself:
There's less scientific explanation than fans of harder sci-fi (Asimov, Clarke) would probably want, but more than non-speculative fiction (obviously). I thought the balance was good and allowed the characters and concepts to take center stage.
Speaking of concepts, one character in particular is used by the author to relate some of the author's ideas quite directly. Some may find it annoying (particularly during more self-referential monologues) but I didn't mind it. A few exposed me to very new ideas I found myself agreeing with (e.g., the nature of work in contemporary society). Don't drop the book when Katin starts a speech!
I give it 4/5 due to slow moments that did not advance either symbolism or plot and due to the ending. I can do slow: I've read War and Peace and Bleak House in the last few months. But those moments must serve a purpose in the scheme of the novel.
As to the ending, I had mixed feelings though for good reasons. The denouement was very artistic and inevitable, 5/5. The climax, as inevitable as it was, I thought needed more. I didn't hear drum rolls and cymbal crashes - it was over too fast!Â
I say "inevitable" often in this review. There are few twists and turns, but rather the steady grinding of time on humanity is on display.
The book is a very cohesive whole. It straddles the line between good and great. I recommend to anyone seeking literary sci-fi, forgotten jewels, or who read an abridged Moby Dick and enjoyed the lack of nautical jargon but still wanted more. (Spoiler: what if Ahab succeeded???)
Nova pairs well with:
Mahler's 2nd symphony, Shostakovich's 7th, Sibelius' 4th or 7th, and Holst's Planets (mainly Neptune and Uranus).
Also consider:
Wagnerian overtures, Beethoven's "Shipwreck" or "Apassionata" Â sonatas, Bartok quartets, Ives' "Concord" sonata.
A wonderfully satisfying read, Nova rewards any and all effort expended to read it. Science fiction that is truly "literature" though not without a few weak points. Recommended.
The rest of it:
Nova is a master's piece that consciously strives to be literature. As such, when reviewing, I'm mentally holding it to the same standards set by Tolstoy, Dickens, and the like. I'm comparing it to The (nebulous) Canon.
To best understand it, I recommend a previous (and close!) reading of Moby Dick - or at least familiarity with its archetypes and symbolism. An additional aid to understanding this book would be War and Peace.
The book itself:
There's less scientific explanation than fans of harder sci-fi (Asimov, Clarke) would probably want, but more than non-speculative fiction (obviously). I thought the balance was good and allowed the characters and concepts to take center stage.
Speaking of concepts, one character in particular is used by the author to relate some of the author's ideas quite directly. Some may find it annoying (particularly during more self-referential monologues) but I didn't mind it. A few exposed me to very new ideas I found myself agreeing with (e.g., the nature of work in contemporary society). Don't drop the book when Katin starts a speech!
I give it 4/5 due to slow moments that did not advance either symbolism or plot and due to the ending. I can do slow: I've read War and Peace and Bleak House in the last few months. But those moments must serve a purpose in the scheme of the novel.
As to the ending, I had mixed feelings though for good reasons. The denouement was very artistic and inevitable, 5/5. The climax, as inevitable as it was, I thought needed more. I didn't hear drum rolls and cymbal crashes - it was over too fast!Â
I say "inevitable" often in this review. There are few twists and turns, but rather the steady grinding of time on humanity is on display.
The book is a very cohesive whole. It straddles the line between good and great. I recommend to anyone seeking literary sci-fi, forgotten jewels, or who read an abridged Moby Dick and enjoyed the lack of nautical jargon but still wanted more. (Spoiler: what if Ahab succeeded???)
Nova pairs well with:
Mahler's 2nd symphony, Shostakovich's 7th, Sibelius' 4th or 7th, and Holst's Planets (mainly Neptune and Uranus).
Also consider:
Wagnerian overtures, Beethoven's "Shipwreck" or "Apassionata" Â sonatas, Bartok quartets, Ives' "Concord" sonata.
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