The Book of Strange New Things
Ratings68
Average rating3.6
I really enjoyed this one. The plot was interesting and engaging. The story unfolds ultimately to express a particular wisdom in simplicity exhibited in regard to alien life that is encountered.
The story has a couple of flaws that dampened my experience. The most prevalent of these flaws unfortunately involve the believability of the main character.
That character and his spouse seem a happy couple at the outset but they're separated when he's assigned work on a distant planet. A series of (email) exchanges throughout the story are integral to the ensuing plot. Her messages initially convey some ups and downs, but eventually we learn that life on Earth is becoming tenuous at best.
Meanwhile the protagonist is of a very different mindset. Removed from the chaos on the home planet, he develops a regard and fascination for the alien life and becomes engrossed in his work.
These exchanges between the couple, were often rich and well done. They reflect their shifting emotions and some of the nuances of their relationship. Eventually he is so fascinated by his new friends that he struggles to maintain empathy and relate to his partner's experience. The author effectively convey the complexity of his struggles and the character is brought to life in his sense of compassion and desire to establish relationships with newfound, exotic friends. What becomes apparent is that along with his devotion to his mission there's a distinct naïveté in his relationships with his human cohorts.
And herein lies the problem. There is a distinct disconnect between the protagonist's past and current self. His backstory is he was once a duplicitous, clever and resourceful drug addict who eventually cleaned up his act after meeting his wife. He then found God and became a minister, an entirely plausible scenario.
But I found it difficult to believe that one with such a past can become so naive as he was, to his detriment. As the story unfolds, the guy seems to be a 'babe in the woods' in his dealings with co-workers.
I also had trouble with some aspects of his faith. I can allow for blind faith to a certain extent, but I have a problem when an otherwise relatable character uses prayer as the anecdote and remedy for all of life's troubles.
If you're looking for the type of sci-fi with plausible, visionary applications of technology, this isn't that. This is more of a study of human behavior, the complexities of a husband-wife relationship and the challenges that come with tumultuous changes that life sometimes brings.
There is plenty in this story that makes it worthwhile. Including many of the secondary characters, the work environment and culture that is created on that distant place.
this is a worthwhile read that I highly recommend!
I really enjoyed this one. The plot was interesting and engaging. The story unfolds ultimately to express a particular wisdom in simplicity exhibited in regard to alien life that is encountered.
The story has a couple of flaws that dampened my experience. The most prevalent of these flaws unfortunately involve the believability of the main character.
That character and his spouse seem a happy couple at the outset but they're separated when he's assigned work on a distant planet. A series of (email) exchanges throughout the story are integral to the ensuing plot. Her messages initially convey some ups and downs, but eventually we learn that life on Earth is becoming tenuous at best.
Meanwhile the protagonist is of a very different mindset. Removed from the chaos on the home planet, he develops a regard and fascination for the alien life and becomes engrossed in his work.
These exchanges between the couple, were often rich and well done. They reflect their shifting emotions and some of the nuances of their relationship. Eventually he is so fascinated by his new friends that he struggles to maintain empathy and relate to his partner's experience. The author effectively convey the complexity of his struggles and the character is brought to life in his sense of compassion and desire to establish relationships with newfound, exotic friends. What becomes apparent is that along with his devotion to his mission there's a distinct naïveté in his relationships with his human cohorts.
And herein lies the problem. There is a distinct disconnect between the protagonist's past and current self. His backstory is he was once a duplicitous, clever and resourceful drug addict who eventually cleaned up his act after meeting his wife. He then found God and became a minister, an entirely plausible scenario.
But I found it difficult to believe that one with such a past can become so naive as he was, to his detriment. As the story unfolds, the guy seems to be a 'babe in the woods' in his dealings with co-workers.
I also had trouble with some aspects of his faith. I can allow for blind faith to a certain extent, but I have a problem when an otherwise relatable character uses prayer as the anecdote and remedy for all of life's troubles.
If you're looking for the type of sci-fi with plausible, visionary applications of technology, this isn't that. This is more of a study of human behavior, the complexities of a husband-wife relationship and the challenges that come with tumultuous changes that life sometimes brings.
There is plenty in this story that makes it worthwhile. Including many of the secondary characters, the work environment and culture that is created on that distant place.
this is a worthwhile read that I highly recommend!
