Rate this book

The Book Of Strange New Things (2014)

by Michel Faber(Favorite Author)

3.89 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

055341884X (ISBN13: 9780553418842)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Hogarth

review 1: Clever, sad, funny and engaging, a SF novel in the finest tradition of commentary on the ways of natives of our own world cast into relief on another, strange one. Particularly well done is the characterisation of the decent, hapless, born-again innocent Peter, and his superficially strong, but tormented wife Bea, as they try to maintain their marriage separated by light-years. There's a background of dystopian earthly apocalypse contrasted with an alien planet that is almost boring, all the conventionally-anticipated terrors of such environments proving to be absent. And there's some neat playing with various conceptions and misconceptions of religion, while still maintaining a respect for faith and for the core of Christianity. I was particularly impressed to learn that ... morethe author is actually Dutch, though writing in English, and the knowledge lends extra depth to Peter's struggles with the language of his alien congregation. Excellent, highly unusual and original novel.
review 2: I was a little worried about reading this, having heard it compared to Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow so many times. While they are similar in context, they are different books, and while I think Sparrow is superior in making a believable alternate world, this book has a more down-to-Earth (pun intended) plot that makes it less than a fully-formed science fiction and more of a novel of philosophical and emotional conflict set in two worlds. So. Very good. Recommended. less

Download links for: The Book of Strange New Things

Advertising