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grayjay's review against another edition
3.0
This one was a delightfully cheesy planetary romance about a world where it is illegal to say "I" or "me" or to burden anyone with your intimate thoughts. One man, inspired by a visitor from Old Earth, dares to bear his soul!
keywitness67's review against another edition
5.0
A product of its time (the psychedelic 60s/'70s) but excellent all the same.
bmartino's review against another edition
4.0
Very slow start, but once it got to the meat of the story it picked up quite a bit and I saw that the lengthy setup paid off. Many times it felt more like a fantasy world than sci-fi; I was consistently startled when I saw mention of a groundcar or telephone.
mickbordet's review against another edition
4.0
Set in the far future, but this could just as easily have been a fantasy setting. Indeed, there is maybe a bit more world-building at the start of the novel than is necessary, though some of it is still effective in setting the scene for the to-and-froing that goes on later in the book.
This is very much sci-fi of the mind and society, rather than technology, and it is a society that is certainly alien to me, though it could be an extrapolation of any number of extreme groups currently circulating - I write this the day after the Taliban forbid women from hearing the voices of other women, which is even a step beyond the society in this book.
This is very much sci-fi of the mind and society, rather than technology, and it is a society that is certainly alien to me, though it could be an extrapolation of any number of extreme groups currently circulating - I write this the day after the Taliban forbid women from hearing the voices of other women, which is even a step beyond the society in this book.
rabbatess's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tani's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
larsdradrach's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful crafted story which starts out as a world building fantasy and then suddenly takes of in a totally different direction.
The story can be read at face value but there are clear comments to our own society especially the US in early seventies.
The only reason this is not a clear 5* is the clear link between drugs and the liberty of the mind. Seen from 2017 with our current drug problems it seems more than a little naive
Not fair to critic a novel for being a product of its time ?, but there you are.
The story can be read at face value but there are clear comments to our own society especially the US in early seventies.
The only reason this is not a clear 5* is the clear link between drugs and the liberty of the mind. Seen from 2017 with our current drug problems it seems more than a little naive
Not fair to critic a novel for being a product of its time ?, but there you are.
sdwoodchuck's review against another edition
3.5
The self is forbidden–or rather, acknowledging it is. Language is shaped to avoid the use of “I” or “me” or any other self-related words, though many will use them behind closed doors and in impolite company. Kinnal is on the run for violating these customs in the worst way possible. In the recent past, he met a man from the distant planet of Earth, who challenged his cultural taboos, and together the two have distributed a drug that allows those under its influence to share themselves–share their selves–completely and without inhibition, breaking down barriers in a kind of chemical-assisted vulcan mind meld. Can Kinnal convince the world that the real Time of Changes is the friends we made (take LSD) along the way?
I am conflicted on this one. On one hand, so much of the narrative feels earnest and textured in a way that many novels don’t accomplish, which lends it a kind of credibility that feels lived in and real; and the premise is an interesting approach to culture/counterculture dynamics building and playing out. On the other hand, segments of this book feel very much like the first time that someone in your friend group takes LSD and has a religious experience, and has convinced themselves that the whole world is gonna change if they can just, like, make them understand, man!
Regardless, there's a lot here to chew on, a lot about societal taboos buried in a text that sometimes isn't clear where it's going with them, and I feel that it has a lot to say that is worth hearing; even if you do have to take its narrator with a grain of salt.
Regardless, there's a lot here to chew on, a lot about societal taboos buried in a text that sometimes isn't clear where it's going with them, and I feel that it has a lot to say that is worth hearing; even if you do have to take its narrator with a grain of salt.
manuphoto's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This novel is more of a philosophical tale than anything else.
In the first part of the book, we follow our main character through his travels, in which he seeks to discover more about himself and his world. It is written as an autobiography, which is an interesting choice. Silverberg seems to be a very capable writer, so the story works on a sentence-by-sentence basis. However, I did have some issues early on.
This book is very much a product of its time. Our protagonist is some sort of übermensch—tall, strong, hairy, and handsome, but also deeply insecure. He also categorizes women by breast size and attractiveness…and "beds" most of them, to quote him. I’m not shocked, mind you, but after a couple of occurrences, I found it uninteresting and repetitive. I’ve encountered this issue in other works from the late 60s and early 70s. The protagonist is essentially describing a sexually open society with some bizarre abstract rules. Okay, I get it—no need to remind me every ten pages or so.
The second part of the story is triggered by an encounter with an Earthman and, because it’s the 70s, drugs! I must say, I enjoyed how this change of pace was introduced and actually welcomed it, as the novel was starting to feel like a slog, despite its relatively short length. However, between the overly sexualized characters and the use of drugs to "broaden one’s horizons," I couldn’t help but roll my eyes a bit.
That being said, Silverberg writes very well, and this novel is enjoyable to read on a sentence-by-sentence basis—especially considering the grammatical complexity he imposes on himself by having the main character say "one" instead of "I" for part of the story.
He touches on very important themes: culture, self-image, oppression, religion, society’s structures, and so on. I appreciate the exploration of these themes, but I was left a bit cold by the vessels chosen to explore them. It’s mostly a "me" problem, but I never found the protagonist’s society to be particularly original or interesting. The obvious parallels with the Catholic Church, the Inquisition, or other such things felt a bit too heavy-handed for my taste.
A well-written novel that deals with important and relevant issues, but treated in a way that feels very dated, somewhat inefficient, with pacing issues and occasionally inconsistent characters. I’m glad I read it, but I can’t say I enjoyed much of it—though I did enjoy parts of it, especially in the second half.
elbrazoonofre's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting ideas spoiled by turning into dated hippie science fiction.