Keith’s review of Stranger in a Strange Land > Likes and Comments
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By far the best review I've read for this piss poor sickening book. I, too, made the mistake to read the unabridged version, can't believe I finished it.
Wow. This perversely makes me want to revisit this book, which I haven't read since I was probably fourteen (and don't remember even a smidge), just so I can join in with the baffled hate.
It's weird. Every word you say is plainly true, but I remember loving this book to bits when I was 12. I'm getting back in my time machine to enjoy some orgies and Martian mind-tricks and pearls of wisdom from the ineffably wise Dr Harshaw.
Thanks, everybody. Happy to ruin y'alls childhood memories, any way I can.
Stumbled on this review at 3 am. This is amazing amazing! Verbalized all of my feelings about this terrible book.
SIASL affected me, well, strangely as well. As a teen, I tended to like Heinlein, but about the middle of this volume I just totally lost interest. Forget the sociological issues--this prose just didn't pull me through. I had no reason to finish it and probably saved myself a couple of hours in which to do something else. Like watch TV. (semisnark)
Why didn't I read this review before I started reading the book???? I'm also reading the uncut version and am now about 3/4ths in. I'm gonna force myself to finish it. I haven't gotten to the orgies part. Mostly I'm just bored by the writing.
Well, the orgies aren't that interesting either. They're mostly just awkward.
Thank you for saying everything I've been thinking!
Curious what your take is on the Foster/Digby sections including the ending. The rest of the book is clearly a vehicle for the author to do pretty much everything he feels like with a small nod to telling a story because he jas to, but those dead Foster sections I just did not grok.
I kept thinking of those old b&w movies where angels are given assignments and earn wings. Down to the metal halos this book was giving that genre a shout out. But why??
Mercifully, Marsh, I have pushed enough of this book out of my mind in the three years since I wrote this review that I have no idea what you're talking about.
This is a perfect review. "Unrelenting" is the PERFECT description for the misogyny. Ugh, and the stupid "no homo" attitude. Double ugh.
Note: This book caused an argument between me and my husband because he would NOT admit that it was sexist. Maybe I should point him towards this review...
You had me convinced not to read this book in the first paragraph, but I read your whole review laughing. I will not read Heinlein, but please let me know if you're writing a book yourself, cause I'd gladly read that one.
Nata wrote: "please let me know if you're writing a book yourself, cause I'd gladly read that one. "
Be careful what you wish for, Nata.
Bravo, sir! Went through the same damn ordeal reading it twenty years ago. Maybe Heinlein figured he could tap into whatever it was that made idiots follow his old buddy Hubbard.
I wish I could just link to your review as my own review. Unrelenting, indeed. Argh, this was PAINFUL to read.
It was so much self indulgent BS! Love your review. Perfect. I felt like maybe I wasn't grasping, no wait, GROKKING, something to have hated this book as much as I did. The one thing you didn't mention is that Heinlein tried so hard to preach love, peace and openness and all that nonconformity garbage, then goes and preaches conformity to his cult and is unaccepting of others who are not understanding or comfortable with his way of being. So he swaps one box for another. So who cares? What's different? I thought maybe that ironic happening would be a resolved part of the book, but the unawareness of it! Geeze, I'm just angry now for wasting my time on that garbage.
I'm all for joining the cult against this book. Thank goodness I borrowed it from the library and didn't pay actual money for it. What a waste of my time. The reviews I've read here of this book are more entertaining than the book itself. Why, oh why did I think the long version would be a good thing???
I love you so much, my friend. I just put this book down myself, and I jumped on here to see if anyone else felt the same way I felt about it. And then I saw this glorious, perfectly expressed post, and I was like, “My God, I miss that guy.”
I don't get why it keeps coming up on all these 'best sf books with gay main character'... it seems to be the opposite... I'm about 3/4 of the way through (just about to get to Martian Sex Cult part I think) and this review is making me seriously consider just cutting my losses and giving up right now.
This review is incredible! Thank you for taking the time to write it. I hope you have soothed your soul with an actual good book in the mean time.
Unrelenting for sure, it reads like fantasizing and ramblings.
Thanks for this review. As I long time reader of science fiction I’ve always felt like a second class citizen for not reading this. Your review confirms that I don’t need to waste my time.
Sorry to keep bringing you back to this review posted 7 years ago.
Just wanted to say that you fucking nailed it.
I'm hoping you can give me a top-10 books to read list because obviously your taste in books is on-point.
My goodness, I need to get better at writing reviews, using this as inspiration. AGREE AGREE AGREE. I just finished the book and am revolted. You captured so much of what has set me off and I applaud your writing here!!
Haha thank you for this review . I stumbled upon the unabridged version and good lord , it was a struggle.
Mark wrote: "I'm hoping you can give me a top-10 books to read list because obviously your taste..."
Sorry for the late reply, Mark. I think in July I was busy teaching summer school and staring out the window in existential despair.
THE TOP TEN BOOKS
1. Dune
2. 2666
3. The Circus of Dr. Lao
4. literally anything by César Aira (Shantytown, The Little Buddhist Monk, Ghosts, The Linden Tree, The Literary Conference, etc)
5. After the Quake
6. Band For Life
7. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
8. Nightwood
9. CivilWarLand in Bad Decline
10. Enigma
Oh, and never read House of Leaves.
There you go, the ten best books and the one worst one (besides Stranger in a Strange Land).
Oh, and read my book and my wife's book.
There, that's everything.
Thanks Keith, I’m currently on #1 and going down the list!
Mark wrote: "Thanks Keith, I’m currently on #1 and going down the list!"
omg I just looked at this list again. If you even make it to #3 before Christmas I will be extremely impressed.
The fact that I can fully appreciate this review is one of the few reasons it was worth reading this tedious ass book.
Keith wrote:
omg I just looked at this list again. If you even make it to #3 before Christmas I will be extremely impressed."
Only just finished #1. Guess I didn't make it! On to the next one
Mark wrote: "Keith wrote:
omg I just looked at this list again. If you even make it to #3 before Christmas I will be extremely impressed."
Only just finished #1. Guess I didn't make it! On to the next one"
6 months well spent!!!
Lol what is with the fucking "unrelenting" fatphobia in this review?
Menelaos wrote: "Lol what is with the fucking "unrelenting" fatphobia in this review?"
Solid point. Edited.
As one of the five who managed never to get around to this one, I thank you for this insightful review and will triage the book appropriately in response.
bravo, this book Sucked and just when it was getting good at the half way point, stupid New-age, free-love, beatles pseudo-christian propaganda.
I grokked the fullness of this review. Thou art god.
I'm one of the five, and I believe I will choose to remain in this elite group. Thanks for the review warning.
I've read the "book" back in 2017 I think, and time and again I come back to this review to keep my hate alive.
It's not simply a pure waste of time, it makes you hate yourself, literature and the world.
Lucas wrote: "I've read the "book" back in 2017 I think, and time and again I come back to this review to keep my hate alive.
It's not simply a pure waste of time, it makes you hate yourself, literature and the..."
Lucas, I don't know who you are, but you are so right. I hated this book so much and got so freakin' angry reading it.
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By far the best review I've read for this piss poor sickening book. I, too, made the mistake to read the unabridged version, can't believe I finished it.
Wow. This perversely makes me want to revisit this book, which I haven't read since I was probably fourteen (and don't remember even a smidge), just so I can join in with the baffled hate.
It's weird. Every word you say is plainly true, but I remember loving this book to bits when I was 12. I'm getting back in my time machine to enjoy some orgies and Martian mind-tricks and pearls of wisdom from the ineffably wise Dr Harshaw.
Holy word, man. You speak the truth.
Thanks, everybody. Happy to ruin y'alls childhood memories, any way I can.
Stumbled on this review at 3 am. This is amazing amazing! Verbalized all of my feelings about this terrible book.
SIASL affected me, well, strangely as well. As a teen, I tended to like Heinlein, but about the middle of this volume I just totally lost interest. Forget the sociological issues--this prose just didn't pull me through. I had no reason to finish it and probably saved myself a couple of hours in which to do something else. Like watch TV. (semisnark)
Why didn't I read this review before I started reading the book???? I'm also reading the uncut version and am now about 3/4ths in. I'm gonna force myself to finish it. I haven't gotten to the orgies part. Mostly I'm just bored by the writing.
Well, the orgies aren't that interesting either. They're mostly just awkward.
Thank you for saying everything I've been thinking!
Curious what your take is on the Foster/Digby sections including the ending. The rest of the book is clearly a vehicle for the author to do pretty much everything he feels like with a small nod to telling a story because he jas to, but those dead Foster sections I just did not grok.I kept thinking of those old b&w movies where angels are given assignments and earn wings. Down to the metal halos this book was giving that genre a shout out. But why??
Mercifully, Marsh, I have pushed enough of this book out of my mind in the three years since I wrote this review that I have no idea what you're talking about.
This is a perfect review. "Unrelenting" is the PERFECT description for the misogyny. Ugh, and the stupid "no homo" attitude. Double ugh.Note: This book caused an argument between me and my husband because he would NOT admit that it was sexist. Maybe I should point him towards this review...
You had me convinced not to read this book in the first paragraph, but I read your whole review laughing. I will not read Heinlein, but please let me know if you're writing a book yourself, cause I'd gladly read that one.
Nata wrote: "please let me know if you're writing a book yourself, cause I'd gladly read that one. "Be careful what you wish for, Nata.
Bravo, sir! Went through the same damn ordeal reading it twenty years ago. Maybe Heinlein figured he could tap into whatever it was that made idiots follow his old buddy Hubbard.
I wish I could just link to your review as my own review. Unrelenting, indeed. Argh, this was PAINFUL to read.
It was so much self indulgent BS! Love your review. Perfect. I felt like maybe I wasn't grasping, no wait, GROKKING, something to have hated this book as much as I did. The one thing you didn't mention is that Heinlein tried so hard to preach love, peace and openness and all that nonconformity garbage, then goes and preaches conformity to his cult and is unaccepting of others who are not understanding or comfortable with his way of being. So he swaps one box for another. So who cares? What's different? I thought maybe that ironic happening would be a resolved part of the book, but the unawareness of it! Geeze, I'm just angry now for wasting my time on that garbage.
I'm all for joining the cult against this book. Thank goodness I borrowed it from the library and didn't pay actual money for it. What a waste of my time. The reviews I've read here of this book are more entertaining than the book itself. Why, oh why did I think the long version would be a good thing???
I love you so much, my friend. I just put this book down myself, and I jumped on here to see if anyone else felt the same way I felt about it. And then I saw this glorious, perfectly expressed post, and I was like, “My God, I miss that guy.”
I don't get why it keeps coming up on all these 'best sf books with gay main character'... it seems to be the opposite... I'm about 3/4 of the way through (just about to get to Martian Sex Cult part I think) and this review is making me seriously consider just cutting my losses and giving up right now.
This review is incredible! Thank you for taking the time to write it. I hope you have soothed your soul with an actual good book in the mean time.
Unrelenting for sure, it reads like fantasizing and ramblings.
Thanks for this review. As I long time reader of science fiction I’ve always felt like a second class citizen for not reading this. Your review confirms that I don’t need to waste my time.
Sorry to keep bringing you back to this review posted 7 years ago.Just wanted to say that you fucking nailed it.
I'm hoping you can give me a top-10 books to read list because obviously your taste in books is on-point.
My goodness, I need to get better at writing reviews, using this as inspiration. AGREE AGREE AGREE. I just finished the book and am revolted. You captured so much of what has set me off and I applaud your writing here!!
Haha thank you for this review . I stumbled upon the unabridged version and good lord , it was a struggle.
Mark wrote: "I'm hoping you can give me a top-10 books to read list because obviously your taste..."Sorry for the late reply, Mark. I think in July I was busy teaching summer school and staring out the window in existential despair.
THE TOP TEN BOOKS
1. Dune
2. 2666
3. The Circus of Dr. Lao
4. literally anything by César Aira (Shantytown, The Little Buddhist Monk, Ghosts, The Linden Tree, The Literary Conference, etc)
5. After the Quake
6. Band For Life
7. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
8. Nightwood
9. CivilWarLand in Bad Decline
10. Enigma
Oh, and never read House of Leaves.
There you go, the ten best books and the one worst one (besides Stranger in a Strange Land).
Oh, and read my book and my wife's book.
There, that's everything.
Thanks Keith, I’m currently on #1 and going down the list!
Mark wrote: "Thanks Keith, I’m currently on #1 and going down the list!"omg I just looked at this list again. If you even make it to #3 before Christmas I will be extremely impressed.
The fact that I can fully appreciate this review is one of the few reasons it was worth reading this tedious ass book.
Keith wrote:omg I just looked at this list again. If you even make it to #3 before Christmas I will be extremely impressed."
Only just finished #1. Guess I didn't make it! On to the next one
Mark wrote: "Keith wrote:omg I just looked at this list again. If you even make it to #3 before Christmas I will be extremely impressed."
Only just finished #1. Guess I didn't make it! On to the next one"
6 months well spent!!!
Lol what is with the fucking "unrelenting" fatphobia in this review?
Menelaos wrote: "Lol what is with the fucking "unrelenting" fatphobia in this review?"Solid point. Edited.
As one of the five who managed never to get around to this one, I thank you for this insightful review and will triage the book appropriately in response.
bravo, this book Sucked and just when it was getting good at the half way point, stupid New-age, free-love, beatles pseudo-christian propaganda.
I grokked the fullness of this review. Thou art god.
I'm one of the five, and I believe I will choose to remain in this elite group. Thanks for the
I've read the "book" back in 2017 I think, and time and again I come back to this review to keep my hate alive.It's not simply a pure waste of time, it makes you hate yourself, literature and the world.
Lucas wrote: "I've read the "book" back in 2017 I think, and time and again I come back to this review to keep my hate alive.It's not simply a pure waste of time, it makes you hate yourself, literature and the..."
Lucas, I don't know who you are, but you are so right. I hated this book so much and got so freakin' angry reading it.
"OMG I'd forgotten just how mystifyingly anachronistic - even just plain narrow-minded and terrified of all grey areas in humanity's experience - this book is. Read Keith's spectacular review for a reminder/palate cleanser/wake-up call."