Double Star

Rating:
Summary: Fun, light but leaves an impression
Review: I read this book over 10 years ago. I still remember it and I'm still fascinated by the whole theme of pretending to be someone makes you into that person that you were pretending to be. Less heavy handed than Vonnegut's Mother Night with the same theme, this Heinlein book is a delight on many levels. First the main character's smart aleck tone is highly entertaining. "If a guy walks into a bar dressed like a hick acting like he knows the place, you can tell that he's a space man". Heinlein's use of character voices is one of his strengths (like in Podkayne of Mars). Second, the role that this actor is playing becomes him and makes him into a responsible human being which is a nice idea in that a person can change and become a good person despite their best efforts to the contrary.

There are problems of course. The Martians aren't that fleshed out. The shift from jerk to statesman seems way too abrupt. Some may find the main character grating. But Heinlein's strength rest in that his storytelling doesn't allow you to dwell too much on his weaknesses.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but too much politics.
Review: In this short novel Heinlein tells the story (in first person) of Lorenzo Smythe, a man of the stage, as he stumbles upon the role of a lifetime in a bar over drinks with a pilot. Lorenzo quickly finds himself embroiled in caper too far to turn back from and eventually becomes involved in a political coverup that is way over his head.

For the most part I enjoyed Double Star. It started out light and comical, but eventually lost those two elements the more we learn about the political situation...and the more Lorenzo sinks into his role playing a double. Now that I look back there is very little science fiction involved in this book other than trips to Mars and the Moon. Beyond that it is a novel that focuses on politics, acting, and the theatre. There are many references to Shakespeare; elements of which are the main plot of this book (deception and disguise). Not being a fan of politics in general, I thought the heavy political aspects eventually pulled the book down. But that's just my view. There are many people who enjoy this type of narrative. I wish Heinlein would have maintained the light and fun tone throughout. Regardless, it was an enjoyable read on my trek through the Hugo & Nebula winners.

Rating:
Summary: Loving Lorenzo
Review: Lorenzo Smythe has to be one of the best examples of a character you love to loathe in the beginning, and winding up loving by the middle. The way that Smythe, like so many of Heinlen's first person narrators, reveals things about himself, sometimes inadvertently, is just as interesting as the stories he tells. "Double Star", as far as I'm concerned, is his Heinlen's virtuoso performance of narration, and a terrific plot to go with it.

Rating:
Summary: The actor becomes his charachter
Review: This is a book which I took a while getting around to read. For some reason the subject matter, combined with the cheesy cover picture just didn't do anything for me. However, since I'm on a current mission to read everything I can find by R.A. Heinlein I picked it up to read. It was better than I was expecting.

An actor is tricked into accepting an unlikely assignment. Since he's out of work, and a bit desperate to do something he takes the job, and soon finds himself wishing he hadn't. He is to take the place of a very public political figure. In what comes to be the most challenging acting job of his life, he pulls the job off with flying colors. Through his study of the charachter he must incorperate a personality which goes against his own in many ways, and in some ways he finds it almost more than he can handle.

Through the course of his job, Lorenzo finds himself pushed further into playing his role, making dicisions, becoming this person. Like many novels by Heinlein, science fiction is merly the genre which allows situations to take place which otherwise could not....allows a normal guy to be faced with abnormal situations, and to grow because of this. Because of this, his stories are not only highly entertaining, but introspective as well. Double star examines what makes a person who he is by showing what is involved in assimilating another person and portraying them. It shows how a person can make a consious choice to be who they want to be, and take on the nessicary responsibilities to become a more honorable person.

I would reccomend this, as well as a number of Heinlein's novels as tools for a person who is working to better themselves and examine thier role in life.