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Summary: Fascinating story by an insightful author
Review: I enjoyed this book. It's a great story and Russell, a talented storyteller and anthropologist, provides a lastting vision of what the first mission to visit a planet inhabited by sentient life forms might be like. However, I don't think the first mission will be funded and operated by Jesuit priests. Interesting idea, though.The three chracters; Anne, Emilio and Sophia are by far the most interesting. The others are little more than two dimensional figures. However, the three most interesting ones keep you turning the pages. Also, the two alien species that inhabit the planet this mission visits are fascinating both in their interactions with each other and the "visitors." I would recommend this book to anyone interested in quality science fiction.
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Summary: Sound familiar?
Review: Father Ruiz-Sanchez was a dedicated man--a priest who was also a scientist, and a scientist who was also a human being. He found no insoluble conflicts in his beliefs or his ethics until he was sent to Lithia. There he came upon a race of aliens--reptilian in form--who were admirable in every way except for their total reliance on cold reason; they were incapable of faith and belief. On Lithia, Father Ruiz-Sanchez also found a scientific riddle, and he was presented with an ethical problem that reached across two worlds! Father Ruiz-Sanchez was then torn in a struggle between the teachings of his faith, the teachings of his science, and the inner promptings of his humanity., There was only one solution. He had to accept an ancient and unforgivable heresy--and in accepting that heresy, he risked the futures of both worlds! This is the promotional "blurb" from the back cover of book published in 1958. The book? It's called "A Case of Conscience" by James Blish. Is it better than the sparrow? By leaps and bounds. So is the Sparrow original? Hardly. Is the Sparrow a good book on it's own merits? No, it's science is flawed, it's world building clumsy and it's pacing is horrendous. For a fine example of religous agonizing over the nature of God's seeming indifference read the short story "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke or the afforementioned novel by Blish. The Sparrow is quite simply an altogether unoriginal and dreadfully executed work.
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Summary: I must have missed something, slow, disappointing.
Review: When I read the reviews on the book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and read it. Idid. This book is an example of something definately not living up to expectations. I am not a science fiction fan,( however I thought "Legacy of Herorot" was exceptional), and thought I'd give "Sparrow" a try. I found the book exceedingly slow and boring. Such a good premise and such a letdown.
Rating: 
Summary: Moving, tragic, suspense-filled, and well worth it.
Review: I was lent this book, then I read it, then I went out and bought it so I could read it again. The story is compelling, tragic, and wonderfully written. The suspense is tangible, the characters moving, and the final disclosure shocking and, to me at least, not what I expected when I started to read. An extraordinary look at first contact that I highly recommend.
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Summary: This book was constantly on my mind.
Review: Far beyond not being able to put this one down, the characters and situations stayed in my mind constantly. Even when I wasn't actually reading it, the story line haunted me. As a "lapsed" Catholic, perhaps the emotional trauma of the central character, Emilio Sandoz, captured my imagination - man looks for God, man finds God, man loses God. Anyone who has every wondered how a merciful God could allow horrible things to happen will be gripped by this novel. As for science fiction, the issues addressed about alien contact go beyond anything I've read before. Good story, great characters, fine humor, horrid tragedy, detailed narrative..........the layers to this book are deep and absorbing. Truly one of my favorites.
Rating:
Summary: A rare novel where I actually CARED
Review: I'm tired of "Literature" about the superficialities of Western civilisation. I'm heartily sick of Fantasy obeying no observed anthropological truths. And I'm well hacked off with most New Age check-your-brain-at-the-door 'mystical' twaddle. I am, however, fascinated by the new discoveries of real science - Leakey, Dawkins et al. So I approach SF with a certain cynicism. And I loved 'Sparrow' pretty well unreservedly. These characters were the people I wish I could find as friends, people who dismiss sentimentality in favour of a genuine love, and understand a relationship with god to require that we use minds as well as hearts. A marvellous, enriching book with no answers but some very meaty questions. Particularly appealing to those like me with a pretty low opinion of H.Sapiens in general. Don't read it as an exercise in literary criticism - read it with both your heart and mind engaged. Neither will be disappointed.
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Summary: It made my top ten list. Beautiful and haunting.
Review: This is an incredible science fiction tale (and I don't read science fiction!!). Searing existentialist soul searching in outer space.
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting plot but terrible prose style
Review: This book has some strong points: a plot that holds yourinterest and convincingly alien cultures on the planet Rakhat. But theauthor\222s prose style is devoid of wit or grace. At times, reading her narrative is more like reading a description of a plot than reading an actual story. She also has not figured out that dialogues can stand on their own: not every remark needs a "he said," "she commented," "she responded, "he agreed," or "he uttered" attached. One can almost see the author hunched over her thesaurus huntung for yet another synonym for speech. The adolescent attempts at lyricism also grate. We are forced to endure far too many sentences with beginnings such as "Even Anne, sensible Anne\205" That, along with the exaggerated bonhomie her central characters are reported to feel \226 they often chortle gleefully at jokes that aren\222t funny \226 makes reading this book the literary equivalent of sitting in the back seat of a car clutching broken ribs while Russell drives determinedly over potholes.
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Summary: An experetly built story of religion and human nature
Review: this book is one of the more enjoyable books I read this past year and other than the sometimes unpersuasive dispalys of affection in the story it is riveting and the last 40 pages don't let you take your eyes of the book, however it is more of a social-religious novel rather than a science fiction story.
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Summary: futuristic theology
Review: A brilliant, thought provoking work. The author uses SF to examine a number of eternally relevant (especially in the post-Holocoust era) thelogical dillemas. How is God and the existence of evil compatible? Why does God inflict unthinkable suffering on the innocent? If there isn't a God than what is the meaning of it all? This novel also probes the interesting question of the status of religion after the realization that there is extra trestial life and we are not alone in the universe. The author was raised a Catholic and converted to Judaism. Her knowledge of both faiths are evident. I really enjoyed her description of the Jewish-Catholic wedding ceremony on Rakhat assisted by alien chupa holders. My only real criticism of the book is that the dialogue is a bit too 90's America. This is great SF book that will also appeal to those who are not hard core SF readers.
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