The Sparrow

Rating:
Summary: Flawed, but still a gripping and provocative page-turner
Review: Yes, Ann was so irrepressibly perky that I wanted to strangle her. And, yes, the resolution seemed a bit abrupt. And, yes, there were a few less than persuasive elements (e.g., Emilio's mutilation). Still, this was a thoroughly absorbing and highly original mix of sci-fi thriller and spiritual quest novel, both entertaining and food for thought.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent story - leaves the reader with much to reflect on
Review: I went looking for books with a good, entertaining sci-fi story but with some thoughtful meat underneath, perhaps some relevant life-themes to reflect on. I bought the book because of the positive reviews and boy did it deliver on the thoughtful and reflective themes.

However the book does fall a little short on the entertaining sci-fi angle. In fact, I am not sure why this is called science fiction and not just fiction - I mean there are space ships and aliens but there are no laser rifles or tie fighters. This is no star trek book.

Instead of another insipid swashbuckling sci-fi tale, this book is a thoughtful and well-written gem. I highly recommended it to the introspective and thoughtful reader.

The book introduces a number of interesting topics. The main theme appears to be about questioning faith and trying to understand religion. Another theme is the way of ordering a society that is the most humane. And there is also a plot of overcoming personal adversity and personal pain.

As far as pacing goes, the story opens quickly and I was hooked right away. The middle part drags a bit but the end almost brought me to tears. And the end left me wanting more... I really enjoyed the afterward and the question and answer section that concluded the book. These are the kinds of things that I never read, but felt compelled to with this story if just to see how much was based on personal experience.

I found the characters very likeable and well developed. They were believable. I think this is a rarity in sci-fi, particularly when a story includes so many main characters.

One caveat is that the impact of this is a book relies on a reader's empathy. To make the story work, you have to really think to put yourself into Emilio's shoes to appreciate the personal struggle and to feel the impact of the story. In this regard, I imagine many readers will not like the book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent--the best book I have ever read.
Review: I have read hundreds and hundreds of books in my life and I hope to read hundreds more. But at this point in time, "The Sparrow" is without a doubt my favorite book. I do agree that character development is somewhat lacking. However, I disagree with the statement that the book is boring. I read it in one sitting and quite frankly couldn't put it down. The characater of Emilio is one which I find I can relate to in every sense of the word. He grapples with the same issues of faith we all deal with although on a more extreme scale. This book more than anything makes you rethink your personal beliefs and I find that this is something only the best books accomplish. I look forward to reading Ms. Russell's new book "Children of God" and I only hope that it is as well written and evocative as "The Sparrow."

Rating:
Summary: Definitely not all it's cracked up to be
Review: I had high hopes for this book when I first picked it up. It had strong reviews on both Amazon and from the friends I talked to. However, I felt this book was lacking in strength for several reasons: 1) This is the author's first literary work and it shows. Most of the characters in this book are superficial, especially the fun-loving Ann. Sure they had quick wits, but they were almost too quick. I kept saying to myself: "No one acts like that in real life." As a result, I couldn't make the vital connection with the characters that is essential to make a book powerful and moving. 2) The plot drags. It takes a LONG time to get to the climax of the book. In the meantime, there is so much build-up and mystery that the revealing moments are a disappointment. As my dad used to say: "That's a long ladder for a short slide." 3) I laughed during moments that were not supposed to be funny. Call me cynical, but the writing was so hooky at times that I could only react by rolling my eyes. These moments and many others subtracted from the overall power this book could have had. It has so much potential but falls short because of the inexperienced writing!

I have to say at least one thing in this book's defense. I read this book about five months ago and some of its ideas still ricochet through my head from time to time. This book cannot be totally forgotten, but it must also be considered with a skeptical eye. Read it for a fun read and it won't disappoint you. Read it for literary acclaim or for a life-changing story and you will be disappointed. Two and a half stars (but I rounded up to three).

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this book unless you like throwing money away
Review: This book was slow (1/4 backstory), disjointed, confusing and, in short, one of the worst books I've ever read. There was absolutely NO character development so we couldn't get to know any of the people at all. The result, for me, at least, was that I despised everyone in the book and found them very unbelievable.There were many opportunities for Russell to develop her main character, yet she failed to do so, time and time again--I believe she doesn't know how. My advice to readers--don't buy. To Russell--learn to write before attempting to do so.

Rating:
Summary: A real page-turner...
Review: This book is excellant. From the beginning Mary Doria Russell draws you into the characters (especially Emilio). Once characters' histories have been detailed and linked together (lengthy but worth it as it brings you closer to them), Mary goes on to describe a world full of vision.

The religious background to this book also raises fundamental questions (i'm not religious) about morality. The life on Rakhat also gives an insight, I feel, into the the widening gap of capitalism in our world and that Mary was attempting to make us see the savagery that can result with the accumulation of power.

All in all a great read and well worth the money.

Rating:
Summary: Great characters, superb suspense & emotionally gripping
Review: A great read, The Sparrow author has done a delightful job of involving the reader in what was obviously a tragic exploration. The characters are multi-dimensional, and grow and change in their own rights. I knew each of them intimately. The suspense that builds is well-crafted, as she reveals yet another piece of the puzzle for the reader to digest. Emilio's pain is so severe and all-encompassing, I was afraid to read on and have to experience it. The expedition is flawed from the start, of course, but we know that and we can deal with the inevitable results. Spiritually, we follow doubts, dogma and faith in each character. Just a superbly written novel, fantasy, science fiction and excellent work.

Rating:
Summary: interesting and boring
Review: The Sparrow is the story of a Jesuit expedition to Rakhat. The part about the actual journey and events is interesting, informed and well written. Another part of the book is about the linguist of the expedition, Emilio, who experiences a moral and religious crisis. This is boring. Emilio, morals and religion are of little consequence to the mission. With another linguist, other morals and another religion the expedition would no doubt have ended it disaster too.

The real mistakes are for example the absence of guards and a political advisor on the mission. without political advice the members of the expedition manoeuvre themselves in a weak and dependent position, and become easy prey.

So if you don't buy in to the writers analysis you are in for a lot of page skipping.

Rating:
Summary: I wouldn't read this book from the reviews here, but...
Review: As a person of non-faith, I find that this book confirms my beliefs. The jesuits are pretty neat, and I would have liked to see more of them, but 400 pages is already long for a good book. As it is, the timing is excellent (despite the other reviews). If you want answers prepackaged, there aren't any, but you're free to find your own. This is the flaw of the sequel: it attempts to impose meaning on the events of this book.

Tangentially, I would pay to see the movie if only for the special effects. But it could never capture the events in the book at all well and be given less than an X rating. The MPAA will never let it out the door without gutting it, and that's high praise. On a further tangent, Combining this with the RPG paranoia would provide hours of fun: sparrownoia would be the sickest game ever.

Rating:
Summary: for all the questioning souls of the universe
Review: I knew what was going to happen but I was reduced to tears anyway. This book has NOT answered the questions of my sprit, but it touched me to know that my questions are universal, and leaves me feeling that the anwers are unknowable in this life, which offers some comfort. I read Contact because I loved the movie. I found the book technical and not at all anything like the movie. This book has so much more substance.