Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing
Review: Occasionally an author comes along that makes you see the world just a little differently; Mary Doria Russel is why we read science fiction. The Sparrow is why read at all.
Rating: 
Summary: Why do I want to read the sequel?
Review: The science is wookie, the characters are, well, annoying, and the plot is belabored. All that work setting up the characters and most of them get killed off without a how do you do. At least it put an end to all their corny remarks. All the good stuff happens at the end and then boom, it's over. And you know, I'm going to have to read the sequel, because, because, the darn book was compelling. And I want to know what happened to the United Nations guys who rode into town at the end and disappeared. It was a good read. I'm not sorry I bought it. I just don't like bad jokes and magic tricks. And the author never did explain how they happen to have jello shooters on Rakhat.
Rating: 
Summary: A fun, goofy non-sci-fi, sci fi book
Review: As an avid avoider of all things sci-fi, I found this book to be quite entertaining. The only thing I find appealing about the sci-fi genre is that it allows greater latitude to the imagination; the author makes some assumptions about the future and poses the eternal question about the existence of God. I think your hardcore sci-fi types don't always enjoy books where the philsophical/spiritual is the primary focus (as it is in this book) rather than the technological advances or unintended consequences of technology. The author also deals quite honestly with the celibacy dilemmas of the Jesuits. Read it for yourself, you will have a strong opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Asimov!
Review: The Sparrow is a delightful blend of Asimov, Star Trek, and The Word. A must read for any science fiction fan. A gotta read for anyone of faith.
Rating:
Summary: Too alien for me
Review: One difficulty with writing science fiction is that the author may need to make the reader empathise with characters whose behaviours are quite different from those that the reader is used to. Unfortunately 'The Sparrow' suffers greatly from an inability to make this reader understand the main characters whose belief systems seem so completely bizarre, unmotivated and alien that it is impossible to see them as anything other than random.The problem is that many of the characters seem to share a belief in some kind of omnipotent super 'creature' that watches over all aspects of their lifes and manages them. The narrative is possibly ambiguous but judging by the complete lack of events involving this creature I guess the readers are supposed to conclude that this creature does not in fact exist. Not only does the reader not get any hints that this creature exists - the characters do not either. And yet many of the characters have given up their chance of reproducing because of this belief and so it is clearly one of the most important aspects of their lives. When, late into the novel, it is becoming quite apparent that this creature is playing no part in anyone's lives the characters don't discard this belief at all. In fact one character takes this opportunity to *start* believing instead! Bizarre - especially given the fact that this belief is actually the cause of much suffering for the characters! Faced with this kind of ridiculousness I was glad when finally contact was made with the Jana'ata. Now there were some characters whose motivations made perfect sense and who seemed to have a rather interesting culture. An interesting but highly flawed book.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing and well written speculation with an obvious plot
Review: Take the last section of Well's "The Time Machine", stir in some refreshingly intelligent philosophical/theological speculation and add a twist of mystery. While not ultimately successful as a novel, "Sparrow" suffers from a derivative plot line, the attempt itself coupled with some fine writing and thought provoking ideas make this a worthy read.
Rating: 
Summary: Hardly worth the time or praise
Review: I found this novel to be increadbly poor in all aspects of the novel. Never once was a charater intresting, never once was the story compelling. Morals never seemed to work their way into the story. The Ideals of the novels are strangley familar Almost similar to question Ingmar Bergman posed in his films at thrity years earlier( See winter Light) Hardly intresting. Mary Doria Russel l is No Russell Banks or any kind of writer at all.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing new nothing much.
Review: I found this book to pose very few intresting questions. THe charaters where unlikakbe and not well drawn. The narrative it's self is very sketchy and is more confussing than compelling. Very little intresting of orignal craftmanship went into bot the form and content this book.
Rating:
Summary: Bad Science, Less Than Average Fiction
Review: Yes, yes, I know, this is not a "hard" sci-fi novel. It's an "idea" novel. However, a science fiction writer should get basic science facts correct. Ms Russell doesn't. (Her asteroid to the stars idea is idiotic--she obviously didn't consult anyone who understood basic freshman physics; her alien races are straight out of Star Trek--they think, talk, and for the most part, act like weird-looking human beings.) And it annoyed me. An "idea" novel should have some new ideas, or fresh takes on old ones. Ms Russell doesn't. (Jesuits go to convert the heathen--who happen to be aliens--and get killed. One of the Jesuits lives long enough to feel betrayed by God. This is new?) And it annoyed me. The writing was strangely, if not poorly, paced: events of great importance to the main character get glossed over in 3 sentences, while trivia occupies 3 pages. Not to mention that if this is the best prepared expedition that the Jesuits could mount, it's no wonder they've been martyred so often... So, if your science fiction novel has low quality science and fiction, what are you left with? Not much, except for a pretentious Questions for the Reader section at the back of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible and Thought-Provoking
Review: This book is the authors attempt to puzzle out a little more about her own spirituality, and she takes us on a fantastic ride in the process. The characters are real, the dialog often humerous (except when it must be dark) and I learned some great things about the Catholic Church and the Jesuits. The plot itself is interesting. A must read. I couldn't stop reading it- and I was at the beach, sitting in my hotel room reading it while my family was on the ocean. It was that good. Many things become clearer with the sequel...
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