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Summary: To save our world a boy must choose between life and death
Review: Imagine growing up constantly in fear that war will erupt. Not war in the sense of one nation against another, but war in the sense of one world destroying another. To solve this problem, the governments of Earth have banded together to find the one man who can save them from destruction, except it's not a man, it's a young boy who will grow up and make the most important decision to face humanity has ever faced and once that decision is made, his life will be turned upside down.
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Summary: One of the best novels of all time.
Review: Hi, I know that I am only one of hundreds who have written responses to Ender's Game, but I would just like to add my view on it to the extensive list. I first read Ender's Game when I was 16 and loved it. I have always been a fan of science fiction (even though I like fantasy novels better) and picked up Ender's Game in the hope of not wasting my time. I didn't. It was one of those rare books that you remember the name and author of long time after finishing it. I recently re-read it, prior to reading Speaker for the Dead (another great book, but not as good as Ender's Game) and liked it even better than the first time. Why is it such a great book? Many have tried to answer that question, and I might as well throw my two-cents in. I think it is such a great book because Card makes Ender real. You feel sorry for him; you feel his anger and loneliness; you understand his fear and hatred, but also his love, of his brother (having 3 older brothers of my own, I can fully relate); and you also wish he could just be a normal, average boy, free to remain innocent as long as possible. It makes you feel, which is what great literature is supposed to do.
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Summary: Science Fiction Or Not, It's a Good Read
Review: With regards to Ender's Game, only two things are certain: it is fiction, and most people feel very strongly about it. Reviews of this novel, best described as a "prequel" to Card's Speaker For The Dead, cover a wide range from blessing and damnation, with little or no middle ground. Surely a novel so vehemently argued about is worth reading, even if just to see what the furor is all about.
Loudly proclaimed by it's supporters as the best science fiction book ever written, detractor's of Ender's Game revile the book for not being "real" science fiction. To a degree, these people are correct; devotees of denser works such as LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness or Herbert's Dune will not find the same style here. The loose framework of advanced technology is (for a 1990's audience) romantic or operatic at best, cartoonish at worst. Yet Card's description of a worldwide network where people can discuss their opinions behind the cover of an alias is striking similar to today's Internet. However, the world of the future that Card describes serves only to support the more important focus of the book, the protagonist Ender Wiggin, whose intelligence, strong will, and precocious awareness of his surroundings make him the ideal candidate for enrollment in the most innovative Officer Candidate School ever conceived. It is the story of Ender and his siblings that Card has chosen to focus his art, and a far more appropriate focus it is, for it gives the reader insight into a period of life most have chosen to forget: their childhood.
Ender is often described as an unrealistic character, because his motivations and thought processes are described as "too adult." This should be considered highest praise for Card, for it reveals the truth that children to do not think of themselves as children, and the story is mostly told from perspective of six year old Ender and his older siblings, the cynical oldest brother Peter and the troubled middle sister, Valentine. Their thoughts sound adult because they perceive themselves as adults. Ender's childlike naïveté and optimism are revealed in the subtext that is only truly appreciated upon a second or third reading. This book is popular among older children and adolescents because it speaks to them on their level, reassuring them that they are not alone in their frustration when adults do not understand them. It also speaks to the adults who come upon it, who remember their own childhood yet see through to the underlying simplicity that comes from a lack of experience.
Regardless of it's true status within the genre of science fiction, Card's insight into human behavior, especially that of gifted children, ranks this book up with Asimov's original Foundation Trilogy. Teachers and parents searching to understand their children would not be ill advised to turn to Ender's Game for an eloquent adventure in the child mind. Be sure to read Speaker for the Dead soon afterward. As Card himself admits, Ender's Game was written as backdrop to Speaker, his magnum opus.
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Summary: WOW
Review: One word......REA
Rating:
Summary: Grabs hold and doesn't let go until the final word
Review: A truly gripping story. It sucked me in and held me until
the end. I would recommend it to anyone. A must read.
Concerning some of the other reviewers and their comments pertaining to Ender's Game's inadequacy when compared to "great literature," I would have to say they are partly right. Card did not go out of his way to bury deep philisophical truths and social commentaries into the plot of Ender's Game. Ender's Game is not Steinbeck, but then Steinbeck is not as much fun to read :), and I think that is the point. I believe Card intended to write to as large an audience as possible by writing a terrific tale and appealing to the one thing common to every person: emotion, and he succeeds in every way. The 'truths' and 'ideas' of Ender's game are not masked and buried deep, which unfortunately seems to be the indicator of great 'literature' these days, they are brutally laid bare and made accessible to every reader. The great thing about Ender's Game is its power as a tale. It weaves so well, the reader has no choice but to be sucked in and experience the world and heart of Ender Wiggin. So for those who rated it a 1 because it isn't a "literary masterpiece," you're right. But the comparison is irrelevant. If I judged Ender's Game as a fudge popsicle, I would be gravely disappointed and give it a '1' as well. Card wasn't attempting to write a work of great 'literature' when he wrote Ender's Game, he was trying to write a great story to be read by all. And a great story he wrote.
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Summary: Best Book I've Ever Read
Review: In this book, I found that I could really relate to all of the characers in the book because when I read the book, I was surprised that Ender was similar to myself as a child.
I think that this is an awesome book and I FULLY recomend that you order it now
Rating:
Summary: It cut straight to my heart and soul.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Ender's Game because of its intriguing storyline and above all because of Ender himself. I am not a kid genius, no one stands in awe of my capabilities, but I identified with Ender on a very personal level. Yes he is just a kid and I had a hard time getting around that concept at first, however, over all i choose to look at Ender as a window into the human soul. It is Card's portrayal of the strength of character and soul that really got to me and assures that I will recommend this book to everyone I meet
Rating:
Summary: grabbed me and wouldn't let go.
Review: I found this book on a shelf at nine last night, and started reading it, because of a good recomendation by a friend. I didn't stop reading until five in the morning, when I was too tired to hold the book anymore. This is definitely the longest amount of time I've spent reading straight, yet propabley the shortest amount of time I've ever finished a book in. To sumarise this book, what it all leads up to, I have one sentance. At age 11, Ender Wiggin anihilates a whole race, on accident. The characters in this book are so wonderfully developed that, while you hate them, you understand them. You love them, hate them, you understand, you empathise. And Card leaves you your imagination, your -brain-
Rating:
Summary: Best
Review: This book has made a major impact on my way of thinking. It is extremely intense and shows you many important things in life. It is a must read for all people in this world. This book is a must. Anybody who likes or dislikes sci-fi must read this to know what good writing is
Rating:
Summary: Unputdownable
Review: If you need any reason to read this book, scroll down the 12 or so pages of tens. 'Nuff said
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