Rating: 
Summary: Major Disappointment
Review: I gave this book one star because I can't go any lower.I have been an avid reader and a fan of Clarke for many years, so saying that a book of his is a "major disappointment" isn't easy. There is no better description, however, of 3001. Not only is the story shallow and unimaginative,the characters are cardboard cutouts whose personalities are "developed" by cute, whimsical, quotes. Add this to the way the technology was presented and I could swear I was reading a sci-fi story from the pulps or a fifties or sixties sci-fi novel.The story also had so little to do with what happened in 2001 and 2010 that I'm unsure of why Clarke saw a need to write the story and present it as the "final odyssey." I'm not going to be a spoiler in case someone who hasn't read the book is reading this, but I expected a more imaginative ending, as well as a more imaginative conflict, and a more imaginative resolution of the conflict, from Mr. Clarke. This book is definitely not one of his best efforts, and one has to wonder why a truly great writer with a history of greatness would feel the need to write a book like this. He had an opportunity to make this a memorable conclusion to an historical series, and he blew it-- and disappointed a life-long fan.
Rating: 
Summary: Medicore story overburdened by preaching
Review: Like so many of his recent works, Clarke's "3001 - the Final Odyssey" hangs a few tenuously-connected vignettes together, with a heavy sauce of Clarke preaching about what he sees wrong in today's world, as here he revives "2001" astronaut Frank Poole to be the butt of numerous lectures from his "betters" in the "more civilized" world of 3001. From religion to circumcision to eating meat (he's against them) to environmental activism (which he appears here to support), the "story" (a relatively uninspired one, and quite timid in his technical prophesies) frequently jerks to a halt as it groans under the weight of its lecturing load. His improbably "deus ex machina" ending, he complains in the Afterword, is his own - but since it's the same one as the movie "Independence Day", he's afraid that people will think he stole it from ID4. Don't worry, Dr. Clarke; it was a bad idea in ID4, and it's a bad idea here, too. Who'd steal garbage? Overall: read it in the library.
Rating: 
Summary: I think this book is very interesting
Review: This book keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time! I thought that I would get bored of it but I really want to read it again!
Rating:
Summary: 3001 Delivers
Review: 3001 truly delivers the feeling of the other books, and solves all mysteries of the monoliths, if you can't under stand it, you aren't a good reader
Rating:
Summary: Damp Squib
Review: A boring book by an author held in esteem by many. This was my first of Clarkes books but it does no justice to his name and fame. The book is dull, monotonous, ungripping and only the last 50 pages provide some excitement. Clarke playes around with his imagination creating space cities and theroies on present day institutions which irritate beyond words. If u havent read it then - DONT. Unless u have no worse way to waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, bad ending
Review: The story in itself is not all that bad. The ideas about religion were all too true, and I agree totally about communism being the most perfect form of government. However, with all the exciting developments of the story through the series, this book's ending is a let-down. I expected something a little better than a "Trojan Horse" solution. At least he didn't drag it on...
Rating:
Summary: buy it
Review: buy i
Rating:
Summary: A Shallow Polemic
Review: I have always been used to Arthur C. Clarke's disdain for religion through the decades. But in his best novel, "Childhood's End" he made his philosophical points so brilliantly and effectively in a well-written story that even the greatest Christian apologist of this century, C.S. Lewis thought it was one of the best works of science fiction written.In 3001 alas, Clarke's blatherings about religion reveal a shrillness that he seemingly needs to compensate for what is a thoroughly dull story (at least 2001 and 2010 were fascinating reads) in which the only thing he is interested in is dreaming of his vision of a politically correct future. And what is one to make of Arthur's peculiar comment at one point that socialism/communism is thoretically the best possible government but that the destruction caused by its attempted implementation in the 20th century is the fault of the corrupt human nature? It is amazing how Arthur thinks that killing in the name of religion is a great evil that makes religion worthy of condemnation but that the far greater atrocities committed in the name of a system that by its own nature required terror and the suppression of liberty to maintain it, is only the fault of human nature. What Arthur unfortunately fails to realize is that when good people practice religion, it's been known to work wonders on society. The same can not be said of communism since there has yet to be a single "good" person who made it work. Conceptually, the book is interesting. Alas, Arthur has gotten so obsessed with his peculiar philosophy that he's totally forgotten how to write coherently.
Rating:
Summary: Final Odyssey delivers with vision and clarity.
Review: Don't be decieved by this just being another installment in Clarke's Odyssey works. His final odyssey delivers with information that the reader could never have dreamed of. With vision and clarity your questions will be answered. By taking this final trip the reader will truly glimpse into mankind's future and the outcome of reading this great work is to understand that you have been touched by the greatness of the author.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent book
Review: The book 3001 was very interesting and discriptive. It is my favorite sci-fi novel. I recomend this book to anyone who enjoys Arthur C. Clarke.
|
