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Summary: The most original world I have encountered!
Review: I just finished re-reading this book. I'm astounded by the depth and originality of the world Card created here, and by the sheer power of the tale.WHY IS THIS BOOK OUT OF PRINT????? Perhaps readers reject the challenge of this book--it is one of the most challenging I have read. There are no easy resolutions to any of the moral dilemmas in the book. Find this book at a library if you can't buy it. Then just keep it until the library makes you buy it--it's worth it.
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Summary: an incredible feast of imagination
Review: I think this is an incredibly original book. During the last ten years or so, I read lots of fantasies just to pass my time, and forgot most of them (which is what they probably deserved anyway). Not so with this story, which I read again recently. The first thing that captures the reader is the style of the writing: it is a letter written by one of the characters to another; but softly, without the reader noticing how, the perspective switches and all of a sudden we have a story narrated from an outsider's perspective. The ending brings it all back, in a manner that leaves you almost on the verge of frustration: you don't know exactly what will happen, the book doesn't tell you. Yet, you know the choices. In some sense, you can write your own ending. This is one of the beauties of this story: it includes the reader in it. The characters are so interesting because they are, after all, very ambiguous. The character you would think was the hero at the beginning of the book has to commit rape to fulfill his destiny; the true hero is in fact an unwilling victim. The villain commits gruesome acts, but you understand her motives and you cannot help but feel that she, too, is trapped in something bigger than herself. The theme of the story is downright bloody - like a dark secret that you would rather not know, yet it fascinates you. It leaves the reader with a feeling of uneasiness, perhaps because there's a strong taboo that gets violated in the book. The feeling of distress is compounded by the fact that the narrator of the story is supposed to be a character who tells only the truth. A great story.
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Summary: a refreshingly different read
Review: I treat fantasy reading like salt-in other words, sparingly, but I'm now going on a potato chip binge of Mr. Card. It was nice to read a fictional piece without being intellectually insulted. I highly recommend this book, which can best be described as three-dimensional.
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Summary: "Hartfully" Done!
Review: I was told that Orson Scott Card was a prolific writer. That may be true, but I'll tell you another thing about Mr. Card, based on this book (which is my first by him), he is a brilliant writer in addition to a prolific one. It's a short book, but every chapter, every page, every word carefully guides you through a story that has your "heart" racing throughout. This book exuded more emotion in me than any 1000 page Fantasy book ever has. Mr. Card creates a world in which magic, love, sadness, guilt, hope and dreams are so intertwined that without any of them, none can exist. I suppose that's what life is all about. Imagine, a fantasy book teaching the ways of reality.
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Summary: Five stars isn't enough!
Review: If you, like me, love fantasy, but are put off by the cookie cutter crap most of todays authors try to pass off as fiction, check out this book! Absolute genius. Also very dark, very gritty, and very real, rare things in fantasy. Everyone should read this book.
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Summary: One of my favorite books.
Review: It makes me sad to see this book going out of print. It's my favorite book by Orson Scott Card - I have read it over and over again. The images are very compelling. It sticks with me.
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Summary: Not your typical fantasy
Review: Many people nowadays are complaining about the lack of originality in fantasy--they claim nothing has been new since Tolkien. Well, they haven't read this book. Of all the Card books I've read (and that's a lot)this is the best.
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Summary: Card Gets to the Heart of the Matter
Review: No matter whether you read Card's current or old stuff, it's all great! In this moving tale published in 1983, the story reads as a skillful blending of a long parable and historical Bible narrative. Think this might sound boring? Not in the least. Card draws you into the story and provokes you to think. This is one of his many gifts. There is hidden meaning throughout this book. You'll see this in both the obvious and subtle passages of the story. And as you reflect on what he has to say, you'll also find yourself relating to his characters. You'll care for them. And as they experience trials, hardships, pain, sacrifice, and joy, you'll experience it along with them. In Hart's Hope, Card uses one of his typical character techniques: A young child. In this case, two young children. Though their birth's are separated in time by many years, their paths are destined to cross. And though both have been inflicted with childhood scars of unjust pain and suffering, their ultimate divergent responses are as opposite as night and day. Where the one chooses to permanently hate and seek retribution, the other seeks to heal. And in doing so, ascends to those heights attainable only through self-sacrificing love. My only disappointment with this book was that it had to end. Like all of Card's stories, you don't want the story to finish, but to just keep going on.
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Summary: Greatest Fantasy I've Ever Read
Review: Ok, I first bought this book only because it was written by my favorite author of all time, Orson Scott Card. I picked it up to read it and in the beginning, I admit, it was hard to get into. Names like Enziquel Evelvinsinsee or whatever exactly her name was scared me at first. But as the story progressed, I became more and more attracted to the book. It is comparable to playing a really good videogame. I got to the point where I couldn't put the book down and stayed up really late on school nights to read it. The whole revenge idea in the book is great and, as always, the characters produced by OSC are oustanding and very real. The 3 styles of magic used in the story pull you in even more. This book is highly recommended by me.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Fantasy I've Ever Read
Review: Ok, I first bought this book only because it was written by my favorite author of all time, Orson Scott Card. I picked it up to read it and in the beginning, I admit, it was hard to get into. Names like Enziquel Evelvinsinsee or whatever exactly her name was scared me at first. But as the story progressed, I became more and more attracted to the book. It is comparable to playing a really good videogame. I got to the point where I couldn't put the book down and stayed up really late on school nights to read it. The whole revenge idea in the book is great and, as always, the characters produced by OSC are oustanding and very real. The 3 styles of magic used in the story pull you in even more. This book is highly recommended by me.
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