Stranger in a Strange Land

Rating:
Summary: Shallow
Review: This book is too light-weight too be a classic. I admire Heinlein for being daring enough to say things in 1961 that are obvious to many of us now, e.g. most people are easily fooled, religion is ridiculous, the Bible has parts which are bizarre, all governments place preserving their power above serving their citizens, there is no absolute moral basis for monogamy, homosexuality is fine, etc. I think Heinlein understood the world fairly well. For the most part he was properly critical about it, without being universally cynical. However his statement, "Nine times out of ten, if a girl gets raped, it's partly her fault." is impossible to overlook. You can say, "Well, he was just being cynical about men and saying that any intelligent woman should be able to see how dangerous they can be and plan accordingly.", but I think that's a stretch. The Occam's Razor answer is that Heinlein was something of a misogynist. As we all know, misogynists see things in overly simple terms. This book is light-weight because it makes simplistic observations. For instance, I just don't think sexual jealousy is a major contributor to the troubles of the world. Heinlein makes shallow, impractical, utopian recommendations for how to fix things. Sure we could do without sexual jealousy but Heinlein fails to see that it can't be eradicated because it's genetic(babies get jealous). Did Heinlein really think that having us all sleep with each other would eliminate war? This reminds me of people who say that if we all smoke pot there will be no crime, war, etc. I think Heinlein was impractical about religion too. Sure we could do without religion, but religion will never be completely eradicated because the majority of humans inherently hate to feel they are alone and/or have an inborn need to believe life has some kind of meaning - that's why "spirituality" is appearing to fill the void created as organized religion slowly fades. I do believe there will eventually be real solutions to the world's problems, but as forward-looking as this book is supposed to be, it doesn't really begin to get at any of those solutions. I grok Stranger - it's not that deep.

Having said all that, there are some things I'm unclear about regarding this book. First, I'm not even sure if the 438 page paperback version I read includes the text which was originally expurgated in the 1961 version. Like the Dead Sea Scrolls, that missing text could change things. Second, I think we can assume Heinlein was okay with orgies, but was he also saying all men should sleep with each other, or only gay men? If the former, that would be a recommendation I have never heard before.

Rating:
Summary: Split between controversy and intimidation in its ideas...
Review: Approaching its 40th anniversary, Heinlein's book remains controversial and thought provoking. This means that, all debate aside, it has stood (so far) the test of time.
While many reviewers point out that the message(s) thrust forward in the book are just a reflection of the flower generation of the 60s, these same reviewers forget that many of theose 60s issues remain debatable, unsolved and in due course with the times. I dont belong in that generation nor am I wishing to defend its causes but i do find that many of the ideas promoted in that decade are just as valuable today, and indeed, maybe even more so.

The story, a sci-fi epic about a martian who is taken back to earth as (basically) a prisoner only to be forced to escape and thus be given the chance to bring forth his ideas from his alien culture (pun intended here). Ideas, which include extreme (even for today's standards) sexual freedom and subversiveness, dissent and questioning of established institutions and a plethora of philosophical rebellions such as the meaning of love and friendship, the substance of community life and the reason we have "societies".
Heinlein doesnt only use the martian as a mouthpiece for his cause. Even more impressive and powerful is the irksome character of dr.Jubal who becomes initially the martian's protector, provides his hideout and uses his everpresent connections and intelligence to give the alien a setting where he can function on his own and take over the story. Jubal's frequent monologues which are disguised as answers in dialogue to various conversators are not only masterful and intimidating but reveal a very fresh sense of humor and keep you halting to think. I thought often that Jubal is the center stage of this story and he's the source of all provocation for the reader but as well as for the other members of the plot.

There are objections to Heinlein's views and some are indeed well founded. You will come upon puzzling misogynistic and also homophobic commentary. Having said that, i'd add that i find it hard to imagine from myself accepting such statements but Heinlein has an agenda that, hmm, demands seeing the sum of the thoughts, criticizing the mistakes, but nevertheless accepting the provocation of "Stranger in a strange land" for what it is: effective.
Other than that the sci-fi imagery of this book does seem dated in today's high-paced hi-tech world but there's few sci-fi novels from that or from even older eras that read convincingly on that level today.
Overall, it is not only a glimpse into the mindset of 4 decades ago but also a glimpse in matters that still remain unanswered today.
Highly reccommendable and highly controversial.

Rating:
Summary: held my attention, page turner
Review: This was sitting on my bookshelf for about a year as my friend had given it to me suggesting that I read it. When I did start reading the book it held my interest. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. Also I found interesting some similarities of the concepts discussed in the book to some 'modern' cults. I would find it interesting to read some in-depth reviews or comparisons of this book. This is a worth while read.

Rating:
Summary: Grok in fullness
Review: I love this book. Smiths thought patterns were fasinating. It has the human race pegged. This is by far the best book I have ever read. A must read to everyone. Even if you don't like the book, it will change the way you grok the world

Rating:
Summary: This wine turned into vinegar
Review: Heinlein's "masterpiece" Stranger in a Strange Land starts off brilliantly. The first 100 pages or so comprise a well-paced absorbing thriller, and even up through the 200-page mark the story remains strong. And then the protagonist Valentine Michael Smith grows up and takes charge of his own life. And the whole novel falls flat on its face and remains thus for the remaining 250 pages.

You see, in the beginning Michael is innocent and somewhat helpless. So he's powerless against his enemies and I naturally rooted for him. Then he slowly began to use his superhuman powers and I became even more absorbed and thrilled, watching him shake off his foes and emerge unscathed. Then he took asylum in a large secured residence with the evil government of the U.S. bent on capturing him and using him for their own ends. Could it get any better, I asked? This was five-star material.

Unfortunately, that's the climax of the story and it comes less than halfway through. The rest is supremely mediocre. Mike becomes a god on earth due to his invulnerability and wealth. What does he do with this status? He basically uses his powers to establish a large harem and teaches others how to do the same thing. The only interesting character in this whole charade is Jubal Harshaw, who probably represents Heinlein himself and his opinions on various matters of philosophy, sex, religion, etc. Two stars here.

Average: three and a half stars but I'm knocking it down to an even three due to the unsatisfying ending.

Rating:
Summary: I grok it.
Review: I love this book. I just seem to keep reading it. (PS, this book is where the word "grok" came from.)

Rating:
Summary: Very good book
Review: If you're a Heinlein fan and haven't read Stranger, this is definitely a must read. If you haven't yet read any Heinlein, but are interested in doing so, I'd suggest starting with something a little lighter such as Starship Troopers, or even one of Heinlein's juveniles. Stranger is unique, as Glory Road also was, in that Heinlein never wrote anything else like it. It's a good read, get's a little wordy sometimes, but very interesting. I read the uncut version. I had a feeling of impending doom creep up on me about 2/3rd's of the way through, that I just could not shake. Read the book, and you to will "Grok."

Rating:
Summary: Dated, boring, bad...
Review: ...and the novel equivalent of "Barbarella"...

This book is like all those obscure psychedelic albums from the same time period. I'm sure at the time, and with the right complimentary, uh, influences, one would consider them masterpieces. Today, though, they're just embarassments to the excesses of a phase that has somehow inflated itself into the Annals of Great Cultural Movements.

This is Heinlein as his solipsistic worst. Read "Dune" instead.

Rating:
Summary: Lost in time
Review: The allure of Stranger in a Strange Land departed with the allure of the free-love lifestyle that the book's protagonist espouses. All that's left is a half-interesting, if disturbing, glimpse into the mindset of the sixties and an imaginative, but underdeveloped, science fiction story.

There are some timeless lessons here about being an authentic person, committing to one another, and being open to the views of others. The power of those lessons, however, is vastly diminished by their placement next to non-titanic philosophical issues like the value of nakedness and bathing and sleeping with as many as you can in the name of love (but only if they are your water brother).

Must admit that it is fun to see what we thought high-tech would be in the future when viewed from the 60's. It makes you wonder what we'll come up with in the future that we haven't envisioned yet.

Rating:
Summary: What a Book
Review: This book has you guessing till the end. i found it to be very well writin. Heinlein is very good. i really Grock the book. and you will to once you've read it.