Rating: Summary: Finaly the real stuff Review: I must egmit that all precesiors, except Hyperion were a unaspected disapointment becouse there was to much action and to litle inter figt in the caracters, but The Rise of Endyimion came back on the real path (finaly). For me The Rise of Endymion was so thriling, exceteing, and full of some unusual, and exciteing outcomes, and new races, and technolages, that I read it just two days. But for me the best quality of this book is it's fabula that constantly goes between dimensions, and times of hapening. I must gradulate to Dan Simmond for his linear fabula that is alwais concetrated on one, sometimes two caracters, so you have an excelent felling of time. Weel, I hope that all other books will be as good as this one. (Sorry for the speling)
Rating: Summary: good not great ending to a wonderful series Review: The ending is at first terrifying then heart-warming. We don't get to know Aenea much even though we read her entire life story. She's still an enigmatic figure. Her message though is simple, wise and appropriate both for individuals and entire societies. Some minor nit-picking: a) The different Asian cultures are mixed up. eg. Tibetans wouldn't use Japanese shoji screens. b) The Nemes creatures are overly vicious for artifical intelligences. Too much anthropomorphizing.
Rating: Summary: Spiritual claustrophobia Review: "Rise of Edymion" is full of sweeping vistas; miles-wide floating leviathans on a gas giant world where the protagonist falls and falls and falls through thousands of miles of atmosphere, a buddhist world where craggy peaks rise out of a layer of poison miles and miles below (Simmons seems fond of the layered atmosphere motif), whose inhabitants zip between peeks by hanging onto ziplines, American Gladiators-esque, Aenea's martyrdom is not only seen but experienced by hundreds of billions of people, and those that take her communion soon gain the power to hear the thoughts and lives of everyone who has ever lived, and to teleport themselves instantly across the vast reaches of space just by being really fond of the destination. This book not only doesn't sweat the small stuff, it ignores it entirely. Aenea, our erstwhile messiah figure, gently lambasts past religious thinkers for "spiritual agoraphobia", their terror of the wide-open expanses between the stars, and of thought. I found this insight a bit ironic--Simmons' work veers very far the other way, to a spiritual terror of that which isn't the wide-open spaces. In all, this is a competent, if flawed work. As a series closure, it is kind of disappointing, and it cheapens the brilliant "Hyperion" duo. Dan Simmons probably should have left the first two novels well enough alone, and tried to express the ideas in a standalone work.
Rating: Summary: Not worth the wait Review: Boring, Blah, and Boy what a waste of time that book was. After such a great start, I have a hard time believing this book was supposed to give us closure. I almost wish I hadn't read it because of the way it taints even Hyperion, a truly wonderful book. Dont waste your time with this one.
Rating: Summary: Pretty Review: Hi. I was pretty excited by the time I finally got to this last book in the series, and luckily for me I didn't understand much of this book anyway. I did my best to understand Aenea's monologues about Jesus of Nazareth and learning the language of the dead, and all that, and why Ummon lied to her father. I didn't understand it the first time and as I read it again, I understand it only slightly more. But those of you who gave a bad review to this book based solely on the grounds that you didn't understand it, then you've missed the whole point of the book. This story is a beautiful tragedy that couldn't have been written more intricately and diversively. Dan Simmons is the most intelligent and beautiful writer I have ever read, and the truth is my life is better off because I've read his books. The Rise of Endymion is such a good book that even pretty, intelligent words aren't enough to describe its scope and magnitude. Joy is intertwined with sadness, and then joy once more. I'll let a teardrop fall for Raul and Aenea tonight.
Rating: Summary: BRIEF COMMENT ON NEGATIVE REVIEWS Review: "Rise" has it's flaws - and they tend to be those of dozens of other multi-volume, century-spanning sagas:i.e. after almost a thousand years all the loose ends get tied up in a few dozen pages, the tecnophobia (genocidal computers)is annoying & being a Catholic I'd like to assure readers most of us aren't insance torturers. However, I'm interested that most of the negative comments have focused on the spirituality and religious elements. Don't find it all that profound or entirely convincing, but you have to give Simmons points for taking religion seriously. At least, I do.
Rating: Summary: serious letdown to a great series Review: The Hyperion universe was one of the richest, most intelligent, and highly engaging ones I've ever encountered. Too bad that the final book in the series not only doesn't capitalize on this great foundation, but actually takes great strides to erode the millieu that Simmon's so effectively created in the first three novels. In its attempt to answer unresolved questions or plot elements from earlier books, _Rise_ either makes things more confusing via contradiction or puts you to sleep with the simplistic and unbelievable answers to what should be significant questions like "what is the Shrike". This disappointing book undermines the brilliant premises set forth in the first two books. It's clear that Simmons really didn't have all the answers in mind when he wrote Hyperion, and his attempt to resolve them in this book do more harm than good.
Rating: Summary: Love is the greatest power in the Universe= Review: Dan simmons has proven this in every novel. pure brilliance is this book,god, he touches on human emotions so easily this is tragedy at its best ,Please read this series you wont regret it ,sheer amazement best book since day of the triffids and song of kali
Rating: Summary: Great conclusion of a thrilling series ! Review: This book concludes very well the story of M. Simmons Hyperion Cantos. Even as a German reader owning "only" the English pocket-book from my holidays in Portugal, I must admit the the 700 pages kept me reading on and on. But why does this man have such a serious problems with the catholic church ?? ("Vanni Fucci is alive and well and living in hell", Night Visions 5)
Rating: Summary: So very disappointing Review: After reading Hyperion, it's Fall and Endymion almost in one sitting, I was very disappointed with the Rise of Endymion. Simmons painted such a beautifully diverse universe interwoven with interesting characters and dramatic plot twists. With the Rise of Endymion, the uniqueness of the universe is smashed flat along with the characters. Reading any novel involving all 4 dimensions is tricky to begin with but Simmons definetly does not help the reader. As if the Rachel/Moneta thing wasn't hard enough to figure out, she pops up AGAIN. I don't understand Kassad's presence and Het Masteen's presence esentially ignores key plot elements from The Fall of Hyperion. Father Dure's appearance seemed to altoegther ignore the removal of his cruciform by the Shrike. As a matter of fact, many things were not explained to satisfaction and those that were usually were explained at the expense of the earlier novels. The cruciform, that crucial plot element which spanned all four novels, is at last revealed through anticlimax, it's previous presence among the Bikura ignored. I could go on. Simmons created a wonderful world but should have left well enough alone with the Fall of Hyperion. Trying to tie up every loose end results in having Simmons throw away every thing he's built up for quick and unsatisfactory conclusions.
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