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Summary: Thank you, Mr. Heinlein, for introducing me to SF
Review: I was a kid in Jr. High about 1973 when I read this book. In addition to hooking me on SF, it hooked me on RAH. Unfortunately, his sometimes ascerbic style and unconventional views on human relationships occasionally repelled me a bit, but I have still kept on reading. This book is unbelievably wonderful. I read it every two or three years. Each reading takes 24-48 hours, due to the fact that I can't put it down. The man predicts the existence of velcro, CAD, and clean air laws. He also spins a tale that will hook 99% of those who would never consider science fiction. This the one RAH offering that rises above all the rest. If someone hates this book, they probably also have no use for Wells' The Time Machine. Heinlein is my favorite SF author. This is his best book. Case closed, IMHO.
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Summary: sci-fi classic
Review: The _Door in to Summer_ is the first science fiction I ever read. It deserves at least 7 or more stars. I must have been about ten years old and still remember the exact spot in the library where it was shelved. Have read it over and over again for the last 30 years or so, and it always has a new wrinkle to reveal. As my career in graduate school continues, portions of the book continuously spring to mind. The part where the main character wakes up and reads a plastic newspaper that electronically changes its content with a touch of his finger is coming true now, as technology develops the new 'bubble' book. Also, the friendship between the man and his cat is priceless. This book changed and is still changing my life.
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Summary: A sentimental favorite
Review: When Robert A. Heinlein died, this is the book I was reading, but that's not the reason this is my sentimental favorite. The plot defies easy description: I usually end up telling people "It's a beautiful love story about a 30-year-old man, a 12-year-old girl, and a tomcat" and then quickly add, when I see the look on their faces, "But it's not kinky!" Pay no attention to the fact that virtually none of Heinlein's predictions for the years 1970 and 2000 came to pass (although he did seem to invent CAD--Computer Assisted Drafting) or that the plot twists stretch credulity at times. This is the story of a man slowly coming to realize what he values most in life, and taking great risks to acheive it. Plus there's that non-kinky love story that made me tear up and my 12-year-old daughter adore this book. It's definitely a sentimental favorite.
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Summary: This book is just so well done!
Review: This is a great story on the excitement and possible paradoxes of time travel. I remember the first time I read it, and how I was surprised by the twists and turns that the story would take. And I remember reading it many times later, always trying to roll the plot over in my head. (If he went back, then forward, etc...) The parts about the cat are dead-on and this book is very funny and entertaining.
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Summary: A look back on a look into the future
Review: Having read this in the year 2000 it was very interesting to see what Heinlein expected life to be like in this year. In fact his version of the 70's was interesting as well. I found it very interesting that he had automatons in the 70's but apparently didn't think that banks could distribute money by any means other than people, as he had a 24 hour bank in the year 2000. Besides that I appreciated how much he knew about cats, which made me really feel in touch with the main character. It was very entertaining, even though it's I believe over 40 years old.
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Summary: Classic storytelling! To be read and re-read...
Review: Over the last 35 years I must have read this book at least 20 times... enough to wear out 3 copies. There is a reason for that... there is no comparison to a good story well told. This is the one that spawned the term "wrapping yourself up in a good book". Pick it up and see what I mean... you'll hate for it to end.
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Summary: Open This Door and See For Yourself
Review: Heinlein warped my mind at 13 and it's stayed that way ever since! The Door Into Summer is one of the best works of Sci-Fi ever, and definitely Heinlein's best. The excited, urgent feeling I got reading this book was intense. This isn't a book, it's an experience. If only that urgent feeling could be with me all the time...If you haven't read this book, quit wasting time and get it now! Sincerely, James Landrith
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Summary: A Classic
Review: This was the first Robert A. Heinlein book I bought and I found myself completely unable to put it down. I finished in it a single day, which is relatively rare for me. The book has all the marks of a science fiction classic and indeed is considered by many to be the author's greatest work, but you need not necessarily be a big science fiction fan to enjoy it. Anyone who enjoyed the movie "Back to the Future" would probably enjoy this as well. Both of Heinlein's "futures" are actually our pasts now and aren't entirely accurate. That isn't a big deal, though, and it is interesting to see what he got right and what things he was mistaken about.
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Summary: The Door into Summer
Review: "The Door Into Summer" is another example of classic Heinleinisim by the Grand Master of Science Fiction himself. "The Door Into Summer" is found to be one of Robert A. Heinlein's more mainstream titles as it can be easily read by almost anyone. There are not really any overly complicated theories (social, scientific or otherwise) that would confuse the casual reader (at least not when compared to some other ideas found elsewhere in Heinlein's work). The story focuses on electronics engineer Dan Davis. He has just invented a new household robot that will revolutionize the role of the standard housewife by freeing her of her eternal housekeeping. However, Dan is double crossed by his greedy partner and his deceitful fiancée and tricked into taking the "Long Sleep". He awakes from suspended animation 30 years later to a world with many new ideas and possibilities. The innovation of highest interest however is the newly discovered ability to travel through time and the possibility of revenge that is now a reality. Overall, "The Door Into Summer" is good for readers looking for more story than theology, however, there is still a lack of some of the key ingredients of good fiction. For one thing some of the characters are semi-flat and may be difficult to relate to the reader. Also the flow of the story is not clearly defined. There is no solid rising action, climax, or conclusion. The story just kind of picks up mid-step, follows the action for a while, and then drops off and lets the action continue on its own. The entire story moves at the same flat pace with no rises or falls. It is also common for the writing style to feel more like non-fiction as it is some times lacking any personality. However, the story is still recommended as it does manage to entertain, induce thinking, and touch the heart in a special way.
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Summary: Don't you just love that cat's name?
Review: Heinlein well deserves his place as one of the true sci-fi masters. Somehow he manages to pack technical detail in (describing it so that it seems obvious) creating characters you just enjoy reading about, and adding a fabulous plot. The Door Into Summer is not a book to cherish, but it's one to really enjoy, especially if you have a cat. A designer is conned by his business partners and ends up going into suspended animation with his tomcat, Petronius the Arbiter. When he wakes up, he enters a world which pulls the reader in, sharing with us his confusion and bewilderment at this new world. Soon, though, he begins to concoct a delicious revenge...but he'll have to learn to travel in time first. The Door into Summer is like all Heinlein novels, funny, quirky, interesting and thought-provoking, which is a rare talent.
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