Time Enough for Love

Rating:
Summary: Old School Science Fiction
Review: Time Enough For Love is science fiction of the old school -- sci fi as an exploration and extrapolation of ideas, rather than a western with space ships and ray guns.

Almost every review of this book gives it either 5 stars or 1, so be aware that you'll either love this book or you'll hate it. If you understand what Heinlein is doing, you'll give it 5 stars, and if you don't you'll get caught up in the incest, prostitution, group marriage, etc. and give it 1.

Heinlein takes a 4000 year old man who has done EVERYTHING that there is to do in this world -- the challenge is to find something that will make him want to keep living. In the end, the thing that keeps him alive is the same thing that has kept him going for 40 centuries: love. Heinlein's examination of love in all of its forms and the return of Lazarus Long's desire to live are the backbones of the story.

Many reviewers have exposed their own hangups by focusing on the sex in the book. Yes, there is sex, including prostitution and incest, but these reviewers aren't seeing the forest for the trees. Sex is examined as one component of love, but Heinlein makes very clear early in the book that sex and love aren't at all the same thing. He also makes it clear that he wants to discuss love, not sex.

Along the way Heinlein discusses maternal love, paternal love, love of self, love among groups (no, *not* group sex -- group love), intellectual/spiritual love (Minerva and Ira), platonic love...I could go on, but you get the idea. Heinlein even gives Lazarus a female clone so that love of self/narcissism/solipsism can get a real philosophical workout! These aren't excuses for sexual hijinks, as some libido-obsessed reviewers seem to believe; there's something going on here besides titillation folks, if you pay attention.

Some warnings: this is not sci-fi adventure in the laser gun/warp drive vein, nor is it alien contact a la Arthur C. Clarke. This is sci fi used to examine the most important of human emotions -- it could be mainstream literature except that some of Heinlein's ideas require super-longevity, time travel, etc. to be fully presented. If you're looking for a plot driven book where Event 1 leads to Event 2 leads to Event 3, all coming to a head when Hero 1 defeats Villian 1 at the end, look elsewhere.

Second warning: Heinlein is very didactic in this book. If you don't want to put on your thinking cap, or if you want a fast-moving, action-packed plot, may I suggest the Star Wars books?

Enjoy. It's one of the best books, science fiction or otherwise, ever written.

Rating:
Summary: Hienleins most meandering book.
Review: I read most of Heinleins books before reaching this one and was really looking forward to learning the life of a character i grew to love. Unfortunately, like some of his other books, such as, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and The Number of the Beast, this too got logged down in useless prattle that Heinlein occasionally drones on about. Some day i will pick it up and finish it. this book was definitely not worthy of Lazarus Long,

Rating:
Summary: wake up america
Review: This book was not about incest or prositution or war or this or that. This book was about love. Get beyond the sin and see the story, about a long lived man going through life looking for love. He doesn't settle for the mundane definition that our preachers teach. What Heinlein does is push the boundries and explore possibilies. Its time we all wake up and open our minds. Read this book!

Rating:
Summary: Incomparable
Review: R.A.H. has excelled himself with this work.Through the senses of Lazarus Long he shows us a straight forward approach to life and a tantalising glimpse of our possible future.The only book I can read any time,any place.

Rating:
Summary: Do not waste your time reading this book, you'll regret it.
Review: This is simply the worst book I ever read. In fact, I didn't even bother to finish it. I grew tired of waiting for an interesting plot to develop and threw the book into the trash after 250 pages.

The other negative reviews nicely sum up why this book is so bad. To me, reading this book is as painful as listening to a bad stand-up comic for 4,000 years.

Rating:
Summary: A Hard book to categorise
Review: Time Enough for Love is, like many of Heinleinn's works, hard to put into a category. He was an author whose works spanned from the golden age of science fiction to well into the modern age. And during that time, especially in the 1950's, he had to bow to the pressures of his publishers with many of his books. And while that resulted in books that seemed quite childish compared to other of his works, they still held the theme that a man or a woman who had confidence in themselves and their abilities can accomplish anything they set out to do.

As for Time Enough for Love, Heinleinn wrote what I feel to be a near Master's Thesis regarding the hows and whys of love. Lazarus Long is rejuvinated by those who feel they love him and he, in return, challenges them with the question, "What is Love?"

It jumps about in fits and starts; and I freely admit that it took me two attempts to read it through before successfully doing so. It challengs the reader to question his or her own views on issues; especially love.

It does not matter if you love it or if you hate it. If the story makes you think even for just a bit; the story is successfully told.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible!
Review: I am a college student and a long-time fan of science fiction. Time Enough For Love was my first foray into Heinlein and it might be my last. This was one of the worst books I've ever read! A meandering piece of garbage! I would give it negative stars if I could. The incest really bothered me in this novel because I thought of Lazarus Long as a pervented grandfather type. The novel has some tender moments but it did not justify my time. If your looking for a novel about immortals/longevity I would suggest Zelazny's Lord of Light. Now Im hestitant to read any more of Heinlein's works - this one was so excreable.

Rating:
Summary: Not recommended, even to Heinlein fans
Review: RAH is responsible for some of the best and worst science fiction even written. This book is close to the bottom. Although Lazarus Long is a somewhat likeable character, the novel has little plot and eventually devolves into a deviant sexual fantasy. I'm embarassed for RAH and those who rave about this book.

Rating:
Summary: True Heinlein
Review: I've read most of Heinlein's novels and so far this is my favorite. Lazarus Long is Heinlein's best character and this book demonstrates that over and over again. If you read one book by RAH, read Time Enough For Love.

Rating:
Summary: Spans 2000 yrs of life and events of main character
Review: An excellent book, describing the life and loves of main character. Would definitely be rated as one of the top 10 SF books ever written in my opinion. Shows the attitude of the majority towards the minority groups which have achieved things that they have worked towards, majority believe that any advancement should be shared and will not accept that extended life of Lazarus and his group is due to genetic manipulation and not some "wonder" drug. Shows how the majority will ignore the abuse of minority groups where it suits them and they think that they can get something without having to work for it. Situation can be compared to treatment of virtually any minority group you care to name, both past and present.

Book continues and shows that anything can be accomplished if people can be shown that something is possible. General longevity is only provided after the possibility of it is shown to be fact by the group of which Lazarus is the oldest.

Have purchased this book 4 times and had it "borrowed" by friends and never returned(think they liked it too much and did not want to give it back to me).