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Summary: "Hardcover" fooled me
Review: I've enjoyed Citizen since I was a kid, and I ordered this because it's very rare to see Heinlein's works in hardback. In fact, I have about 30 Heinlein books, and only one in hardback (well, 2 now). BUT, this edition is essentially the normal paperback with a different cover; it's the same size as the paperback and the same pulpy paper (and the type goes too close to the binding). If you're buying this just to replace your paperback version, it's probably not worth it.Update: Amazon has now changed the description from "Hardcover" to "Library Binding"
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Summary: Citizen of the Galaxy...
Review: This's one of the best sci-fi books I've ever read! It's incredibly fast-paced. I mean,don't YOU hate it when an author takes 50 pages to explain how said person grew up? And another thing...this is one of the most "realistic" sci-fi books I've ever read. Although I haven't read nearly half of it,I can see from all the other reviews that there're some interesting plot-twists. And isn't that what life is all about? People are always changing,moving,adapting to their "new life." And I hear,next to the writers of books like "Mists of Avalon," that this is one of the most hardcore sci-fi authors ever to have lived!
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Summary: Next to "Tunnel," my favorite of the juveniles
Review: Next to Tunnel in the Sky, this is probably my favorite among his "juveniles." This is basically a Heinleinian, Sci-Fi version of the rags to riches tale, as you watch Thorby's rise from a poor beggar boy to one of the richest and most powerful men on earth. A good Heinlein tale and a great way to kill a Sat. afternoon.
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Summary: Citizen of the Galaxy
Review: Without a doubt, this book helped shape my life as an adult. I first read this book as a young teen, and imagined myself in the roll of Thorby. As I grew I realized just how important a roll model and father Baslim was to Thorby. While taking Thorby into his life, by purchasing him as a slave, Baslim always treated him as a son. Teaching him right from wrong and impressing his values upon him. Baslim gave his life for his son and in doing so, set him free. Thorby was again adopted by the Captain of a free trader ship, the Sisu. While there he grew and matured, becoming part of another larger family. But a message that Thorby carried from his father, delivered to the Captain required that Thorby be delivered to the Hegemonic Guard. Baslim's hope is that they could identify Thorby and deliver him to his real family. Little known to anyone that Thorby is really the only survivor of one of Earth's richest most powerful families. When identified he is returned to Earth, only to find that he is more a slave there than he was as a child living with Baslim... Thor(by) now realizes that his own company is deeply involved in the slave trade and works undercover with the Guard to help distroy the slave trade, all the while becoming a slave to his company, power and wealth.
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Summary: This Is a Keeper!
Review: This book rates as one of my favorite Heinlein books to be read and re-read. In it, a child made a slave is bought by an old beggar in the slave market. However, neither the child who has so far survived a harsh childhood nor the old beggar are what they seem to be to the other dwellers in the poverty area adjoining the space port. After Pop is executed, Thorby must get to a certain stranger with a message from Pop, plus a headful of messages he doesn't know he's carrying. This dumps him into a Free Trader culture totally different from what he knows and in another language on a starship. Eventually Thorby is sent off to go with the equivalent of space cops. Who Thorby really is and the "warm" reception from relatives he never dreamed of lead up to the climax of the book. Like other Heinlein books, the Grand Master sneaks in his view of humans, moral behavior, and doing the right thing for the right reason. Makes me wish that dear Mr. Heinlein were still alive and well enough for visitors. One learns something on a gut level in all of his books.
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Summary: Top-notch sci-fi: The ultimate cautionary tale
Review: Why do I call Citizen of the Galaxy a cautionary tale? Because at its heart is the concept, often overlooked in sci-fi, that slavery--arguably the greatest evil of which mankind is capable--follows any fronteir. Anywhere human beings are free to oppress each other, it seems we generally will; yet the other side of that coin is that there are also people who will risk their lives to fight such oppression. Baslim the Beggar, a little more than what he seems, is a character who proves that some of us will fight for justice even at great cost to themselves. One of Heinlein's best mentor characters, he begins the story with a simple but great act of kindness and ends it as a legend. Thorby is no less special, maturing from a mere slave into the person best suited to thwarting slavers in the future. If we ever make it to the stars, we'd better keep this story in mind to remind us what's possible. When I started reading sci-fi this book was recommended to me; I recommend it to anyone else in turn.
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Summary: my favorite Heinlein book
Review: Robert Heinlein has been accused of sexism and preaching in his science fiction: charges I think are well deserved. Here in "Citizen of the Galaxy" though there was enough interesting and plausible interaction that you could work your way through in the hopes that his preaching wouldn't get too loud. Not many female characters but I can't see that those there are particularly negative either. I read the first half, then stop when the slave gets his freedom, that is when the preaching begins in earnst.
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Summary: A Journey
Review: This is one of those books that stays with you, and bears re-reading 20 years later. Accessible to youth, and quite worth reading by adults who come across it for the first time - adventurous, enlightening and sometimes emotional.
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Summary: A typical Heinlein juvenile: wonderful
Review: It's hard to choose among the Heinlein juveniles, all of which should be required reading for adults, but I think this may be my favorite. While the relationship between Thorby and Baslim is only sketched in -- I wish Heinlein had had the time to explore it more fully -- it enlightens and informs the rest of the book. In the final analysis, it's about family. Not genetics, but the vastly more important question of who is that we have responsibilities to and for. And if the ending doesn't make you cry, you'd better see your priest, as your soul is vastly in need of repair.
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Summary: Not Nearly as Good as Heinlein's Others
Review: I'm a HUGE fan of Heinlein. Despite my love for the author's writing, this book was not anything special. There are SO many clichés that made me cringe and say "Oh, GOD... I can't believe he's writing THAT!" that it makes the book difficult to take seriously. He covers many, many topics in much, much better ways in his other books. If you're into Heinlein (or not), choose another book.
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