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Summary: Empire of the Ants is just the beginning ...
Review: Empire of the ants (in French, Les Fourmis) is actually the first of a trilogy ending with Revolution of the Ants. I read all three in the original - I have no idea if the other two books have been translated. Great reading. Just keep in mind that the "end" of Empire of the Ants is only the beginning. END
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Summary: Humans and ants delight and terrorize us. a gem!!
Review: This book is creative and original. It tells the story of a few humans living in Paris in the early 21st century who are warned by Edmond not to go down into the cellar. The book then continues with a marvelous juxtaposition of human and ant lives. Characters are surprisingly real, both ants and people. Situations are original and while the book is a fantasy, witty social and philosophical commentaries are in abundance. It is obvious the author delights in his knowledge of ants and both delights and terrorizes us with this knowledge and a keen insight into characterization. I think this book should be considered for the Pulitzer Prize. It is a gem.
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Summary: It's really two books--and only one is worth reading
Review: As noted by others, this book has two plotlines--one concerns humans and the other concerns ants. The ant story is by far the stronger of the two. The book is worth reading for this alone--and a good thing, too, because the human story with its cardboard characters, feeble mystery and wholly implausible ending is not worth the paper it's printed on.About that ending: you take a couple of dozen assorted firemen, policemen, and other random citizens who have individually blundered into a one-way, no-escape tunnel...and they cheerfully decide to abandon their wives, sweethearts and children and spend the rest of their lives living in an underground concrete bunker, cut off from humanity, living on fungi cultivated, chewed and regurgitated by ants, and talking to the ants through some mad scientist's electronic hookup? Gimme a break! I can't escape the feeling that the author wrote the ants' story, brought it to a literary agent, was told "You've got to add some human interest!"...and then went back and tacked on the flimsy human plot. Whether or not that's what happened, he would have done far better to leave the humans out of the book entirely and stick to the ants. In fact, I recommend skipping the human parts of this book altogether. You won't miss anything, and you can concentrate without interruption on the truly fascinating ant story. If the humans had been omitted, I would have given this book 5 stars instead of 3.
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Summary: Awesome book!! I loved it!! Read it!!
Review: This book is one of the greatest books I have ever read! I am only 12 years old but this book was really, really interesting. The only disappointing part was when the 327th male dies. If you haven't read the book you will understand. People should surely read it. It's a great book!! I sure do hope he writes a sequel to his great book! Because it kind of leaves you hanging!
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Summary: A good, quick read.
Review: The book presented a rousing story and some provocative images of ant life and intelligence. The general story line is solid, inventive and keeps one reading. Mr. Werber's images of the ant society were vivid and made me believe. If he had only been able to imbue his human characters with as much believability I would have given it 5 stars. Like so many authors, he seemed to run short of energy at the end. Ultimately, these are minor complaints. I was completely entertained and engrossed while reading the book. I highly recommend it. I will likely never look at an ant just the same again.
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Summary: One of the best books I've read
Review: Read this book, it's great, original, wonderful. I don't know why they didn't translate it in italian yet. I know the insects are anthropomorphized in some of their behaviours, but it's funnier this way.
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Summary: A Superlative Experience
Review: Admittedly, I bought Empire of the Ants as a curiosity. I rarely ever buy a hardcover book without reading a couple of reviews, but after reading the synopsis, I was fascinated. I'm glad I went with my impulses. Furiously imaginative and well researched, Empire of the Ants is one of the best science fiction novels in recent memory. It does an unbelievably good job at immersing the reader into its whimsical, and sometimes horrifying miniature world -- where death is a common, and seemingly unimportant, occurance. I anxiously await the rest of the series.
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Summary: Captivating and engrossing
Review: I really liked it -- but it's not for everyone. Imagine the difference between a French movie about ants, and a Hollywood movie about ants. This is the French version -- meandering, doesn't follow a clear narrative, revels in the details, the humans are a bit "weird" about their motivations, and there are no world-conquering ants the size of VW bugs out to eat us. Instead, it takes a more realistic approach -- and I think, altogether more satisfying one. By the end, I was quite spellbound by the possibilities it had raised, and cannot wait to read the sequels (which someone below said were out in French, but not translated yet). Basically, if you're at all interested in science and how things in Nature work, you'll love this book. If not -- well, go rent the old 1954 Warner Bros. movie THEM! about world-conquering ants the size of VW Bugs.
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Summary: Very disappointing
Review: Very thin on plot; the great mystery turns out to not so great in the end. Ant and human characters are weakly developed. Either skip this book altogether or borrow it from the library; don't waste money on it! Better: read Watership Down or Plague Dogs, instead.
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Summary: Intriguing
Review: I was somewhat mystified that a fictional book on ants would be written for adults not children. But then why not? It certainly made for interesting reading. I tell you this... i look quite differently at an ant hill now. I was somewhat disappointed in the ending. For all my opinion is worth, it's definitely something good to read.
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