Starship Troopers

Rating:
Summary: It could have been better...
Review: Starship Troopers by Roberta Heinlein takes place in the distant future. The book mainly focuses on the character Johnny and his training in boot camp and experiences in war. He faces turmoil every day of his term. He was not always sure whether the M.I was right for him. Eventually he sticks it out and becomes Sergeant. As a Sergeant, Johnny is faced with many men to command, yet many more tasks to accomplish. Over time, Johnny becomes accustomed to making quick and important decisions. Johnny wants the Privates to have faith in his orders and to know that there are just as important to him as he is to them.

My favorite scene is when Johnny falls into a bug hole thinking that he is going to die. However, the amount of bugs in the hole, shoot him out of it like a bullet.

This book starts out very exciting and suspenseful. However, towards the middle it get very boring. Even at the exciting parts the author trails off. In conclusion, if you have a lot of patience this is a great book. Otherwise, it is boring. I give this book three and one-half stars. Submitted by Zack Shopsin, grade 10

Rating:
Summary: Enlightening social commentary
Review: Before choosing to read Starship Troopers readers should be aware that the author wrote the book as a vehicle for social commentary not as simply entertainment. Also the only thing the book and the movie really have in common is the title. Now some will still find this book very entertaining (I know I did) but those who are looking for non stop action and violence are going to be dissapointed. I was drawn to the book due to my own military background and one I started reading the book I found that I really identified with the main character and his experiences. But what really got me into this book was the social commentary it made me look at society and power structures within it in an entirely new way. I didn't totally agree with things the author said in his story but it got me thinking in new directions and to consider possibilities I had never before concieved. In short I loved this book and have loaned it and given out as a gift to many a friend.

Rating:
Summary: boring, incompetent, passe
Review: Using a supposedly futuristic setting, ST attempts to advocate a certain vision of a practical utopia. This utopia is essentially a simple blend of Kant, Hobbes, Spartan ideals, Roman citizenship and American values, washed down with a double dose of testosterone. Now there's nothing wrong with that. Some of those are philosophical giants and time-tested ideas. And I actually agree with a lot of the things ST was trying to say. But the way ST package these ideas are thoroghly boring, unoriginal and junvenile.

About 200 of the 263 pages of this book is about how tough these REAL MEN are supposed to be. But there's no fist pumping actions like you see in the movie, instead you read over and over again how the recruits are put through the grinder with heavy workout, martial art practice, shooting practice, sleep deprivation, wilderness survival etc etc. I can see why some REAL MEN would enjoy reading pages after pages of training. But not for me thanks!

There's absolutely no plotline to speak of. There's a half-developed conflict between the hero and his father, which was concluded by having the father becoming a private under the hero's command. The supposedly main plot of the book is the mental conflict within the hero on wether he wants to serve mankind or not, which was resolved by the hero deciding to ACT instead of to THINK.

If it weren't for the fact that I was researching ST and similar science fictions, I wouldn't not have get past page 40. The worst part is, there's nothing in the rest of the book that's not already been said in the first 40 pages.

Rating:
Summary: Real Men will love this book!
Review: The action is impeccably awesome, the technology is incredible and seems to be the direction modern ground warfare is taking, and at the end of the book the only thing you can think to say is, WOW. Ultra-cool military testosterone build up of a book will anger leftists and peaceniks, but who gives a Klandathu about them? That ridiculous movie they made out of it really burns my a**, though. If you like anything written by Tom Clancy, you will worship STARSHIP TROOPERS.

Rating:
Summary: Starship Troopers
Review: Excellent read, though it doesn't muster the "contreversial" label it's been given. Maybe for 1959:). Just some old ideas revisited with a twist and a couple of new thoughts. What this novel lacks in minor character development and plot it more than makes up for with the tale of the protagonist's journey from recruit Private to Lieutenant. A good yarn, and refreshingly thought-provoking philosophy woven throughout. The book combines realistic combat soldier experiences, sci-fi technology, and an interesting theoretical society. Good insights on soldiering from recruit training to taking command whether you want it or not. Social theory: compelling look at the place of corporal punishment and an entire society where citizenship requires military service. Especially recommend this to veterans. I'm glad I bought this book, I'll probably read it a few times, the pages on moral philosophy and history are dogmarked.

Rating:
Summary: My introduction to SF
Review: In my 13th year, my father handed me this book saying " check this one out, you might like it.". This was the start of what has been a 30 year (so far) love affair for SF. For a kid, this is possibly the best introduction to not only SF, but the concept of social responsibility. Having read it in 1970 during the Vietnam War, I still joined the Navy 5 years later, partially because of some of the concepts in this book. And yes, I make it a point to vote in every election as it is my right and responsibility that according to Mr. RAH!

Rating:
Summary: Boring, irritating, stupid
Review: The book is essentially for people who are interested in reading a lecture on Heinlein's philosophy. The action which one might expect from such a book is essentially not there. But wait! It gets less interesting still!

Heinlein does a good job of killing his interesting points by not addressing them in depth. If he had actually taken an issue and talked about it at any length, I might have found it interesting, instead he gives a breif overview of absolutely everything, without talking about it beyond the level of black and white.

But wait! There's more! Heinlein's characters are all one-dimensional perfect Heinlein-beings. There are two kinds: the good guys, who have it all figured out and the bad guys, who don't have it all figured out, and pay dearly for being wrong. I've read fairy tales with a more mature grasp of right and wrong! The only reason that the characters are there at all is so that Heinlein can pull the strings and have them realize something which he believes to be true.

If you want a book about a war with an alien species, buy Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It's got more action, the characters are more interesting, and the issues brought up are explored better. If you wish to read a book that's about as interesting as a technical manual, buy Starship Troopers.

Rating:
Summary: Despite reviews, not what I expected
Review: Before reading this book, I checked the other reviews on this page to get a feel for it. Many say that it has more to do with social theory that battling alien attackers. I figured, how bad could it be? They were right. I got my fill of that stuff in college. If I want to read ideas about social structures, I'll read Kafka or Benjamin. When I pick up a book called Starship Troopers, I want to read about starships and troopering. To this book's credit though, it did hold my interest throughout as the tirades were fairly brief and it did present the ideas and then move along. So, if you want to read about pitched space battles, stay away, don't let the first chapter fool you. It is not all like that. But if social and military theory are more your style, you'll probably enjoy this.

Rating:
Summary: RAH is a libertarian!
Review: I've read the book about 20 times, and I'm a psychiatrist who has done extensive prison work as well. The ideas of limit setting for children that RAH sets up are dead on. He does not advocate physical abuse of children, gang, just intelligent limit setting. There is no game playing in Heinlein's conception of child rearing. I would have had a lot fewer inmates to deal with if this had been implemented. Our current system is idiotic, and I'm an expert.

In addition, the society is NOT a fascist one, nor is the vote limited to military vets. The idea is that to get the right to vote, you must show yourself willing to sacrifice for the common good -- like Cincinnatus. It is not necessary that the service be military, just that it entail hardship and risk for the common good, demonstrating that you are responsible enough to be given the ultimate power in the state -- the right to vote. He said that in one of the classroom scenes, by the way. Otherwise, free speech is protected, the right of trade is protected, and the society is safe. A more libertarian,egalitarian Singapore is probably a better concept of what this society is than "fascist." Fascism does not offer all the potential of political power as this society does. This society is actually a workable Utopia. Not perfect, but suited to the flaws of Man.

Further, political power is maintained without rebellion against the government because everyone with the cojones enough to rebel is offered political power under this system -- the concept is subtle.

In conclusion, a brilliant masterwork. Not his best, that was MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS. But not a "fascist," "ignorant," etc., but a masterwork of political philosophy. That's probably why a lot of people don't like it. A lot of people don't agree with THE PRINCE, either. But Machiavelli was right, too.

Feel free to disagree; but enough of the name calling, already.

And by the way, he did not intend for it to be a satire. Read his essays.

Rating:
Summary: Heinlein-The Visionary Genius
Review: What intrigued me most of this book, was Heinleins ability to look into future. To see what was on the horizon of technology today. The book was published in 1955, yet he was talking about technology yet to be invented at the time like Global Position Satellites (GPS), Heads Up Display (HUD)and a host of other things. If he wrote this book in the 50's, he must have been thinking of this in the 40's, if not the 30's. I wonder what other brilliant ideas were locked into the recesses of his mind that never made it to paper.