Rating: 
Summary: gratuitously "pain"
Review: This story picks up ~20,000 years after the destruction of the Empire (and all empire's are generally the same), and the universe's inhabitants are suddenly thrust into a universe where pain (abolished by proxy) exists again. The first part is an exploration into the genesis of the return of pain, while the second is a collection of vignettes of the empire, usually expanding on some tidbit glossed on in the first section. OSCard's greatest gifts as a storyteller are his fascination with the human spirit, and the general lack of 'gratuitous' writing (i.e. physical descriptions of people are usually covered in less words than contained within these parens). His people are never the one-dimensional nesbits so common in SciFi, and he usually fills in enough all around detail so his stories are satisying. The main story congeals into a discussion on the philosophical need for pain, the action is suitably incorporated into this premise (without gratuitiosness), much of the dialogue deals with the "pain is good" and "pain is bad" positions. OSCard's gift is that he can make this interesting and a good read. The vignettes, which I enjoy more, are concerned with the people within, why and what they are doing, not with what they think about the human condition.
Rating: 
Summary: Engaging, Thought Provoking, and Entertaining
Review: I can definitely say that Orson Scott Card is my favorite author. His writing continually amaze me with their depth and entertainment value. Not only does Card spin a wondrous story, but he passes on valuable lessons as well, without managing to be the least bit preachy. "The Worthing Saga" is highly recommended. The above synopsis is nothing like what actually happens in the book. The story is about pain and suffering, and why it exists. The implied message is that God allows pain to exist to give humans something to struggle against, to give them a reason to try and better themselves. Without pain there is no reason to try to advance, and all happiness is meaningless because there is nothing bad to compare it to and say, "This is good, because that was bad." However, Card never once mentions that it is God that allows pain to exist, so even those who are not "big" on "religion" will find meaning within these pages. I give Card a standing ovation, and look forward to reading more by the master.
Rating:
Summary: Good reading material for deep thought
Review: The synopsis described above isn't really all that accurate.
This first half to 2/3 of this book is a single story composed of about a dozen vignettes, united under the premise of a boy being given these scenes as dreams by two strange space travellers. The common theme of this story is that suffering exists because it enables us to grow. The characters in the vignettes suffer, and the dreaming boy suffers with them in his dreams, which causes problems in his waking life.
The last third of the book is a series of (9?) short stories set in the same universe. Some stories are new, some elaborating on stories told briefly or mentioned in the first part. The short stories don't concentrate on suffering so much as escaping reality, and how that lessens us as human beings. Most of them have down endings, but are no less thought-provoking than the main tale.
I didn't agree with Card's premise, that God allows suffering because it makes us stronger. But I found the religious ideas presented in a comfortably secular way, such that I didn't feel he was pushing religion on the reader, but instead encouraging the reader to think about it, and consider his premise. Card's writing style is always easy to get into, and I tore through the first hundred pages before I realised that I'd been sucked in.
Hearing that Card is a devout Mormon might scare away some potential readers with strong religious views of their own, but I feel that his style transcends divisions such as this. Card is an expert storyteller, and is worth reading regardless of one's own theology.
Rating:
Summary: Heart-Breaking
Review: This is a great book for many reasons. I really love Card, he has inspired me to become a writer so that I can touch people the way that all of his books have touched me. In this book, you really feel for the characters, and you can relate to every point of view, even if you dont know it right away, I have read this book several times just because of the Ideas and concepts in it. He does the best job of answering the question.. "If God(or whoever) is so good, then why do bad things happen?" READ THIS BOOK!!!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent work
Review: The Worthing Saga is the usual OSC, a main character who takes the brunt of everything, sacrifices much, and doesn't complain. The compilation of stories are put together in such a way that they all fit and make sense separately as well as together. Brilliantly illustrated characters (some of whom I wouldn't mind meeting IRL) mix with a psuedo-depressing plot to create one heck of a good book.
Rating:
Summary: This is the basis for many of his other themes
Review: I first picked up this book in the mid 1980's when it was published as 'The Worthing Chronicle' by Ace publishing (c 1983). At the time Card was unknown and most large bookstores did not carry him. I read the book at least six times, and gathered new meaning each time. The timeline spans several eons and the social commentary runs deep. His illustrations on the key role of pain reflect almost an eastern expression of the yin and yang. The beginning of the book talks of full time 24 hour real life stars that are followed by remote camera, a spooky concept that continues to edge toward reality. From the wild west/frontier settings of a new planetary colony (ie the exodus of the Mormons) to the magic abilities of Alvin Maker, you can see many of Card's basic themes in one place in 'The Worthing Saga'. I don't want to give up too much of the plot as it is as enjoyable a read as any, and in my mind even superior to his excellent Ender series (although I haven't read the fourth). For new Card readers this is a must, and for those who have devoured his other novels this will show a genesis of many of the ideas expressed in his later series. All in all a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: Thought-provoking premise, but several nasty shocks
Review: In the future postulated by this book, a psychically super-evolved tribe of humans appoint themselves as behind-the-scenes guardians over the rest of the human race -- preventing pain whenever possible, and causing it to be forgotten when it does occur. The result is the stagnation of humanity. For those of a religious bent (Christian or Jewish, in particular), this is a thought-provoking idea that could perhaps shed light on the reasons behind the pain and suffering that exist in abundance in this world, despite the existence of a benevolent and omnipotent Creator. Althought the book is science-fiction at first glance, I would submit that the author's background as a Latter-Day Saint (Mormon) shows through pretty clearly. I am not a Mormon, so cannot speak authoritatively for them. I am, however, aware of a tradition attributed to the Mormons: "As man is, God once was. As God is, man will someday become." In this light, The Worthing Saga is not so much science fiction, as it is a projection of man's actual future as "God", and "God's" own present, real predicament. The word "God" was put in quotes in the previous paragraph because, as I said, I am not a Mormon. For the record, my personal belief is that God was never a man, and man will never be God. I believe that pain and suffering in this world are a curse, imposed by God as discipline for our sin. I believe that this discipline does in fact have its benefits, as discipline should. And finally, I believe that there will come a time when pain and suffering will end for humanity, and yet humanity will continue to exist in perfect (but not god-like) form, without stagnating. These assertions are all Biblical. The last one, in particular, is confirmed in Revelation 21:4. And it is this assertion that The Worthing Saga caused me to think about in a depth that I haven't before. For that reason, I am glad I read the book. On the other hand, there were several nasty shocks waiting for me when I read this book. Card is an outstanding horror writer (actually, he esteems "dread" over "horror"), but I did not expect to encounter horror or dread when I picked up The Worthing Saga. There are many graphic, gruesome, literally horrifying images in this book. Children die. Babies are killed. Babies die. Babies are left to die. Babies are eaten. Men's bodies are kicked until they are not recognizable. Their faces are described. Men fall off of cliffs. The sound is described. People are burned alive. As I read this list, it offends me. For this reason, I am sorry I read this book. In some cases, Card used these images to strengthen his argument that suffering enobles us. In other cases, the images seem gratuitous to me, and the points made were not strong enough to justify such tactics. In all cases, I was offended, and I think much less graphic descriptions would have served just as well. I am a big fan of Orson Scott Cards' books, and read most of them many times. I will not be reading this book again.
Rating:
Summary: Real Human People
Review: An excellent book for science fiction fans and those who aren't so fond of science fiction. Takes a very interesting premise and leads us thru the human race evolution to show how we got to where we are in the beginning of the book. Most interesting to me (aside from the excellent storyline), is that the characters are multi-dimensional... with good as well as bad parts to each.
Rating:
Summary: Cardaholic?--For sure after this
Review: I had thought that I was a Card-a-holic, and picked this book up primarily because of who wrote it. However, I really have nothing new to say beyond the fact that this is simply THE most incredible book that I have ever read in my entire life! Seriously, what the other people said: this book changes something fundamental deep inside of you, and has become the standard by which I measure all other Sci-Fi.
Rating:
Summary: Jason is the god we have inside
Review: I bought this book at a station and it was meant just to pass my 3 hours long travel. On the contrary it gave me something I could never find anywhere else. I can't explain, but I'm a little bit different since I've read this book. Lared's opinions, Jason's descriptions, the whole story of the swipe, they are all so realistic...it's just like Jason Worthing is the god we all carry inside of us.
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