Loved it. The development of the main character is very well done, and his strangeness is very well described. I would have given it 5 stars, but I really have to subtract 1 star for the absolutely disgusting remark of one of the women (!) who states that in most cases, if a woman gets raped, it is partially her fault. Really?!? Eugh... It's such a shame, because I really liked almost everything else. ( )

Disappointing. But with some interesting ideas. I thought it would be "utter classic" and more like Asimov, but it's more of a VERY 60s70s hippie (very sexy, very sexist) idea of SF. Which made it kinda interesting read as a period piece. Not that it's set in the 60s/70s but has very much of that era's ideas of what SF future would be (esp. RE free love) and I think that's why it must've been a phenomenon upon release. ( )

Interesting premise, but incredibly sexist (in a way that feels like it might've been progressive for its time, but still gross). It was also pretty handwavy with the magic system, and the Martians weren't really compelling in that we didn't really hear much about them. Mike was supposed to be doing things in a Martian way, but Martians were ungendered and most of his interactions were gendered so it wasn't really clear how Martians interact with one another. Also ignored was what physical form they took, how Mike survived on Mars, and several other issues that made the set up not really feel well thought through. The group marriage bit was interesting but portrayed creepily. ( )

Heinlein's rear view mirror of the culture as seen by the man from mars seemed so mind expanding to me in the 70's at the age of 15; now, at 55, the patronizing man-splaining can barely be endured, but I persisted because Michael Valentine Smith is a beautiful character, making angelic choices. ( )

A disappointment. I understand why it caused a stir upon publication, but I don't think it aged well.

Heilein's intent was by turns obvious and opaque. Maybe his quasi-religious/metaphysical themes seemed more original to readers of his day, but even allowing for that - all the other stuff - the paternalistic chauvinism borderline misogyny, the laser focus on sex (he get points for expressing both homophobia AND homoeroticism in one book, though,) the ideas about gender, the Americentrism,) not to mention the dated ideas about science, space, and the future - is distracting from his Big Message.

Even so, my biggest complaint is that the book was simply dull.

Perhaps I just do not grok it fully.


Big Spring, Texas
Libby Ebook - Nashville Library
June ( )