The Modern Library 100 Best Novels Challenge discussion

September - November 2010

Stranger in a Strange Land

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This is another one I read MANY years ago (25-30?). It was before I was "into" sci-fi, so it seemed pretty strange to me at the time. It may read better for me this time around.

I need to get this one read, but you know sci-fi and I are just not compatible ... though I did like Ender's Game. I will read it the second half of September (I'm going to do one of these quarterly books every two weeks -- that's the plan anyway!)

I am starting Stranger in a Strange Land tonight. Not being a sci-fi fan, we'll see how it goes. A couple of chapters a day, maybe, but hoping to finish it by the end of the month.

Well, it's been a bit slow in the start, but easy to read. Written in 1961, some of the sci-fi technology in it is fun to read as it's commonplace in today's world -- ie. surrogate parents, man on the moon, news on the computer. I'm in the second part (of 5) now.

I'm really starting to drag through this -- not sure if I'll get it completed because it's really holding up my other reading. I'm about half-way and finding it boring. Sci-fi is just not all that interesting to me.

I finally gave up. I got more than half-way through and had to keep asking myself why I was reading it. Just uninteresting to read that was keeping from my other books.

I read the 1991 print version-- just posted my review in my progress section and on the book itself. My biggest recommendation is if you can get the earlier version without the 50,000 words added it would probably be well worth it.

Finished the book. I think what helped me this time to successfully read it was to listen to the first 70 pages from a book on C.D.. Sometimes the first 100 pages are very difficult to get through. And all the effort to read the first 100 pages gets one frustrated that when the book does lag a bit then one says"Forget this!" I am glad that we are reading this book. I guess my search for the correct theological answers was engaged by this book. I thought it was an excellent read, but at times it was very difficult to keep going. The book was worth all the effort. And I am glad for reading it.

I am listening to this one now and it is not soo bad. I will see how it goes when I get further along.

It is going slower than i anticipated but I am still plugging along. It has been colder here so I am not inclined to get out and drive places so since this is my car book it is taking longer. I am about halfway now I think. :)

That was indeed tough! If I had not been listening to it in my car all these weeks I would have given up. As it was the last third of the book was so out there that I spaced most of it off and probably didn't grasp all I was supposed to but come on ...it was weird. 2.5 stars

KrisT wrote: "That was indeed tough! If I had not been listening to it in my car all these weeks I would have given up. As it was the last third of the book was so out there that I spaced most of it off and prob..."

Isn't it interesting that none of us seem to like this award winner? I would think we'd have at least one review that was positive. I'm with you -- it was weird!

LynnB wrote: "KrisT wrote: "That was indeed tough! If I had not been listening to it in my car all these weeks I would have given up. As it was the last third of the book was so out there that I spaced most of i..."

I guess I had a mixed review of the book. I do consider it the best book that I have read in this challenge so far. I look forward to finding a book that will render the Stranger in the Strange Land a Number Two position.

Gregory wrote: "I guess I had a mixed review of the book. I do consider it the best book that I have read in this challenge so far. I look forward to finding a b..."

I look back and see that you did rate it highly - I apologize for missing that when I made my comment! I'm not a sci-fi fan and don't get the allure of the genre, so that is very opinionated of me. I have an older brother who has tried for many years to get me to enjoy sci-fi, but it just hasn't happened!

Look at our bookshelf to see what we've already read. IMHO there are quite a few better books!