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_david_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Oh my god I'm so glad this slog of a read is over.
I feel as if there was often no room left for a reader's interpretation. Society and certain scientific tools were overly explained, making me have to skim read certain parts to be able to make it to the end. I'd rather just use my imagination to fill in the gaps.
There were also multiple moments in the book where possible potholes were explained via an awkward dialogue between characters. It made me feel as if the author was trying to impress me with how smart they were. Much was written as if it was an unlikable science teacher explaining to you that whatever scientific theories they taught you was the absolute truth and you were just expected to be impressed.
I found it hard to identify with some of the characters reasoning to do some drastic actions, but that's just personal so that's fine to me. I am surprised that no human figured out Luo Ji's plan. It was oddly simple even for someone without a background in the related fields.
The misogyny felt icky but could be explained away with "oh this is just how the main character thinks", but I would've liked to see more strong female characters.
I am again impressed by seemingly very unrelated scientific concepts being blended together into one fictional story. It was just much slower and longer than the story deserves.
I'm fine just stopping the series after this book and not bothering with the third.
I feel as if there was often no room left for a reader's interpretation. Society and certain scientific tools were overly explained, making me have to skim read certain parts to be able to make it to the end. I'd rather just use my imagination to fill in the gaps.
There were also multiple moments in the book where possible potholes were explained via an awkward dialogue between characters. It made me feel as if the author was trying to impress me with how smart they were. Much was written as if it was an unlikable science teacher explaining to you that whatever scientific theories they taught you was the absolute truth and you were just expected to be impressed.
I found it hard to identify with some of the characters reasoning to do some drastic actions, but that's just personal so that's fine to me. I am surprised that no human figured out Luo Ji's plan. It was oddly simple even for someone without a background in the related fields.
The misogyny felt icky but could be explained away with "oh this is just how the main character thinks", but I would've liked to see more strong female characters.
I am again impressed by seemingly very unrelated scientific concepts being blended together into one fictional story. It was just much slower and longer than the story deserves.
I'm fine just stopping the series after this book and not bothering with the third.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Police brutality, and Trafficking
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Human trafficking by government Misuse of power by government/people working for government Terminal illnesses are solved via hibernationdirectorpurry's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Violence, and War
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness
queenshiva's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and War
Minor: Cancer, Misogyny, Suicide, Blood, Car accident, and Alcohol
badbadwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
lesejaguar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The book has quite a slow start but the end is so catching I could not stop reading. The author's writing style to me is very interesting - a little lifeless and kinda technical.
But I have a real problem with the main character's view of women! This is just creepy and so off in my oppinion! Also there are no good/important female characters.
But I have a real problem with the main character's view of women! This is just creepy and so off in my oppinion! Also there are no good/important female characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Misogyny, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
mar's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
okay. so. the second half of this? perfectly good scifi! the first half of this? i guess the author forgot women are people in between books or something, because the way they're described and treated in this book - especially everything about the garbage fire that is the imaginary girlfriend (turned fridged wife) subplot - makes it near unreadable.
christ.
christ.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and War
maddie_can_read's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I almost never like sequels more than the first but I enjoyed The Dark Forest a lot more than The Three Body Problem.
This novel was a lot less hard scientists fiction (which I struggled a bit with the first one not understanding all of the physics concepts), and goes much more into speculative fiction and examines a lot of different perspectives re the aftermath of the first novel (like psychology, economics, etc).
It is meandering in the beginning and a bit in the middle but I really enjoyed the meandering, I like the writing style and I enjoyed the literary wandering we were doing.
And then what a build up the whole first 2 parts are to the third! The buildup really pays off.
I loved the weird parts of this novel: Space assassination using meteriorite bullets,Luo Ji getting almost murdered like 8 times by a computer virus targeting him, That ball thing just straight up blowing everything up! The future's description with the social dynamics and just the structure of the buildings and the clothes, Loved the book opening and ending with ants
This novel was a lot less hard scientists fiction (which I struggled a bit with the first one not understanding all of the physics concepts), and goes much more into speculative fiction and examines a lot of different perspectives re the aftermath of the first novel (like psychology, economics, etc).
It is meandering in the beginning and a bit in the middle but I really enjoyed the meandering, I like the writing style and I enjoyed the literary wandering we were doing.
And then what a build up the whole first 2 parts are to the third! The buildup really pays off.
Female characters non-spoiler rant:
The one thing that almost held me back from giving this book a five stars is the writing of it's female characters. In my opinion, it really drops the ball on this especially given that I thought the portrayal of women in the first was pretty good! Especially given the context of that story. Female characters in this story do not have their own goals, motivations, or desires that exist beyond the male characters they interact with. Just so disappointing.
I almost stopped at around 30% because I was offended by what the actual fuck was happening with a female character lol. The way a specific woman was described just felt nauseating, weird, patronizing and too child-like. I'm hoping that maybe the descriptors were lost in translation a bit. Because I did notice near the beginning it said something like a character "had a naughty problem" and naughty did not make sense to use there at all.
But I'm really glad I pushed through because the scenes that are like this don't last that long and I loved the rest of the book.
Spoilers:
And I enjoyed Luo Ji having an imaginary girlfriend! I thought it was weird and fun and I thought it worked in the story because it shows the reader that he is able to have an extremely complicated inner world that would make him a good candidate to be a wall facer. But then the fact that he makes someone find him a real girl who fits his imagination is like gross-weird not fun-weird. And then it feels really uncomfortable before you find out much later that this woman is like in on the plan and apparently had her own motives. Because at first you're like, did this woman get kidnapped? Why is she so fucking chill about being kidnapped?? Like where did they find her and why does she not seem to have any agency or care wtf is happening to her!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Blood, Vomit, and Car accident
emnime's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Super slow at the beginning, but what a superb finish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Alcohol
meganpbell's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really do love the hard, challenging science in this sci-fi, the big ideas about the nature of the universe and human and alien culture and behavior, however bleak, but Liu’s characters are sacrificed to this and are just so flat and shallow. That would be fine if it weren’t for the ridiculously misogynistic way he writes about women. I.E. science professor’s “dream girl” is “slender,” (Liu’s fav word to describe women), “angelicly” beautiful, “naive,” 20-something who immediately falls for him…shocking 🙄 Add to that the popular opinion that it’s a real slog to get to the pay off…I won’t be reading the last one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Car accident
Minor: Suicide and Death of parent
zone_a3's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Car accident, and War
Minor: Suicide