posted
Actually Earthborn isn't too bad a read if you read all the Shedemei/Oversoul parts and skip everything else.
Posts: 454 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Earthborn takes place some thousand yeara after the first 4, discarding characters I had grown to love. It's the first Card book I have actively hated.
Posts: 9 | Registered: Apr 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, he was just trying to be faithful to the source material.
I'm not sure what you'd call it if a Mormon wrote a science fiction retelling of the Book of Mormon that remained closely parallel until the very last book, and then went off in a completely unexpected direction, but I'd call it audacious at the very least. Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
When I read Earthborn the first time I was so startled and perturbed by the change that it colored that reading. The next time I enjoyed it much more; the new characters, seeing how the plans of Nafai and Elemak came to fruit in the long run, and the resolution of the overall story arch. In fact, I think I'll read it again today. Another good thing about [i]Earthborn{/i] is that you can read it as a standalone. If I pick up CoE I'm practically dedicated to reading all the rest.
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I loved Earthborn. It's one of my favorite closers. I loved the characters in the first four too, but the new ones live up. And there's more of them.
The one things I wished was explored more in the series was Protchnu's life. He was a great character.
Posts: 1407 | Registered: Oct 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
....and then went off in a completely unexpected direction.
Earthborn follows the source material as close as the first four. The first four books follow 1st Nephi in the Book of Mormon sort of and Earthborn follows Mosiah and Alma sort of.
Posts: 143 | Registered: Feb 2008
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Rodger Brown: ....and then went off in a completely unexpected direction.
Earthborn follows the source material as close as the first four. The first four books follow 1st Nephi in the Book of Mormon sort of and Earthborn follows Mosiah and Alma sort of.
Right. I was saying it'd have weird if this wasn't the case.
Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I have to join the "I Love Earthborn" side. The first time I read it - not so much. It was "ok" but giving up on my favorite characters was hard on me.
In subsequent readings, it has become more and more my favorites. That is really saying something considering that Ships of Earth & Earthfall are also some of my favorite reads. There is something so sweet about almost all the characters. It is one of the few books I've ever read that portrays so clearly how a human being can be both perfect and flawed at the same time. There is alot of talk in the series (and also in the Alvin series) about this "perfect fruit". I actually find the idea of the fruit somewhat silly - but the intensity and goodness of the idea behind it is powerful. The way the characters have their strengths and weaknesses, the WAY those things come together to form the person as a whole, even the way that Akma manages to twist an almost Arthurian character to do such despicable things... it... it's just SO nice to read.
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
One of the reasons I love Earthborn is that it's the only ensemble story I've read from Card. Most of his stories have a lead.
Posts: 1407 | Registered: Oct 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think one of the reasons I followed the characters as well as I did was because I'm very familiar with the source material otherwise I would have gotten lost in all of the brothers the sons the kings the judges all of it.
Posts: 143 | Registered: Feb 2008
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by DDDaysh: Just out of curiosity, why do you speed read things you're reading for fun?
I believe it's a combination of greed and guilt.
Reading “fun stuff” is my great escape, one that I feel guilty about partaking in sometimes. I'm greedy about wanting to read so many books. So many books, so little time.
I'm female and a mother. Some of us are guilt mongers. I need to learn how to treat myself to a slow, luxurious novel read.
Posts: 3771 | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ah - I do audio books primarily now. I used to scoff at them, thinking they weren't as good a "really reading" the book, but I started using them as a way to make my commutes (an hour each way to work every day) a little more bearable. Now I actually find them BETTER than reading the books in many cases. Eventually I got an ipod and an audible account, so now I can "read" when I'm folding laundry, doing data entry at work, washing dishes, or mowing the lawn. It means I can enjoy my books without any guilt.
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
DDDaysh Welcome to my world thats exactly what I did and why I look forward to new audible releases
Posts: 143 | Registered: Feb 2008
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
