kiki reviewed 2001 by Arthur C. Clarke
Review
5 stars
It has aged extremely well. A true masterpiece.
Paperback, 297 pages
English language
Published Sept. 1, 2000 by Roc.
4 stars
(254 reviews)
From the savannas of Africa at the dawn of mankind to the rings of Saturn as man ventures to the outer rim of our solar system, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a journey unlike any other.
This allegory about humanity’s exploration of the universe—and the universe’s reaction to humanity—is a hallmark achievement in storytelling that follows the crew of the spacecraft Discovery as they embark on a mission to Saturn. Their vessel is controlled by HAL 9000, an artificially intelligent supercomputer capable of the highest level of cognitive functioning that rivals—and perhaps threatens—the human mind.
Grappling with space exploration, the perils of technology, and the limits of human power, 2001: A Space Odyssey continues to be an enduring classic of cinematic scope.
Julie R reviewed 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
My favorite Clarke
5 stars
This was a re-read. The mastery of sentence and story in this novel is incredible. Plus, I love his future-gazing. He does a great job except for thinking we'd get there sooner than we will.
Jack 💜 reviewed 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (Space Odyssey, #1)
Review of '2001: A Space Odyssey' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Ever wonder what the hell the movie was all about? There's a lot of explaining in this book, making it an essential companion to the film. There's some subtle differences between the two story-wise, but nothing too big apart from the ending.
I was surprised not only at how vanilla-bland Clarke's prose was, but also how none of the characters really stood out save for HAL. The book isn't bad by any means, but it also wasn't as 'deep' as I expected considering its film twin.
khavorka reviewed 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (Space Odyssey, #1)
Review of '2001: A Space Odyssey' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
The book expands on the film, providing context and further supporting the theme and lessons of the larger story. It's a masterpiece, along with its sequels. Keep in mind that the sequels will act as though the story ended at Jupiter, but in this ambitious novel, the Odyssey goes beyond that, venturing all the way to Saturn with a more expanded drama, and delves into Dave Bowman's vision and the meaning of the Starchild.
Nick reviewed 2001: a space odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (Space Odyssey #1)
Review of '2001' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Oh my god, this book was amazing. Such beautiful, intelligent writing. I loved Clarke's description of the planets, and his insertion of interesting relevant facts about them. The last part, Through the Star Gate, blew my mind.
Zéro Janvier reviewed 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Review of '2001' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Difficile de se faire un avis sur un livre lié à un film aussi marquant. C'est du Arthur C. Clarke assez classique finalement, avec ses qualités et ses défauts.
Jiří Eischmann reviewed 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (Space Odyssey, #1)
Review of '2001: A Space Odyssey' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
One of my most favorite books. Classic.
Graham Downs reviewed 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (Space Odyssey, #1)
Review of '2001: A Space Odyssey' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
When I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey (the movie), about ten years ago, I found it dull, boring, and deeply depressing. I also didn't understand what was going on. I decided a couple months ago to give the book a try. It's much better!
The story is split into four parts (technically six, but I disagree with Clarke's seperation, and I only perceived four):
In the first part of the book, there is what I thought of as somewhat of an extended prologue. We meet Moon Watcher, a member of a prehistoric tribe of Men as he uses his primitive brain to help himself, his family, and his tribe survive.
The second part starts three million years after the first part ends off, and is about a mission to the Moon to investigate a strange phenomenon that has been discovered there.
This second part ends abruptly, when the reader is …
When I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey (the movie), about ten years ago, I found it dull, boring, and deeply depressing. I also didn't understand what was going on. I decided a couple months ago to give the book a try. It's much better!
The story is split into four parts (technically six, but I disagree with Clarke's seperation, and I only perceived four):
In the first part of the book, there is what I thought of as somewhat of an extended prologue. We meet Moon Watcher, a member of a prehistoric tribe of Men as he uses his primitive brain to help himself, his family, and his tribe survive.
The second part starts three million years after the first part ends off, and is about a mission to the Moon to investigate a strange phenomenon that has been discovered there.
This second part ends abruptly, when the reader is vaulted into the scene of a space ship destined for Saturn. The second and third parts do tie together, but I won't give away how.
Throughout these first three parts, I was torn between giving the book four stars, or five. The fourth part was what finally decided me on three. It's about the last 10% or so of the book, and it's definitely not the ending I had in mind! It's deeply psychological, philosophical, and just plain weird. I considered it a real anticlimax to a great story!
Still, it's an epic, interesting, and engaging tale, and I certainly think that any fan of Science Fiction should read this book at least once!
Subjects
- Computers
- Space vehicles
- Human-computer interaction
- Twenty-first century
- HAL (Fictitious character)
- Film novelizations
- Science fiction
- High interest-low vocabulary books