kiki reviewed 2001 by Arthur C. Clarke
Review
5 stars
It has aged extremely well. A true masterpiece.
Published Nov. 1, 1972 by Roc.
A novel that proposes an idea about how the human race might have begun and where it might be headed...given a little help from out there. A colaboration of ideas with director Stanley Kubrick in the late 1960's it begins at "the dawn of man" and then leaps to the year 2001 where a mission to Saturn (Jupiter in the film) is mounted to try and answer questions raised by the discovery of an ancient artifact dug up on the moon. Though not particularly fast paced, the science is good, and there are a few hair raising events. There are also interesting speculations about the future, such as the space shuttle, and a device eerily similar to an iPad. Leaving plenty of room for contemplation and the appreciation for the inevitable trials of space travel, this is one of the truly landmark pieces of hard science fiction.
It has aged extremely well. A true masterpiece.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
One of my most favorite books. Classic.
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!