2001

Space Odyssey (Penguin Readers, Level 3)

Paperback, 96 pages

English language

Published Feb. 1, 2003 by Pearson ESL.

ISBN:
978-0-582-46136-9
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4 stars (264 reviews)

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.

91 editions

reviewed 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (1st ed.)

gonna buy it physically too

4 stars

Some things are different from the movie but there are only maybe one or two scenes that I definitely preferred in the movie over the book. While I didn't feel like I needed a more detailed explanation of some of the mysteries in the story, I can definitely say that the book can keep your interest better than a lot of silent scenes with beautiful effects might.

For me it's not really a matter of "the movie is better" or "the book is better"; I am just thankful for some of the extra content and descriptions in the book. It's like an add-on. I think without the film the book wouldn't be so good. I might have cried while reading this. Leave me alone..

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.

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.

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 …

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