I guess this might have been a fascinating read in read in 1968, but I don't understand how people are still fawning over it 50+ years later.

I read very little sci-fi, but even I recognize the influence this book had. Elements from it pop up in pretty much every sci-fi movie/show I've seen.

The prose is, to be generous, not good. (Although that seems par for the course with the limited sci-fi I've read.)

The plot slogs a long, except for a captivating section in the middle of the book. The final climax and denouement are sleep-inducing.

Incredibly overrated, this might be one of the few (and best) examples of the movie being better than the book.