Stranger in a Strange Land | Book Review - Spoiler Free

Spoiler free review of Stranger in a Strange Land.

I included a bit of a rant in this review of Robert Heinlein's classic, Stranger in a Strange Land.

Music: “Take Me to Mars”
(based off of and including original instrumental from Hozier's "Take Me to Church")
by the amazing Rocky Sams

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[jacqi]

Just finished this. The outdated gender roles, ideals et al. never seem to bother me in older books like these. It’s always about context. I enjoyed the book and the pontificating didn’t bother me. Jubal was what I would term “extra”, and I enjoyed his ridiculous nature very much. Jubal is absurd and brilliant all at once, which I found extremely entertaining. I didn’t have any trouble getting through the book.

[CardsMan]

Michael: "Grok means drink." Jubal Harshaw delivers the Heinlein sermon present in all his later works. In Troopers, its conveyor is Colonel Du Bois.

[cleduc]

Jubal and his relationship with his secretaries is the best. I love this book.

[ScientistsReadingWorld]

Love how you analyse the story and yeah the musics are amazing!!!

[Johanna_reads]

Excellent review! I read this about a decade ago, and I did know going in that there would be problematic, aged content regarding women as well how Heinlein inserts his views through that particular character. I had some struggles getting through the book, and I wasn’t sure if that had to do with timing, mood, or pacing issues. I do remember liking Valentine Michael Smith’s character and finding the end emotionally impactful. Great job bringing a critical lens to this book as a modern reader. I look forward to rereading it someday with your critiques in mind!

[rat_bat]

I love the songs you put into the beginning of all your reviews, this one might be my favorite

[saintdonoghue]

Good Lord, this is just incredibly fair! I mostly love the novel, but even so, I don't think I could have been this even-handed.

[danecobain]

This one's sitting happily on my TBR pile and waiting for me!

[WordsinTime]

Fantastic review Michael! I have a feeling I won't connect with Heinlein's writing but he's such an iconic sci-fi writer that I feel obligated to try at least one of his books. I think this will be the one that I try.

[attention]

Great review of this novel, and I agree with some of the other comments, very fair. I did like this novel, but will probably never read it again. Worth a read for anyone huge into the classics of sci fi, but it is not without its warnings.

[DaisyXMachina]

Yeah, I don't think I'm going to re-read the novel. It had such an impact on me when I first read it when I was young, that I'm pretty sure an adult reread will ruin my fond memories of it!

[MyPaulo]

I’m finding this book very hard going. Good start but I agree with you the pacing is too slow.

[BooksForever]

I wanted to like this classic novel far more than I actually did. I came away sufficiently underwhelmed such that I no longer have a strong recollection of the goings on with the plot. I think I’ve simply reached the stage in my life where I find all religions so tiresome that I automatically roll my eyes and dismiss characters who get involved in culty-religious activities, unless it results in a devastating take-down as in Dostoevsky’s “Grand Inquisitor” chapter in Bros. Karamazov. I dunno… maybe the ending was ok.

[chelsea]

That song was spoiler-y, but I loved it.

[samirpatheal]

Harshaw was the greatest character in the book

[joebrooks]

I have reviewed the book since many booktubers revived some interest in it. Some very critical reviews. Unfortunately, I really do not like this Heinlein. Even more than I disliked it in 1970. It has nothing to do with sex or gender. He appeared to be teaching irresponsibility with others' lives.

Star Trek. Charlie X, much more practical resolution.

That said, the further people are removed from historical events, the less horrifying they become.

The Valentine character was undoubtedly instrumental in the creation of Charles Manson and his Nietzscheian primal crimes.

Do I blame Heinlein? That is difficult to articulate. Some of Heinlein's contemporaries thought this novel was the result of his new marriage or recent serious illness. Is that an excuse? Relationship harmony for something that probably should have had a disclaimer as mostly satire?

Cannibalism? Mass murder? Since you never really die, or no one you disappear really dies, all is good...

This was debated by fans a lot thru the 1970s. Some thought Heinlein should be prosecuted in the Manson trials. The whole nation was shamed before the world when this happened. So much so, Quentin Tarantino made a film of it with a different ending, 50 years later.

[annabell]

This was Charles Manson's favorite book.

[chrisconnors]

I read this book in the late 70s when I was in high school. I remember liking the first part, then thinking the rest was not that much good. Even back then, I recognized Heinlein's views as problematic.

Another author who sometimes put his own voice into characters was Asimov. He had one short story with a male character named Potiphar(?) who was a pot-bellied middle age accountant. He ended up with a beautiful young woman who called him "Potty". He said if that was a diminutive of his name, he liked it. If it referred to his belly, he did not. The woman patted him on the belly and said she liked potty men because young athletic men are too hard to satisfy. Even as a stupid teen, I cringed at that...so much of Potiphar seemed a lot like Asimov himself and much of the dialogue seemed like wish fulfillment. Many years later when I heard about Asimov's wandering groping hands and how he treated women at the various publishing companies he visited, I wasn't surprised. Someone recalled you always knew where Asimov was in the building as a series of female shrieks or yells of surprise heralded his arrival.

I'm one of those people who can't easily separate the artist from the art. I'm not a fan of Asimov now so even though I want to reread his Robot and Foundation books, I still haven't done it. I also don't read the chess books of Alexander Alekhine (Nazi propagandist plus other issues) and Bobby Fisher (anti-Semite and misogynist also among many other things); I don't read the books of Richard Feynman (I read the chapter in his book about women and it was horrendous even by the standards of the day, so I didn't read any others), and when teaching I removed any quotes of his I'd formerly used from my presentation. Also don't listen to the music of Richard Wagner (musician), and I think I'm not going to be reading any more Orson Scott Card even though I do have some of his books that I haven't read yet (been on the tbr list for a few years now). Some of their work is brilliant, but I can always feel that distaste of their personalities filtering into the reading/listening/studying experience.

[MrBendybruce]

I enjoyed this book when I read it, I think mostly for the positive reasons you highlighted. While the dated sexism aspect did not really bother me, as maybe I was making allowances for the era in which the author came from. It is a bit unfortunate though, that the quality and talent of the author will always be somewhat overshadowed by his perhaps ironically narrow social views.

The only other thing I can add is that Mike's character fascinated me because it did highlight how much suffering most of us live with with on a daily basis, simply because of our own humanity. I also thought the violent ending made a very strong comment about a disappointing truth about our own species. Oh and I also liked the word Grok, as at least in some sense, it indicated the possibility of a type of understanding that goes beyond anything we would typically associate with the word "understanding" and other similes

[ianmatthewkline]

For context, I’m M36 and have read mostly 1930-1980? Sci-fi.

I remember loving Starship Troopers ( the movie was awesome in the 90s when I was a kid) and similar but different from the book. I loved both. Stranger on the other hand… man this book was so friggin boring and that’s surprising given my interest in many of the books themes