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There are currently 39 member reviews
for The Book of Strange New Things
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Amy M. (Southlake, TX)
The Book of Strange New Things
I am not a Science Fiction reader, but this book was written so reader friendly that I had trouble putting it down. I loved the references to religious ideas and thought a lot about the scriptures chosen for this book. I was intrigued with the setting and became quiet fond of the Jesus Lovers, caring about what happened to them and how Peter related to them. I agree with the reviewer who so no need for the sexual scenes. I felt a little disappointed in the ending, feeling like the author ended the book too fast and left me feeling like a lot was not explored. This book was well-written and interesting to read.
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Alice S. (East Haven, Ct)
Interesting Story Line
I do not usually read science fiction which is what I would categorize this book but I found this one enjoyable. It was a character study about a man who is a minister living in space meeting and teaching the Oasans the inhabitants of the planet he is sent to about the bible. The way it was written it was very matter of fact that someone could go to outer space and be accepted and comfortable in a whole different world.
Made me wonder if there are inhabitants on other planets that we don't even have any idea about.
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Kim L. (Cary, IL)
Wild Ride
The cover of the book was beautiful and the story within was amazing. The story started quickly and keep me reading because I couldn't wait to see where it was going to take me. Beautifully written, with interesting characters. It was mysterious and thought provoking for me.
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Katherine Y. (Albuquerque, NM)
Intriguing Combination of Religion and Science Fiction
Despite its length (nearly 500 pages), this is a quick read. The premise of the story - that a preacher would travel to a distant planet to minister to the planet's inhabitants lends itself to many interesting story lines (why would anyone go to a new planet, how does his relationship with his wife continue, what are the new planet's inhabitants like and why do they want a preacher). The only downfall of the book is that there are so many interesting aspects to the story that they don't all get explored fully and the ending feels a bit abrupt. Recommended for anyone who wants to read something that isn't like anything else they've read before. For those interested in the lives and language of the planet's inhabitants, I'd recommend "Don't Sleep There Are Snakes" by Daniel Everett, a true account of his work with the Piraha in the Amazon - a tribe that bears a remarkable resemblance to the planet's inhabitants.
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Diana J. (Highland Falls, NY)
Too many questions
This was a very interesting premise...Peter Leigh, man of God goes to distant planet to interact and share the Good News with alien beings. It was enjoyable, but for me, it took too long to get to the basic differences between the Oasans (aliens, native to the distant planet) and human beings. It also tends to leave you hanging because we read emails from Peter's wife Bea, about many tragic disasters that are befalling Earth while Peter's away. However, we never get to see what is causing those disasters, what happens to Bea as Peter prepares to return to Earth, or what happens to Grainger, another member of the team integral to the story. I enjoyed reading it, but felt unsatisfied with the ending. Too many questions remain unanswered.
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Barbara K. (Brooklyn, NY)
A Book of Strange New Things
While I am not usually a fan of science fiction, this compelling story held my attention. It was well written and the characters, both human & alien, as well as the planet, felt real.
Living among the aliens, Peter, our main character, is now the 'odd man out', the alien. His human co-workers are loners who have little emotional contact with one another. In the end, Peter, despite the turmoil that planet Earth is undergoing, feels he must leave his 'safe' alien planet & return to Bea, his wife, & unborn baby, because that is what matters most to him.
Michel Faber created a world & led me through it but left me with too many unanswered questions. I kept on wondering, "where is this going?" For this reason, I could not recommend this 500 page book to most readers.
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Gigi K. (Lufkin,, TX)
What???????
I found it difficult to read and was really not interested in the book in the least. However, I never choose sci-fi. books.
The author lost me when describing a birth. He seemed to have a hard time with description of "no umbilical cord" but had placental exudate on the body. I'll be more alert to the type book I am choosing for review next time.
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