Critical reception for the titular novel has been fairly mixed. Although the book has been dubbed "the most famous science fiction novel" ever and has received the Hugo Award for best novel, the book was panned by many critics, such as NYT writer Orville Prescott, as a "disastrous mishmash of science fiction, laborious humor, dreary social satire and cheap eroticism", so bad that "when a non-stop orgy is combined with a lot of preposterous chatter, it becomes unendurable, an affront to the patience and intelligence of readers". Despite the vitriol poured at the novel, it has become a cult classic. Named as one of the 88 books that "shaped America" by the Library of Congress, "Stranger..." has inspired much of the hippie subculture of the 60's and 70's.
Robert Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land", an allegory to the prophet Abraham, is about the "Man from Mars", Valentine Michael Smith ("Mike"), who visits Earth and goes through the human experience, an alien in the crudest sense of the word. The book itself is about 435 pages long, abridged from the original unedited version that was sold after Heinlein's death. It mixes science fiction with modern fantasy. Per the books summary, he comes to Earth to teach mankind "grokking, water-sharing, and love". The rest? I will leave to your leisure to look up or read. The book is interspersed with sparse scenes of action, a swathe of eroticism, and plenty of philosophical debates on politics, religion (especially religion), and humanism between its characters.
Speaking of characters, they are pretty fleshed out and have their own quirks and nuances that set them apart from each other, although this is diluted in much of the dialogue. The protagonist, Valentine Michael Smith, is innocent, child-like, and inquisitive, but begins to develop more human-like attributes as he explores more of Earth and human society. Although he is relatively alien to human culture, he is one of the most believable protagonists of science fiction I have ever come across: he becomes more familiar with every turn of the page yet remains unique as an otherworldly being with abilities that defy human logic.
To be frank, I am more in favor of the book than against it. As a work of science fiction, it poses tough questions revolving around religion, existentialism, and humanism. The remainder of the characters, although bland at some parts, are still fleshed out enough to be endearing and humorous The ending of the book - which I will not spoil here - is unforgettable and haunting, not unlike the ending of The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons, which I will review in the near future. That being said, the cons of the book include its at-times wordiness, unnecessary eroticism, and scenes that drag on and on with no visible endpoint. The story's focus is on the characters more than its settings, and its futuristic sci-fi theme is lost in the midst of discussions on spirituality and love.
All in all, a must-read for any science fiction fan.
Content - 4/5
Writing - 4/5
Overall - 4/5
Salaam
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