false 77566 0553283685 9780553283686 4439 446 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1241903945m/77566.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77566.Hyperion 2687 Dan Simmons 22972 2458 I don't know how he's going to wrap this up with under 100 pages left. 1 2009-07-02T10:25:03-07:00 966349 2009-07-03T06:09:47-07:00 428 2009-07-02T10:25:03-07:00 Made the mistake of reading Sol Weintraub's story in public. As a husband and father, it wrecked me. Love this book so much. 1 2009-06-24T22:36:08-07:00 933563 2009-06-26T04:29:33-07:00 312 2009-06-24T22:36:08-07:00 Officially can't put it down, now. 0 2009-06-22T18:36:58-07:00 922668 257 2009-06-22T18:36:58-07:00 Starting to know the characters, getting invested in their story and journey. Second story just began. 0 2009-06-20T10:26:03-07:00 912396 131 2009-06-20T10:26:03-07:00 Oh, I see what he's going for. This got compelling over the last 40 pages. Glad I stuck with it, even though it started out really slow. 0 2009-06-14T11:46:15-07:00 885428 84 2009-06-14T11:46:15-07:00 This starts so slowly, it's a real challenge to stick with it. I hear it's worth it, though, so I'm plodding along, a few pages a day. 0 2009-06-10T21:49:23-07:00 871993 30 2009-06-10T21:49:23-07:00 0 2009-06-05T08:44:02-07:00 847385 13 2009-06-05T08:44:02-07:00 4 6 true Sun Jul 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 02 10:14:28 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 05 22:30:38 -0700 2009 1 Hyperion.

It's about the journey, it's not about the destination.

I was deeply disappointed that there was no resolution, once the pilgrims arrived at the Time Tombs, but I don't see how there could have been a satisfying resolution without adding at least another 100 pages to the book. So I just reminded myself that this book was about the journey, and not the destination.

I almost wish they'd left the entire Ouster/Spy/Galaxy-is-on-the-edge-of-Armageddon story out, and simply focused on the pilgrims and their story, letting their individual tales hint at the wider galaxy and its various conflicts. I guess the Consul's story wouldn't have been as meaningful without the greater understanding we got about the Hegemony and the Ousters, but if not knowing that meant not having this disappointing unresolved feeling that I have right now (I just finished the book a few minutes ago), I think it would have been a fair trade. If the whole thing is telling us about these people going to see The Shrike, fading out just before they do is like dropping Luke into the trench on the Death Star, and never letting us know what happens next.

I understand that much of the resolution I currently find lacking is provided in Fall of Hyperion, but every book, even those that are part of a series, should provide an entirely satisfying experience to someone who reads them in isolation of the other volumes. To that end, Hyperion succeeds, I think, even if it doesn't tell us what happens when they finally get to the Shrike (or if they even do) as long as we accept that it is about the journey, and not the destination.

I still loved it. I still thought it was a wonderfully-written novel that absolutely deserved the Hugo. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars, but thinking back on how much I enjoyed it while I was reading it (instead of how unresolved I feel at this moment) I'm bumping it up to 4.]]>